30 Rock: An Analysis

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30 Rock and Feminism

Using comedy, 30 Rock mocks women of all ages and races in ways that are both offensive and comedic. Though the show is said to open doors for women in comedy, many of the portrayals of the women are stereotypical. Making up for this with its insight into the lives of women, 30 Rock shows us that 3 years later, feminism still has more to improve.

The leading character of 30 Rock, Liz Lemon (Tina Fey), enforces stereotypical feminist qualities. This representation dates back to the 1970's and 1980's, when TIMES described the feminists of their time as, "‘strident’, ‘humorless’, ‘extremist’, ‘lesbian’ and, of course, ‘hairy legged’. In Time's rendering, the leaders of ‘women's lib’ had a ‘penchant for oddball causes–from ban-the-bras to communal childrearing–that leave many women cold’” (Fineman & Mccluskey, 1997). Though creator and actress Tina Fey is seen as the beginning of women having a larger role in comedy, the other pro-feminist actions of this sitcom are limited.

Using satirical methods, the writers of 30 Rock continued enforcing stereotypical portrayals of women (following a precedent set by shows like "Leave it to Beaver", an early television era sitcom which enforced the submissive/stay at home mother stereotype of women.) Jenna Maroney (Jane Krakowski) is blonde, dimwitted, and narcissistic. This stereotype had been challenged in 2001 with Reese Witherspoon's portrayal of a spoiled blonde girl attending and excelling at Harvard University in the movie "Legally Blonde." Despite the growth shown in other media, Maroney continued to be the poster girl for the "dumb blonde" image (this can be compared to the male "dumb athlete" image). Jenna Maroney was unaware of cultural faux pas, such as blackface, or simply the term "genocide." Most (if not all) of Maroney's lines enforce the stereotype of women she portrayed, saying things such as; "Kenneth, where have you been? I had just put on jeans by myself." (Season 2 Episode 15), "I'm prepared to slip a nipple if you think it will help." (Season 3 Episode 18).

The "bad feminism" and reinforcement of stereotypes aside, 30 Rock created conversation on the struggles of women. A number of episodes are centrally focused on the issues women face in both the work force and their identity. The episode, "The C Word" (Season 1 Episode 14), followed Lemon as she hears a derogatory term being used to describe her and uses the experience to both stop the use of the term and educate her workforce (and the viewers.) Although the show lacks feminist values in most areas, it redeems itself with the insight into real struggles of women.

The effects of the "bad feminism" of 30 Rock continue to show in our modern media. Though the sitcom had flaws, it opened the doors for conversation of women holding leading roles in television. In the spring of 2009, Amy Poehler (with NBC), a friend of Tina Fey's, proudly aired the first episode of Parks and Recreation. This sitcom followed Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler), an eccentric feminist with big dreams. Knope held a low level government position, yet did not allow the limitations of her job description to dictate how hard she worked. This character is now seen as a feminist icon (according to various fan pages and blog posts across the internet). Without 30 Rock's initial impetus, the progress of today's television would not be as successful.