Tina Fey took her bosses at NBC to task Wednesday night. While speaking at the Ad Council gala, she bashed NBC for coming in fourth in the ratings, and for making the still mind-boggling decision of putting Jay Leno on every f-cking weeknight at ten o’clock. I still can’t get used to that – and neither can any kind of audience. Tina even jokes about Comcast buying out a sizable portion of NBC Universal – which could totally happen. God, NBC sucks. And it’s all Jay Leno’s fault. Tina also made a crack about Sarah Palin which I’m sure will get some attention.
Tina Fey took a shot at her bosses Wednesday night, saying: “NBC is sadly the fourth-place network; actually, we’re in ninth place if you count the radio stations ahead of us right now.”
The 1,200 guests at the Ad Council gala at the Waldorf laughed raucously as Fey continued, “I really believe that if everyone in this room would watch NBC for one night then that would be a 40 percent [ratings] increase.”
Talking about the plan of Philadelphia-based Comcast to buy a controlling stake in NBC Universal, she said: “It’s leaving me thinking: Will I have to change the name of my show from ’30 Rock’ to ‘Industrial Park on the Schuylkill River’?”
She also couldn’t resist taking a shot at alter-ego Sarah Palin, saying: “They made a porn movie about Sarah Palin and the same actress, Lisa Ann, played me in the porn version of ’30 Rock.’ Weirdly, of the three of us, Lisa Ann knows the most about foreign policy.”
[From Page Six]
See, the joke was as much about Tina as Sarah Palin. I’ve found that in interviews, where Tine is being real, she really doesn’t disrespect Sarah Palin that much. In her Vanity Fair interview earlier this year, Tina even discussed her real feelings about meeting Palin and the criticism both women received: “What made me super-mad about it… was that it seemed very sexist toward me and her. The implication was that she’s so fragile, which she is not. She’s a strong woman. And then, also, it was sexist because, like, who would ever go on the news and say, ‘Well, I thought it was sort of mean to Richard Nixon when Dan Aykroyd played him,’ and ‘That seemed awful mean to George Bush when Will Ferrell did it.’ And it’s like, No, that’s not the thing. This is a comedy sketch on a comedy show… I feel clean about it. All these jokes were fair hits.” You know what I’d like? I’d like Tina Fey to be put in charge of NBC programming. Tina for President (of NBC)!
She’s one of the few good things NBC has going for them.
I love Tina. I think she’s smart and funny and hasn’t let her success go to her head. 30 Rock is a great show and I hope it hangs in there for a long time.
She’s right on about what was said about SNL’s jokes on Palin vs. Ferrell’s GWB. Yes, the media was sexist towards Palin sometimes, but those skits weren’t, in my opinion. When you put yourself out there for a position like that, it’s part of the territory, and women and men should be treated equally in that respect as in all others. I don’t think anyone should have given Palin a pass because she’s a “girl” and it was “mean”.
I find it hard to alugh at her. I dont thin shes funny and I didnt even know who she was until she started making fun of Palin. Which isnt funny anymore, old news. Sad that you have to make fun of others to get attention. I guess I didnt realize she was a comedian?
Tina Fey is seriously who I want to be when I grow up! She’s an awesome writer, successful business woman, a devoted mom (from what I can tell, it’s hard to judge those things but she seems to be all about her bebe), she’s smart as hell and oh yes hilarious. I think she handled the Sarah Palin thing perfectly – not afraid to skewer her in the media, but also being diplomatic about her in retrospect. Plus she rocks those glasses like nobody’s business. And her comment re her, Palin, and the pron star made me lol!
and lucy2, if anyone had gone easy on her BECAUSE she was female, THAT would have been sexist. she was treated the same way a male politician would have been.
in fact, imo, most of the “sexism” came from the GOP side, as they always refer to her “hotness” as one of the reasons they like her, and use her “hotness” as a reason that the Dems DON’T like her. not realizing, of course, that her looks have ZERO to do with why the Dems, and most of the country, can’t stand her.
yes, she’s a physically attractive woman, but her opinions and her stance on issues (not to mention her “qualifications”) is why people don’t like her.
to artsyfartsy…I’m guessing that you never watch SNL, because she had been writing for and appearing on that show for years before Palin came on the scene. not to mention her hit TV show that started two years before the presidential election.
Tina Fey for Queen of the Entire World! Let’s not stop with NBC, there’s so much more Tina could make better.
@ artsyfartsy – it’s wonderful for you that you are so superior (and artsy, no doubt) that you had no idea who a successful female comedy writer, producer and actress was until she was on the news for doing a sketch. You aren’t in the majority for that, I think.
Can you please not pretend that ONE of HUNDREDS of impressions on SNL was done to get attention? Seriously, that show is more than 25 years old, and political impressions have been a staple of their sketches all along. Don’t act like this was a LOOKITME grab by Tina Fey. It was totally appropriate.
Tina Fey is one of the few women in the media that I admire. She is so funny and witheringly intelligent. She is right about the sexism inherent in the way she and Palin were perceived, and perception is often the most dangerous aspect of sexism, or any bias, because it is so slippery and seemingly innocent. We have to remember, though, that Palin herself helped to fuel the fire in playing the victim. Many of her claims of being treated unfairly by “gotcha media” were unfounded, or could be seen in the treatment of any politician, male or female.
I worship TIna. She’s a genius.
my fav part of SNL is always the political satire. Will Farrell was the best GWB! I think he also did Janet Reno…LOL
Megan, if you’ve never seen it, Dana Carvey’s elder Bush is fantastic.
also, Darrell Hammond as Bill Clinton was perfection.
(both are on You Tube, I’m sure.)
I beg to differ that it’s “Jay Leno’s fault” that NBC sucks. As far as I know, it wasn’t his choice to be removed from the Tonight Show and replaced by the infinitely un-funny Conan O’Brien. That’s why they’re tanking. It’s Conan’s fault! 😉
@St. Angie YES!!! I love Dana Carvey! they are so awesome! The Church Lady is classic! I miss the old SNL
artsyfartsy – Sarah Palin opened this up again during interviews for her book tour. Why she would want to pick a fight with a comic, with her own TV show, is beyond me. Making a joke at the expense of someone who CHOSE to be in the public eye is not out of line. 30 Rock is the funniest show on TV right now. You probably don’t watch or get it because it’s too cerebral. Tina Fey is awesome!
Love, love, love Tina!
I did try to watch 30 rock..it wasnt funny. My husband kept looking at me and asked why we were watching this. I told him because people say its hilarious. At the end of the show we just looked at each other, neither one of us laughed during the whole show. We decided we would find soething else to watch in that time slot.
Now, theres no reason to bash me like you have been, this is just my opinion, im sorry, but to me, she isnt funny. I even watched that one show where she paid some woman to carry her baby. The other person was funny, but again, Tina Fey wasnt. JMHO
What all the screamers seem to have lost sight of: this was a series of jokes. Jokes, people. Maybe not to your taste, maybe you think she was being serious about bitching about Leno. And this: “As far as I know, it wasn’t his choice to be removed from the Tonight Show.”
He wasn’t removed, HE decided it was time to step down and NBC granted his desire to do a daily, earlier show. The bare truth is, his show may be okay, but it has been proven by the ratings that fans didn’t want their 9:00 slots to be filled by him.
If she were making serious comments about the network, etc., do you really think she’d do so in a speech that was so obviously meant to be funny? Personally, that Palin joke was the funniest to me. Palin wrote a book that came out a day or so ago, right? So it’s not like she’s retired from politics, and political satire has been around for, oh, I don’t know. Hundreds of years?
So don’t find her funny; not everyone has the same tastes. Tina has a sort of biting and self-deprecating sense of humor.
Obviously the crowd she was speaking to liked her humor and I’m pretty sure that was her point.
“I did try to watch 30 rock..it wasnt funny. My husband kept looking at me and asked why we were watching this. I told him because people say its hilarious. At the end of the show we just looked at each other, neither one of us laughed during the whole show. We decided we would find soething else to watch in that time slot.”
you guys must be a barrel of laughs.
@artsyfartsy; if you all didn’t find anything on 30 Rock funny what do you find funny? That show is the best written show on TV other than Daily Show IMO. I hope you give it another chance. There’s so many oneliners you can barely keep up. I’m not going to call you stupid because to each it’s own, but just give it another chance.
BTW, Fey is the best female role model in the entertainment industry that I can remember.
30 Rock is hands down the best show on tv!
I find I don’t have much in common with people who don’t appreciate 30 Rock. As Liz would say, “If you don’t get it– that’s a dealbreaker!”
As a conservative and fan of Sarah Palin, with 3 kids and no time for tv. I confess I NEVER miss 30 Rock! It’s funny, and Tina created it. So she makes fun of my favorite Alaskan, that’s fine. While watching last night, all I could think is that with the billions Mr. Gore has from selling his ‘global warming’ he could at least fix his teeth, yikes.
Tia C, just a quick fyi: Jay Leno announced his retirement and THEN Conan was selected to fill that slot. Then Jay reneged and wanted to not retire. NBC decided to give him his show back at an earlier time because they had already made a commitment to Conan for that time slot.
So yeah, Jay started this debacle.
artstyfartsy, you’re “allowed” to say you don’t think she’s funny. everyone is entitled to their own opinion on what is funny.
but to act like you didn’t know who she was until you saw her parody of Palin just sounds like BS. This: “Sad that you have to make fun of others to get attention.” implies that her impression of Palin is the only thing that brought her attention. which is clearly not true. especially considering you’re NOW saying that you watched 30 Rock and her movie with Amy Poehler. so, you DID know that she was a comedian. now that I think about it, if you saw her parody of Palin on SNL, you MUST have known she was on that show and, therefore, a comedian. so, I’m going to retract the part I wrote that say “sounds like BS” and insert “is BS”.
and I’d just like to add that making fun of Palin is STILL funny, and will be as long as she’s in the public eye.
Love Tina!!!!!!!!
artsyfartsy sounds like complete square-state trash
Come on. It makes perfect sense. People who can’t spell and don’t understand punctuation aren’t exactly Tina’s target demographic.
Tina Fey was the best part of SNL during her tenure, and now 30 Rock is the funniest show on TV.
I think part of the reason people were upset about her Sarah Palin sketches is because they thought she was making fun of them too. You know, the snobby H’wood elitists picking on middle-class country types. Just my opinion, but a lot of people connect to Mrs. Palin and see some of themselves in her.
It’s a shame though, because I don’t believe Tina Fey is a hateful person or snob. She seems very funny and down to earth.
I like Tina a lot but she often gets too weird on her show as opposed to entertaining and funny. And I don’t like Tracy Morgan on the show or the blonde. Steven is perfection though. For me it’s almost neck and neck with my guilty pleasure, Two And A Half Men. Actually for me, TAAHM usually pulls away from 30 Rock every time because there is hardly ever any “Well, that wasn’t funny” like there is with 30 Rock. My husband and I both laugh harder and more often with TAAHM.
Tina Fey has turned into a one-trick pony. She is “the Sarah Palin impersonator” now, and nothing more. What a stupid move on her part.
one trick pony for her impression?
I guess that’s why she’s been nominated multiple times for Emmys for 30 Rock, and has won two, I believe, for Lead Actress in a Comedy Series and Writing for a Comedy Series. Not to mention her Golden Globe and SAG awards for 30 Rock.
i like her in these pictures so much more than when she is all done up for red carpet or whatnot.
Artsyfartsy- You’re married??? From your posts I would have guessed you were a teenager. I don’t watch 30 Rock, but how could you not know who Tina Fey is, did you live under a rock? You ask how someone can make a career out of making fun of people? That is what comedy is all about! Find me a successful comedian who HASN’T made fun of someone before. I know different strokes for different folks, you don’t have to find her funny, but your reasoning sounds juvenile: “I don’t like her b/c she’s a meanie!”
LOVE Tina Fey. LOVE 30 Rock. Don’t understand how someone could get through a whole episode of 30 Rock and not laugh. That show is frickin’ hilarious!
I love TF, but I’m sensing a backlash in 3-2-1. She’s getting so many accolades that it’s about time her fame backfired. Happens to the best.
tina who?? she is nobody without using sarah palin for her own benefit. she is stupid!
I don’t think she’s funny either. Seriously overrated in many ways including her supposed beauty. And how typical when you say you don’t like something/someone someone accuses you of “not getting it.”
I’m such a fan of this woman and 30 Rock is by far and away the best show on tv. Having said that, I can see why anyone watching a random episode wouldn’t get it. It’s one of those shows that is best appreciated when seen from the very beginning. You get to see the characters evolve and the relationships develop ( particularly the touching and intriguing one between the Tina fey and Alec Baldwin characters).
Personally, I don’t enjoy shows like Two And A Half Men. It just seems to be one sex joke after the other, aimed at the lowest common denominator but I am willing to be proven wrong 🙂
MB I completely agree with your post.
I’m a huge fan of the show, but for the first couple of episodes, I didn’t think it was that great and was actually disappointed in it because I had high hopes. But I stuck with it and now think it’s the funniest show on TV.
Different people like different things.
What pisses me off is that in Australia, 30 Rock’s shown at like 11.30 or something, while Two and Half Dickheads is shown about three times a night all week. I honestly don’t understand how that show is still going, it’s predictable, the main characters aren’t funny and the audience sound like complete morons when they laugh hysterically at a lame joke that I saw coming five minutes earlier.