‘30 Rock’ offers accurate satire on pop culture

were such hilarious plot points precisely because they were absurdly dumb. Of course, this is also the point the show was trying to make. Networks and studios felt and continue to feel confident enough to market such products because they assume their audiences are as vapid as the entertainment pushed could easily be perfectly suited for midweek primetime programming. One could also argue that massive blockbuster movie franchises, such as Marvel Studios, do not even have to make an effort to make truly quality movies anymore. Even if Marvel movies are panned critically, there is no doubt they will succeed on them. One only needs to take a broader look around the entertainment industry today to see how well this central aspect of the show has aged. At one point, network executive Jack Donaghy — played by Alec Baldwin — decides to tank NBC by implementing a bizarre fall slate of television shows. Today, some of Donaghy’s shows at the box office, which does not do much to encourage greater artistry in the industry’s most popular films.

A simple analysis can conclude that the state’s mission to control minority populations and impose cultural subjugation upon the land’s original caretakers has been mostly or entirely successful. Rather bleakly, “30 Rock” depicted a world of foolishness at every turn. Nobody in entertainment, politics or business seemed especially intelligent or highly capable.

The show was also withering and accurate in its criticisms of the stars of the entertainment industry. Tracy Jordan and Jenna Maroney, played by Tracy Morgan and Jane Krakowski, respectively, are the two stars of the sketch comedy “30 Rock.” They are frequently portrayed as being out of touch with everyday life and the concerns of their coworkers. One only needs to think of the infamous “Imagine” video, filmed at the onset of lockdowns and social distancing, which featured numerous celebrities singing a cover of John Lennon’s song, to realize how well the show has held up. Everyday people were worried about a new deadly pandemic that no one seemed to know much about and Gal Gadot and Co. seemed to think that video would be incredibly beneficial. In retrospect, it is the exact sort of thing Jordan or Maroney would have done on “30 Rock,” all while feeling great about themselves. That particular video was also eerily reminiscent of “Operation Cowboy Lightning,” which was Donaghy’s plan to record a celebrity benefit for a natural disaster before the disaster happened in order to increase his network’s profits. It is hard to watch the “Imagine” video and avoid the feeling that it could have been rolled out for any large-scale tragedy with the same pervasive sense of false sympathy.

Rather bleakly, “30 Rock” depicted a world of foolishness at every turn. Nobody in entertainment, politics or business seemed especially intelligent or highly capable. But in depicting such a world with such accuracy and comedy, the show also proved that a truly quality product can still have tremendous value. The show was never a ratings hit, but its reemergence on streaming services has given it something of a new life among those who were too young to watch it when it aired. Especially for those of us who are growing up in a world that seems to be growing more bizarre by the day, “30 Rock” provides both a true comedic outlet and the hope that there will always be space available for entertainment that pushes its viewers to engage with it critically.

Theodore Brita is a junior majoring in political science.