By: Alex
This morning I woke up crying because I knew this would be
the last night I would have the opportunity to watch a new episode of 30 Rock. Not only does the end of this
series bring an end to the crazy and lovable subculture of the fictional TV show, TGS, but it also
means that I have no television to tune into at 8pm on Thursday nights. I know
I can (and will) watch reruns of 30 Rock on my collector’s edition DVDs, but
there is something magical about finding a television and tuning into NBC at
8pm to watch a show that I love.
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| Art by Alex |
I love 30 Rock for the obvious reasons: Liz Lemon (and
everything that encompasses this frumpy-yet-godly being), the fact that this
show is so quotable (throughout this article I will demonstrate), Jack
Donaghy’s piercing blue eyes of an ice dragon (see what I did there), Kenneth
the page’s pure love for the greatness of television (which I can TOTALLY feel
for), the camaraderie of the writers room (a room I one day hope to be a part
of), the fact that this is a television show about television (what could be
better!)…okay I’ll force myself to be done (but I’m not really done).
Though I love this show for reasons that many others do,
I feel that I love the show more than anyone else. And no, I can’t tell you every
episode’s name or which season Matt Damon cameo-ed as Liz Lemon’s boyfriend,
but I can tell you that when I watch this show, I have a true feeling of
belonging and inspiration. This show has drawn me in every Thursday night for
years, no mater where I was, I would fight to find a television. I simply had to see what adventures
Tina would write about Liz and her absurd coworkers and failing love life; I
simply had to feel that connection to television.
After all of this devotion and fangirling, I can only credit
my happiness to one person, Tina Fey. Tina is my idol, girl crush, and twin. I
want to be her, but I also feel like I am
her. I want to be her in the sense that she has done everything I want to
accomplish (wrote a book, writes for television, WAS ON SNL, conveys a positive image
for girls), and I feel like I am her
in the sense that I wear glasses, fail at romances and frequently fit under the
stereotype, 'nerd.' Yes, I am Tina Fey, minus everything cool about her.
Because I idolize Tina Fey so much, it gives me much
more of a reason to absolutely love watching her show. Watching 30 Rock gives
me hope. To see a woman like Liz Lemon commanding an office and fostering a
comedy show that was once a dream is so inspiring. Though she sometimes raised
it the most dysfunctional of ways, TGS is Liz Lemon’s baby. And as she struggles
with finding a man, becoming a real mom, and continuing to follow her dream in
the writing world, I see that she can have it all. No, Liz Lemon will never be
glamorous. As we saw last week, Liz probably won’t even have children of her
own. But that’s okay. All of these problems she runs into makes her that much
more of a real person. Tina’s decision to put so much of herself into a character on TV makes this show different from any other.
Tina has created a show that is a hilarious exaggeration of
her own life. Most of the jokes on 30 Rock poke fun at something from her past
or play on a quirky trait of someone she knows. Tina created characters that no
one else can top, the ghetto-toddler Tracy Jordan, the all-important diva Jenna
Maroney, everyone’s favorite goon Kenneth the Page, pathetic, balding yet hilarious
Pete Hornberger, the hushed whispers of Jack Donaghy, and of course let’s not
forget all the camoes! Characters who show that you can make fun of yourself
and still have your pride, are oddly inspiring and makes 30 Rock much more than a television show to me. It’s truthfulness
and hilarity has gotten me through my darkest days. No matter how I down I
felt, I knew that I had something to look forward to. When I turned on my TV at
8pm on Thursday night, every worry I had about my future, every problem
weighing me down, disappeared in laughter as I got completely wrapped up in the
world of Liz Lemon. I’m so grateful for that.
But sadly, as of January 31st, 2013, my life will be a little bit more empty. I would like to say
that 30 Rock is my show because I love it so much, but I know I’m not the only fan
out there. In fact, I’m one of many. This show has such a cult following that I
know its popularity will never die, and that’s what’s so comforting as the
series reaches its close. Though I am truly heartbroken to see my adventures with
Liz Lemon come to an end, I will never lose what 30 Rock has brought me over these years. One day, I will just have
to hope to create something just as comparable—something just as great.
And so I end this article, I express my gratitude with a poem.
Ode to 30 Rock
At 30 Rockefeller Center
Is where I go to feel better.
In the glorious world of show biz
Is where we find our hero Liz.
You’ve validated making mistakes
And the safety in eating three helpings of cake.
Though many people mistake you for a man,
You never fail to do what you can.
Liz Lemon you’ve done it all
You made us feel like we’re not so small
But let’s be real, what I’ll really miss
Is that you and Jack never got to kiss.
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