Originally written as part of a group project for Isra Ali's Women, Minorities, and Media class, Spring 2008.
30 Rock, the brainchild of actress/writer/producer Tina Fey, can be viewed within the confines of production processes. It poses a unique opportunity for study as these production processes play out on screen and behind the scenes, as 30 Rock is based upon Ms. Fey’s tenure as head writer on Saturday Night Live, and shows the inner workings of a sketch comedy show trying to make it on the air week after week. (Internet Movie Database [IMDB], 30 Rock Trivia) This scenario, which borders on breaking the fourth wall, makes some analysis of the show as it plays out important as well as analysis of behind the scene when discussing the show. Production processes on 30 Rock and other sitcoms are ingrained in production systems of an establishment, and account for many of the routines seen throughout media. From the beginning, the selection of Ms. Fey’s show over other shows can be interpreted within the production process. Ms. Fey has worked for NBC for over 10 years, beginning at the sketch comedy show, Saturday Night Live. Fey’s work on the show can be interpreted as “paying her dues,” allowing her to establish herself as a talented writer and actress. As Joseph Turow writes, “A person establishing a track record is some who… has shown that he or she is reliable, talented, and ready for more responsibility. This emphasis on paying dues and accumulating a track record ensures that a relatively small number of newcomers will move through the recruitment gauntlet…” (Turow, p. 194)In addition to Tina Fey, the main executive producer of 30 Rock is Lorne Michaels. Michaels is the creative force behind sketch comedy shows such as Kids in the Hall and Fey’s former show Saturday Night Live. In addition to writing capacities, Michaels has either been a producer or executive producer on the show for all 32 seasons of SNL, with the exception of 5 years between 1980 and 1985. (IMBD, Lorne Michaels)However, he has lasted on SNL with relatively sparse help from females. According to data from imdb.com’s credits page, out of over 250 credited writers for the 30 year history of SNL, less than 40 are female, with only 7 female writers credited for more than 100 episodes, compared to 31 males. (IMDB, Saturday Night Live) This is the show 30 Rock was based on, but what about 30 Rock’s writing staff itself? Returning to imdb.com, the writing credits for the show indicate that there is only one other female writer on the show besides Fey; the other 6 co-writers are male, and the episode analyzed in this paper is written by two males, Dave Finkel and Brett Baer. (IMDB, 30 Rock)This power differential carries over to the show within the show. Tina Fey’s Liz Lemon is the only female with any power over TGS with Tracy Jordan, the show-within-the-show. Vice President of East Coast and Microwave Oven Programming Jack Donaghy (portrayed by Alec Baldwin), producer Pete Hornberger (portrayed by Scott Adsit), and show star Tracy Jordan (portrayed by Tracy Morgan) are all male and maintain positions of authority within the show, in Tracy’s case, usurping power from the original star of The Girlie Show, Jenna Maroney, at Donaghy’s insistence. (Fey, 19:47)In general, Lorne Michaels productions, especially 30 Rock and SNL, tend to challenge mainstream authority, balancing between keeping the show on the air and cutting into the institutions that affect the average viewer’s daily life. According to Aaron Reincheld,“[T]he cast and crew of "SNL" have fulfilled a need in American society: to give a mainstream voice to alternative points of view and to question publicly the system and governmental leaders.” (Reincheld, 196)Despite this oppositional view of government and establishment figures, Lorne Michaels shows should not be interpreted as fully oppositional to the establishment, even that of NBC. As Joseph Turow writes, “[Even] when the materials focus on problems of the society… the portrayals should not be considered anti-establishment because they tend not to support radical breaks with traditional ways of doing things.” (Turow, 183)While 30 Rock regularly mocks authority figures such as Jack Donaghy, Fictional NBC CEO Don Geiss, and the President of the United States, there is never a call to overthrow the president, or to restructure the corporate ladder at NBC, within the confines of the show or within the meta-humor of the show. And perhaps it should, as the corporate structure of NBC, which is the network responsible for the fake and the real show, is shown to be extremely complicated in the series. Within the show, NBC is owned by the Sheinhardt Wig Company, which is in turn owned by Pokerfastlane.com, which is owned by JMI, which is owned by Kitchenall, which is in turn owned by GE, according to the episode “The Rural Juror.” (Hubbard, 7:06) The real-life structure of NBC is somewhat different. According the profile on NBC’s corporate website, NBC is a joint venture between multinational corporations General Electric and Vivendi. While GE does have many subsidiaries, the Sheinhardt Wig Company is not among them. (NBC Universal)30 Rock relies on many casting and situational comedy routines. In particular, Judah Friedlander, who plays the writer Frank, fulfills a casting stereotype. As Frank Rossitano, the creator of the original drag sketch that sends Toofer and Tracy into an argument, Friedlander fulfills the role of a working class buffoon, living in his mother’s basement and being, as Richard Butsch describes, “dumb, immature, irresponsible…” (Butsch, 576) Tracy Morgan’s character Tracy Jordan falls within the clown stereotype as defined by Stuart Hall, and it is questionable whether or not he can truly make a statement on the show or if he is merely comic relief from episode-to-episode. As Hall writes, “It is never quite clear if we are laughing with or at this figure: admiring the physical and rhythmic grace, the open expressivity and emotionality of the ‘entertainer’, or put off by the ‘clown’s’ stupidity.” (Hall, 92)Tracy Morgan is also an example of track record talent. Like Ms. Fey, Morgan made his way through the ranks, building up from his first appearances on SNL, debuting a year before Fey began writing for the show. As an established talent for NBC, NBC took very little risk in hiring him for the role of Tracy Jordan. (IMDB, Tracy Morgan)In addition to Fey and Morgan, NBC took virtually no production risk by hiring Alec Baldwin for the role of Jack Donaghy. Alec Baldwin has made hundreds of appearances in movies, TV shows, and Broadway plays. Baldwin has also hosted the show 12 times, leaving him second only to John Goodman and Steve Martin for amount of times he has hosted SNL. Bringing in Alec Baldwin was nothing but a safe bet for the production staff at 30 Rock. (Internet Movie Database, “Saturday Night Live” Trivia)What one can conclude from all of this is that 30 Rock, though it does consistently poke fun at the establishment, it still continues to serve the establishment in many ways. The writing staff still reflects a male bias, despite the creation of the show by a woman. Its use of stereotypes in casting expose the function of stereotypes, which as Richard Dyer describes, is to be “a very simple, striking, easily grasped form of representation.” (Dyer, 246)The use of stereotypes allows viewers to begin making assumptions before the character begins speaking. One can infer that Frank will be a bit of a slob, based on his stubble, pot belly, and trucker hat. One can infer that Tracy Jordan will be played as a clown, based on minimal interaction with other characters. These stereotypes will be elaborated on by my colleagues in later chapters. The use of track record talent, from production staff to actors and actresses, reduces the financial and social risks that companies take on when producing a show like 30 Rock. (Turow, 194) The use of Lorne Michaels and Tina Fey, working together again after Fey’s departure from Saturday Night Live, denotes a certain reduction in risk. Michaels as a producer has the power described by Turow to allow himself a certain amount of freedom while producing a show, as long as he and Fey do not exceed boundaries set by the establishment. (Turow, 204) Overall, while it does play out differently than other sitcoms, 30 Rock is still bound by the same production processes as any other sitcom currently on the air on mainstream networks.
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