30 Representations

I have been catching up on my 30 Rock, and the episode I recently watched is called Gentlemen’s Intermission. A few things were going on in this episode. One man, Tracy Jordan, wanted his obituary to say good things about him. Another man, Jack, needed to find a new person to mentor because his wife would get jealous of Liz Lemon, his current person. The last thing was that Liz’s dad, who she says is 80 years old wanted a “gentleman’s intermission” or a break from his wife. We have a few representations in this episode. One is about black people. Tracy Jordan is a black man, his obituary was made and he did not like it because it portrayed him as bad. One line said, “Tracy Jordan is the worst representation of a black person.” This wording just shows what happens in real life. If the media portrays black people are spending money on frivolous things and being unintelligent, then people may grow stereotypes.

The representation that is seen with the Jack’s wife is that women are really jealous. It also says to me that it is not normal for a woman and a man to just be friends. In all the episodes of 30 Rock, Jack and his wife are seen as the stereotypical rich white people. This show is about satire, and the writers’ intended message is to mock the stereotypes, but some viewers may construct their own messages.

The last representation is about men. Liz’s dad wanted a break and left his wife for a bit. He did not tell her that they were on a break. This portrays men as being unable to be faithful. He also wanted to be young again and this is kind of how our society has shaped our minds; we value youth. He did not wear his glasses and bought an Ed Hardy t-shirt.