Watching 30 Rock

The other day when I posted that video “Monkey Boners” from the ASSSSCAT Improv Special, it actually was the second video I located from the program. The first one I located is actually the one I linked below, and is actually my favorite of the two. In this one, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler play “sexy tennis.”

Sexy tennis! Sign me up for lessons. But only if these two are my instructors:

I’ve read here and there that Tina Fey is uncomfortable with love scenes (which leads me to believe we won’t be seeing her playing any romantic leads anytime soon) which I’m thinking is true, based on her body of work so far. But if we can get a hint of sexy Tina Fey while we are laughing our asses off, then that is good enough for me. Oh yeah!

So tonight, Amy is liveblogging the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards for our sister site, Trashy Celebs. And since our hero Tina Fey is presenting the first award (and showing off her bare right shoulder — pretty racy there, Tina Fey!) with Steve Carrell, I thought I’d pop over here and tell you about any of the 30 Rock angles to the event. Fey and Carrell are presenting Best Actor in a Drama Series, which must be a bit awkward because you know they will be making jokes and those serious, serious actors will just be all “shut up, so I can be pretentious!” Oh, James Gandolfini won! And he gave Tina Fey a peck on the cheek and totally did not order a hit on her. That’s a relief!

Other, more obvious 30 Rock connections to the SAG Awards:

Tina Fey, nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series (along with Christina Applegate, America Ferrera, Mary-Louise Parker, and Vanessa Williams.) Guess what? TINA FEY WON HELLS YES! She thanked the SAG for “considering her an actor at all” and then she thanked Alec Baldwin, comparing doing scenes with him to “Fred Astaire dancing with a hat rack.” Funny and humble, even after winning. And thanking SAG for supporting the Writers Guild, because she is selfless and giving.

(See that NBC, you bitches? She won. WON! And I have been hearing too many rumors suggesting that with the writers strike and all, 30 Rock might get cancelled. DO NOT DO THAT YOU WILL BREAK MY HEART.)
(more…)

Oh. My. God. People. This is freakin’ awesome. This is MADE of awesome. “Awe” and “Some” hooked up at the drive-in one night last spring and this video was born.

Like anyone likely to be reading this blog, I have been missing 30 Rock lately, longing for a new episode and dreading the possibility that there won’t be any new episodes for a long time, if ever, due to the writer’s strike. So I went a cruised around YouTube, doing searches on Tina Fey, and came across the above video, which is from the ASSSSCAT Improv TV special which originally aired on Bravo. And while it sure isn’t the same as a brand spakin’ new episode of the best show on television, it certainly made me laugh pretty hard and filled a little bit of the gaping hole in my comedy world. Watch it now! Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Rachel Dratch, and monkey boners! What else could you ask for? (Well, maybe Alec Baldwin also saying “monkey boners.”) In fact, this video kinda makes me want to make a list of actors and actresses that I would like to hear say “monkey boners.” This list would include Helen Mirren (as Queen Elizabeth and as herself), Philip Seymour Hoffman, Angela Lansbury, Bea Arthur, John Malkovich, Kate Winslet, and Sir Ian McKellen. That would also be made of awesome. Tell me I am wrong!

Still, I would much rather be hearing Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin saying “monkey boners” on a new episode of 30 Rock. But while I am wishing for things that won’t happen this week I’ll also wish for a magically clean house, a winning powerball ticket, and gas for 25 cents per gallon.

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Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Rachel Dratch, ASSSSCAT Improv

Well since production on 30 Rock is shut down for the flippin’ flargin’ flurgin’ writer’s strike, Alec Baldwin has had some free time on his hands. So what better way to kill and afternoon that to go down to the set of Celebrity Apprentice and give his little brother, Stephen Baldwin, a hard time? I know harassing my little sister is one of my favorite ways to spend my days off. (Love ya, B! You complete me!)

I love how he basically is saying that is brother is full of shit but he’s gonna come down there and support him anyway. In fact, I bet even if Alec was contractually obligated to go make an appearance on Celebrity Apprentice he wouldn’t have cared, because, who would pass up the opportunity to be sarcastic about another show on your network AND hang out with your brother AND probably smoke one of Donald Trump’s cigars and make fun of his weave behind his back. I mean, really!

One show I am fairly sure we won’t be seeing Alec Baldwin make a guest appearance on is Celebrity Rehab, featuring another Baldwin brother, Daniel. Daniel has the only slightly more humiliating position of airing all his dirty laundry to Dr. Drew on VH-1 along with other washed up has-beens and never-will-bes. (Seriously, they get bigger stars on Celebrity Fit Club - pun not intended.) I mean talking about your rock bottom moments with drug addiction and alcoholism MUST be more humiliating than being berated by Donald Trump on national television for charity, right?

Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock, Celebrity Apprentice, Donald Trump, Stephen Baldwin, Daniel Baldwin, Celebrity Rehab, VH-1

Well Keith over at Pop Culture Buzz found what I wasn’t able to find a few weeks ago when I first posted about Tina Fey’s upcoming movie, Baby Mama … the movie trailer! (Thanks, Keith!) And unless all the funny jokes are in the trailer (which, we all know, is certainly possible) then I do have hope that the movie itself is going to be pretty funny.

Trailer not enough Baby Mama for you? Then check out the official movie website! Baby Mama Movie! The movie will be released on April 25th — is there a way to buy tickets NOW?

Tina Fey, 30 Rock, Baby Mama

Thanks to someone on You tube, here’s the entire season of the fictional 10-second sitcom mentioned by Alec Baldwin in “Fireworks.”

I have a really short attention span especially when it comes to working. But this could be my in to network internet television. I could totally come up with a whole series arc for Makin’ it Happen all in the time it takes to order some thai food. But in the time it’s taken to think that I lost interest and decided to go play Wii.

Makin’ it Happen, Thai Food, Nintendo Wii, Alec Baldwin

With the writer’s strike dragging on and on and on (Come on, producers! Come on AMPTP! Get back to the table and give the writers what they deserve! There is only so much Deal or No Deal I can watch!) there hasn’t been much new 30 Rock news to report. But as I was cruising around on the webs, I found and old, very brief interview with Tina Fey on E! online that I hadn’t seen yet before with information regarding season two. This interview came from an earlier, more naive time before writers strikes, insulting offers from the AMPTP and abbreviated seasons of our favorite TV shows. Some of the information, we already know, like about the story arc with Jenna gaining weight from eating pizza every day during her stint in Mystic Pizza: The Musical and the brief mention of Tracy and his ankle bracelet. But this is the most interesting part of the interview, and the subject that I haven’t heard addressed before: will Liz and Jack ever hook up?

The Lemon-Donaghy Romance Begins Five Minutes After Never: Despite their intense chemistry, Tina says there’s no romance—nor any sex—in store for Liz Lemon and her boss, Jack Donaghy, played by Alec Baldwin. “No, never gonna happen. They have great chemistry, I think, but in the writers’ room we always talk about it as Lou Grant and Mary Tyler Moore, or Han Solo and Princess Leia. Lot of chemistry, never happened.”

And thank goodness for that! The Lemon-Donaghy relationship is one of the funniest, sharpest, and most interesting on television right now and I am glad there are no plans, ever, to ruin it with romance or sex. That’s just not funny. This is not Cheers or Who’s the Boss? or Moonlighting. Personally, I enjoy the hints that are sometimes discussed on the Television Without Pity boards suggesting that Grizz is in love with Liz Lemon. (He calls her “Beth.”) That is an interesting storyline!

But the most heartbreaking part of the above interview is the following quote from Fey:

Begin at the Beginning: It’s early yet, but the writing staff is hard at work. There are no complete scripts, but according to Tina, “We’ve broken a lot of stories, and then I get in there with the writers next week.”

We all know what happened next — those writers were forced to shut down their computers and pick up picket signs. And it makes me sad to think of all the funny ideas (and non-romantic Lemon-Donaghy interactions) that we won’t get to witness this season.

30 Rock, Liz Lemon, Jack Donaghy

Ever wonder how much you know about Stone Phillips? Who’s Stone Phillips you say? What are you a non-cultured ignoramus? Well if you are said ignoramus pants, Stone Phillips was co-anchor of Dateline NBC from 1992 until last summer when his contract was not renewed by NBC.

Anyway Kenneth the Page is a stone-cold Stone Phillips master. Check it out.

Scary isn’t it. We wonder if he read the same Wikipedia entry we did.

Stone Phillips, Kenneth the Page

Dear Tina Fey,

Congratulations, Tina Fey, on winning the 2008 Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Comedy Series. You know how excited we are for you here at Watching 30 Rock both as bloggers who write a site about your show and also as big fans of both the show, you, and all your other work. We are so happy for you! Finally getting the recognition you deserve as an amazing comedic actress.

We were really, really bummed however, that the SHOW didn’t win the Golden Globe this year, losing to HBO’s Extras which I must admit I have never seen, even though I dig Ricky Gervais. Do you watch that show, Tina Fey? Do you watch any of the other shows nominated in your category? (Californication, Pushing Daisies, Entourage). If you do watch them, do you watch them because you like them or did you just start watching after the nominations so you could check out the competition? It’s okay, Tina Fey, you can tell me. We were also really bummed that Alec Baldwin didn’t win in his category, because he is just getting funnier and funnier with every episode, much like the show itself. And he did do an excellent job finishing his muffin. Please tell him that from us.

So I have another question for you, Tina Fey. Did you even bother watching the pseudo-Golden Globes broadcast tonight, with the douchey hosts from Access Hollywood just standing there telling us who won and offering their “commentary” like we even care what they think. What a joke. I mean, awards shows are always too long and have stupid jokes and boring moments and the occasional pompous speech, but dammit, that is why we watch them! To see who shows up in a stupid dress or drunk or who didn’t bother to comb their hair. I’m sure that is at least part of the reason you like to go too!

So congratulations, Tina Fey. We would totally like to see your Golden Globes some time and I totally don’t mean that in a dirty way.

Stay righteous, Tina Fey.

Lori

Tina Fey, 30 Rock, Alec Baldwin, Golden Globes

Feeling a little too cosmopolitan? Wishing for a simpler life where Snapple is considered a stiff drink and men and pigs work as one? Not sure where I got that one but you can get yourself a talking Kenneth the Page Bobblehead.

For realsies, it does it all the different ways and says 12 hilarity inducing catch phrases like:

1. Would you like me to dance for you?
2. Frankly, La Donica, you have not been real
helpful.
3. I call it ‘Gold Case’
4. It’s gonna get raw in here like sushi so haters to the left.
5. I just love television so much.
6. Well that just makes me perspire.
7. My mom is my best friend.
8. Pregnant cornbread?
9. When I get nervous I ask a lot of questions.
10. To the wig shop!
11. Yes, sir!
12. That’s what we in the showbiz call a ‘cameo’.

That’s all good but I’d really like to see a Liz Lemon/Tina Fey Bobblehead. It can say things like “Amy you’re one smart sexy writer bitch. I’d like to take you to my planet of hot, funny good times where you can eat as many brownies as you want and play naked with me in the miller light fountain.” So yeah, watch for that one soon on NBC.com.

Tina Fey, 30 Rock, Kenneth Bobblehead, Miller Light

Need more 30 Rock in your life? Thanks to fanpop.com you can vote on a bunch of interesting 30 Rock topics. Sure there’s typical stuff like which is your favorite Frank trucker hat (it’s tied between “And” and “Extra Cheese”) but there’s also atypical things like best sketch idea with hobos and will Jack and Liz ever hook up (50% say no).

There’s some interesting fun facts too like I didn’t realize Josh was raised as a girl for 10 years. And there’s mind bending questions like which is more disgusting eating a poptart that was used in a sex game or drinking an entire bottle of expired ketchup? (For me it would really depend who was using the poptart). Have fun.

Fan Pop, 30 Rock, ketchup, sex poptart

You can be friends with Kenneth! Some very nice person has created a MySpace page on behalf of Kenneth the Page from 30 Rock. I’m guessing it isn’t an official page created by the actor or by the show or by NBC, but that is okay. Kenneth totally would/should have a MySpace page. Can’t you imagine him writing his blog every night after work, giving his totally awesome Kenneth the Page viewpoint on life at 30 Rock.

So here is Kenneth the Page’s (unofficial) MySpace page.

Why would you want to be friends with Kenneth? Why would you NOT want to be?

30 Rock, Kenneth the Page, MySpace

Dear Tina Fey,

We’re really fed up with the crap that’s passing for entertainment tonight. Celebrity Apprentice? Really? Is Omarosa really a celebrity? Isn’t she famous for something heavy falling on her head and being cranky? And isn’t Thursdays on NBC suppose to be chock full of comedies? Last night featured Deal or No Deal that Apprentice shit and ER which no one cares about. Can they no longer show reruns of the Office or does TBS have full run of those?

I mean I can only watch guys doin’ the nasty with an ottoman so many times on You tube or look at a walrus kissing a beluga whale on cuteoverload.com. Although some of the mash-ups of the guys dry humping the Ottoman are pretty damn funny, but not as funny as 30 Rock is Tina Fey. We’d be happier watching you and Rachel Dratch play Wii, make cookies or watch guys hump an Ottoman on You Tube than watch most of the stuff on TV.

No, I’m not obsessed with that video Tina Fey, I just want to have quality television options available not only to myself but all of America. Seriously how often can we watch fat people exercise, not eat donuts, stand on big scales then cry? For me, not too freakin’ often. I will tell you what I can watch often. Wait for it…guys humping ottomans.

But seriously Tina Fey. We hope you had a nice relaxing holiday season filled with lots of octopus time. We also hope NBC realizes that football season is almost over and they can’t glom onto NFL network when they need programing for a Saturday night. Maybe soon NBC will give the guys who hump ottomans a show. It could be like Deal or No Deal meets Who Wants to be a Millionaire where contestants answer trivia questions and if correct get to make sweet, sweet love to furniture. Think about it Tina Fey. This could be must see TV in the near future and what a frightening future it is.

Pretty Ricky Late Night Special, Tina Fey, NBC, Deal or No Deal, Who Wants to be a Millionaire, Rachel Dratch

Within the past few weeks, two couples who are my oldest, closest friends have had babies, so I totally have babies on the mind. Something about holding infants just a few days old and sniffing the top of their heads just has made me all smiley and stuff. Naturally, then, I got excited by when I heard that the new Tina Fey movie Baby Mama is being released in the next couple of months.

Successful and single businesswoman Kate Holbrook has long put her career ahead of a personal life. Now 37, she’s finally determined to have a kid on her own. But her plan is thrown a curve ball after she discovers she has only a million-to-one chance of getting pregnant. Undaunted, the driven Kate allows South Philly working girl Angie Ostrowiski to become her unlikely surrogate. Simple enough … After learning from the steely head of their surrogacy center that Angie is pregnant, Kate goes into precision nesting mode: reading childcare books, baby-proofing the apartment and researching top pre-schools. But the executive’s well-organized strategy is turned upside down when her Baby Mama shows up at her doorstep with no place to live. An unstoppable force meets an immovable object as structured Kate tries to turn vibrant Angie into the perfect expectant mom. In a battle of wills, they will struggle their way through preparation for the baby’s arrival. And in the middle of this tug-of-war, they’ll discover two kinds of family: the one you’re born to and the one you make.

source

I have to say though, as much as I do look forward to this movie, I look forward to it with some trepidation. Why, because Tina Fey didn’t write this damn movie. She stars in it, which, awesome. And her former “Weekend Update” co-anchor Amy Poehler is also in the movie, along with Sigourney Weaver, Greg Kinnear, Maura Tierney, and Dax Shepard. But the movie was written by the same dude who wrote Undercover Brother which I don’t remember winning any Golden Globes. And he also wrote Thunderbirds which I don’t think I have even heard of. The movie is also directed by the same guy who directed a couple of the Austin Powers movies, a funny series, but not exactly the intelligent, sharp wit we’ve come to expect from our girl Tina. And maybe this is unfair of me to say, but I have to say I feel a bit uneasy about a movie (even a comedy, which I think often can be more poignant with some subjects) about a woman deciding to become a mother that was both written and directed by men. I just hope it’s not the same old bullshit jokes about hysterical pregnant women and hormones making them crazy. (I’m looking at you, Judd Apatow, because even though I loved the film, you walked a fine line with Knocked Up.)

But I have faith in Tina Fey, and I don’t think she’s just doing this for the cash and hey, if it gives more exposure to 30 Rock, then that’s a good thing. But if we get that tired old “water breaking in a ridiculous place” joke then I might be demanding my money back.

Tina Fey, 30 Rock, Baby Mama, Amy Poehler, Sigourney Weaver, Greg Kinnear, Maura Tierney, Dax Shepard, Judd Apatow, Knocked Up

Happy New Year everyone. I’m really tired and don’t have a whole lot of funny or sarcasm in me. Check out this piece from The LA Times about Tina Fey’s American Express commercial being shown during 30 Rock. Cheers!

Tina Fey, 30 Rock, American Express, Los Angeles Times