After watching this week’s 30 Rock I initially viewed the Abby Flynn parody as a direct attack on Sarah Silverman.
After all, Liz Lemon’s girly nemesis rocked a cropped tee, killer bust, disco booty shorts, baby pigtails, and 1970s thigh high socks; slept with a stocky comedian far less attractive/intelligent than she; baby-talked ad nauseam; and possessed a “bagel-y” last name (one of the more questionable punchlines for me). It all seemed straight out of Silverman’s 1997 Maxim shoot, her stand-up routine, and her life. Shawna Feldmar did an interesting juxtaposition between Fey’s comedy (which proved hilarious yet still adhered to the woman seeking a family and partner) and Silverman (who defied categorization) for UCLA’s Thinking Gender series. While it’s possible animosity exists, I doubt it. After all, both shared a Vanity Fair cover in 2008 and a nomination for best actress in a comedy series in 2009. While I loved the roundtable’s video, I can’t remember why Fey couldn’t participate.
So, I started to look at other prominent female comedians. Considering Abby’s blonde hair and hyper promiscuity, I wondered if Fey criticized Chelsea Handler‘s blonde boozey man-whore personae. However, reader Sebastian pointed out a connection between Abby and Olivia Munn, whose comedic talents I have yet to see manifest in Perfect Couples.
So, does Liz Lemon (or Tina Fey) actually hate women or does she hate the system that forces contemporary female comedians to sexualize themselves to find mainstream acceptance? Do you remember Paula Poundstone, pre-NBC talk show\pre-ABC TV show Ellen, or Elayne Boosler? I loved them all, but I remember people eventually mocking them, particularly Poundstone. When you consider that NBCÂ forced Fey to drop the hilarious Rachel Dratch for the prettier Jane Krakowsi, perhaps this serves as Fey’s not-so-covert commentary on the sacrifices female comedians must make. Alec Baldwin commented in a Vanity Fair interview, “What Tina Fey wants,” about the seemingly necessary yet increasing focus on Fey’s looks.
So do TGS, 30 Rock, Tina Fey, and/or Liz Lemon hate women? Or, does comedy (or the allegedly majority male society that produces/consumes it) hate women and the portrayal of them as smart without the added reductive ‘sexy’ layer? Or, as Feldmar seemingly intimates, do these women possibly hate a portion of themselves for having to sacrifice a part of their principles by focusing on their looks (where their past male paramours did not)? Either way, clearly, it’s a system that needs to change.
Clacked by An Nicholson 
on Feb 28, 2011 @ 11:00 EST5EDT
Took me half an hour to finish “reading”. Why did you have to link those Maxim pictures? ;-)
I think another option is that sex really sells and that there’s a 50% male audience out there who are willing to buy your stuff/watch your show if you “use what you got”. It’s still a man’s… and it would be foolish not to do it as long as more than 50% of the people deciding if you get a show greenlit or not are male. And the test audience.
By the way, VW just announced they will have their first female boardmember “soon”. Just sayin’. It’s not just Comedy I think and that’s going to chance not first but rather last I guess, once you make fun of real life stuff.
Anyway, Silverman was on SNL and is now over 40 years old and still looks amazing, it’s really hard not to like her for how she looks. And if you follow her on Twitter or read the blogs out there you’ll find that she’s kind of an activist. Her TED Talk was awesome
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PpXPra_Olg
(had to link Real Time because TED took it down).
That’s interesting, because I initially thought that it was Sarah Silverman playing Abby!
i did too
Ah, good old ironic comedy.
I know that the USA gets stick for not getting it by British people but shows like this really prove that wrong.
This post, however, doesn’t.
I believe Tina Fey tried to prove us in her sophisticated ways that the world needs change. Women should not sexualize themselves just to get to be popular with guys. I’ve never seen a guy dressed in shorts and baby talk just to get an audition.
I didn’t make the connection to Silverman at all, because she performs stand-up wearing a sweater and slacks. Maybe Lynne Koplitz, but her humour is very layered.
Rachel Dratch is ‘one-note’ which does not work on 30 Rock. Everyone (excluding maybe Griz and Dotcom) on the show has to be able to push up the crazy by several levels as the show goes on, something Krakowski does well.
30 Rock hates everyone (they mention this themselves), that’s why it’s so funny.