On Tina Fey’s “30 Rock” Life Parodies Satire

The Original Cast of 30 Rock including Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan and Rachel Dratch
One of the reasons why I don’t care for comedies about Hollywood anymore is that the humor cannot match the ridiculousness taking place behind the scenes. Take NBC’s upcoming 30 Rock. It was a recently announced that Rachel Dratch would no longer be appearing as the lead of “The Girlie Show” - the show within the show. Instead she would appear as different characters each week, supposedly to take advantage of her sketch comedy chops. In conjunction, they mentioned that the character she was to play had been downgraded - even cut according to some reports.

Of course, soon after an announcement came that Jane Krakowski was joining the cast to play the character that Rachel Dratch once played in the pilot. A character that was just announced in the trades to have reduced importance - not exactly an inducement to any semi-name actress.

Yesterday, The Sound of Young America’s Jesse Thorn rightfully called bullshit. I second that I smell it too. His implication is that attractiveness is an issue here, and Dratch is being pushed aside for someone less funny but more appealing. I can see it this way, but I’ll also volunteer that perhaps the role has been reduced and Krakowski didn’t know when she took it. I think the first is more likely, but I’ll consider that Dratch might not be the one, well, getting the shaft here.

The irony: “Girlie Show” - the show within a show - is a more female friendly sketch comedy until a network exec, played by Alec Baldwin, monkeys with it. Pushing aside a talented, funny player for someone considered more attractive and demographically appealing is exactly what that character does. In the pilot script I read, Tina Fey’s character Liz Lemon only brings on an crazed African-American comedian on the show not only in hopes of saving the lead’s job but to have a hit show that makes enough money so she won’t ever have to change her own child’s diapers. Why make TV making fun of devil’s bargains if you’re going to engage in them yourself?

Posted by Todd Jackson at 05:52 PM | Send to Friend
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Comments

1 Posted by Jack on 08/21 at 06:44 PM

If the pessimistic scenario is correct, then shame on those who somehow made that happen. But I’m willing to give Tina Fey and the show credit since it hasn’t aired yet and it’s not 100% clear what is happening.

2 Posted by Todd Jackson on 08/21 at 07:33 PM

Jack, you’re right this may not entirely be true - the original [url=“http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117948462?categoryid=1238&cs=1 “]Variety article<a> said:

“But with the focus of “30 Rock” moving away from “The Girlie Show” and more toward the interaction among stars Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin and Tracy Morgan, the show’s exec producers decided to scrap Dratch’s character.” Emphasis mine.

But that may well be a misquote from Variety.

In their defense, if the change was necessary - i.e. Dratch didn’t feel confident in the role, she wasn’t the right fit, etc - I don’t think there would be a good way of doing it without looking like you’re replacing somebody for the wrong reasons.

I like Fey a lot and want to give her the benefit of the doubt here. I don’t think I’d be as interested in the behind the scenes machinations if they weren’t trying to satirize them in the first place. Rocks & glass houses come to mind.[/url]</a>

3 Posted by m.groves@comcast.net on 08/21 at 09:22 PM

I’m really looking forward to this show. True, Dratch may be too talented to be confined to one character, and all sides agreed. But if her contribution was scaled down by “the man”—for the purpose of inserting an audience-friendly looker—then that would be a shame. In any case, I’m with Jack, I’ll reserve judgment until viewing at least the first episode.

4 Posted by seamus on 08/30 at 02:43 AM

Isn’t “The Girlie Show” really a show within a show within a show?

5 Posted by Daniel on 05/22 at 04:50 PM

Indeed seamus, it is really a show within a show. Technically, I think even that is within a show. It’s complicated story telling :)