30 Rock and Philosophy: We Want to Go to There

243 Pages·2010·2.88 MB·English

by  Irwin, William

PHILOSOPHY / POP CULTURE W I L L I A M I RW I N
IRWIN S E R I E S E D I T O R :
E D I T E D B Y
Should you let Oprah be your guide?
J . J E R E M Y W I S N E WS K I
3
Is immoral behavior no laughing matter?
O
Can Devon Banks choose his sexual orientation?
R
Is that a dealbreaker?
O
Hello, dummy. Wait! Don’t stop reading. This is really important. I’m dying. Okay, that
was a lie. It’s about this TV show I love. I recently discovered that I’m a 30 Rock
C
addict. From Jack Donaghy’s management advice to the things Liz Lemon has to do
just to get a show on the air every week, 30 Rock raises all kinds of ethical dilemmas
K
and philosophical issues. Okay, it’s not like reading Wittgenstein, but it makes you
wise. Like a genetically manipulated shark. Every essay in 30 Rock and Philosophy
A
takes some of my favorite scenes from the show and uses them to explain important N
D
philosophical issues. Even the most esoteric ideas become understandable when
P
Kenneth is involved. So if you watch the show for Tracy’s antics, Dr. Spaceman’s H
medical advice, or just to look at Tina Fey, read this book and you’ll walk away knowing
I
L
about the Frankfurt School, Aristotle, and Jack Donaghy’s sordid love life. Now that
O
we have that out of the way, I have an idea for a business that could make us both
S
millionaires. One word: fl oppy disks.
O
P
J. JEREMY WISNEWSKI is an associate professor of philosophy at Hartwick H
College in Oneonta, New York. He coedited X-Men and Philosophy and Twilight and Y We Want
Philosophy and edited Family Guy and Philosophy and The Offi ce and Philosophy.
W
e to Go to
WILLIAM IRWIN is a professor of philosophy at King’s College in Wilkes-Barre, W
a
Pennsylvania. He originated the philosophy and popular culture genre of books as n There
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coeditor of the bestselling The Simpsons and Philosophy and has overseen recent
t
o
titles including Batman and Philosophy, House and Philosophy, and Mad Men and
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Philosophy. o

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To learn more about the Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture series, T
h
visit www.andphilosophy.com e
r
e
$17.95 USA / $21.95 CAN
COVER DESIGN: PAUL McCARTHY EDITED BY
WISNEWSKI
COVER IMAGES: © CORBIS / GETTY IMAGES
BLACKWELL PHILOSOPHY AND POP CULTURE SERIES
This book has not been approved, licensed, or sponsored by any entity or person
involved in creating or producing 30 Rock.
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3 0 R O C K
A N D
P H I L O S O P H Y
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The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series
Series Editor: William Irwin
South Park and Philosophy X-Men and Philosophy
Edited by Robert Arp Edited by Rebecca Housel and
J. Jeremy Wisnewski
Metallica and Philosophy
Edited by William Irwin Terminator and Philosophy
Edited by Richard Brown and
Family Guy and Philosophy
Kevin Decker
Edited by J. Jeremy Wisnewski
Heroes and Philosophy
The Daily Show and Philosophy
Edited by David Kyle Johnson
Edited by Jason Holt
Twilight and Philosophy
Lost and Philosophy
Edited by Rebecca Housel and
Edited by Sharon Kaye
J. Jeremy Wisnewski
24 and Philosophy
Final Fantasy and Philosophy
Edited by Richard Davis, Jennifer
Edited by Jason P. Blahuta and
Hart Weed, and Ronald Weed
Michel S. Beaulieu
Battlestar Galactica and
Iron Man and Philosophy
Philosophy
Edited by Mark D. White
Edited by Jason T. Eberl
Alice in Wonderland and
The Offi ce and Philosophy
Philosophy
Edited by J. Jeremy Wisnewski
Edited by Richard Brian Davis
Batman and Philosophy
True Blood and Philosophy
Edited by Mark D. White and
Edited by George Dunn and
Robert Arp
Rebecca Housel
House and Philosophy
Mad Men and Philosophy
Edited by Henry Jacoby
Edited by Rod Carveth and
James South
Watchman and Philosophy
Edited by Mark D. White
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3 0 R O C K
A N D
P H I L O S O P H Y
WE WANT TO GO TO THERE
Edited by J. Jeremy Wisnewski
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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To pages everywhere . . .
Copyright © 2010 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved
Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey
Published simultaneously in Canada
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
30 Rock and philosophy : we want to go to there / edited by J. Jeremy Wisnewski.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-470-57558-1 (pbk.)
1. 30 Rock (Television program) I. Wisnewski, Jeremy.
PN1992.77.A216A15 2010
791.45'72—dc22
2010013143
Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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CONTENTS
ACKN OWLEDGMENTS: Thanks for Helping Us
Go to There ix
Introduction: Platonic Fantasies and Tina
Fey-losophy 1
PART ONE
WHAT WOULD OPRAH DO?: ETHICS AND
THE GOOD LIFE AT 30 ROCK
1 Being Kenneth: Some Moral Lessons 7
P. Sue Dohnimm
2 Sour Lemon: Liz’s Workaholism and the
Meaning of Life 16
Jeffrey A. Hinzmann
3 Friendship on 30 Rock: What a Greek
Philosopher Can Teach Us about
Companionship 28
Dan Yim
4 A Confucian-Aristotelian Critique of 30 Rock’s
“Semi-Virtuous Path” 43
Adam Barkman
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vi CONTENTS
PART TWO
THE GIRLIE SHOW:
GENDER, RACE, AND SEXUAL
ORIENTATION AT 30 ROCK
5 Race at the Rock: Race Cards, White Myths,
and Postracial America 57
J. Jeremy Wisnewski
6 Getting Gay: How 30 Rock Helps Us Understand
Sexuality 75
J. Jeremy Wisnewski
7 And the Followship Award Goes to . . .
Third-Wave Feminism? 89
Ashley Barkman
PART THREE
DEALBREAKER!: CORPORATIONS,
PROFESSIONS, AND POLITICS
8 Medicine’s Not a Science: Dr. Leo Spaceman
and the Role of the Incompetent Professional
in Today’s America 101
Kevin S. Decker
9 Is There a Difference between East Coast
Television and Microwave Ovens?: Moral
Questions about Corporate Management 114
Andrew Terjesen
10 The Emancipation Corporation: Loving and
Loathing the Shinehardt Wigs of the World 130
Nicolas Michaud
11 Liz and Jack Can’t Be Friends!: Communitarianism,
Libertarianism, and Politics at 30 Rock 138
Nicolas Michaud
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CONTENTS vii
PART FOUR
MIND GRAPES (TO NOURISH
YOUR THINKING)
12 “The Bubble,” the Cave, and Samsara:
Being Deluded at 30 Rock 149
Adam Barkman
13 Of Cookie Jars and CEOs: Time and
Self on 30 Rock 161
Tyler Shores
14 One City’s Cheese-Curl Addict Is Another
City’s Model: A Question of Taste 174
Michael Da Silva and Melina Found
15 “I’m Straight-Up Mentally Ill”: Tracy Jordan
and True, Justifi ed Belief 186
Robert Arp
16 Performing at 30 Rock (and Everywhere Else) 195
Marc E. Shaw
APPENDIX 1: Frank’s Hat Store 209
APPENDIX 2: The Wisdom of the Page: Meet Kenneth 211
Ellen Parcell
CON TRIBUTORS: Cast Members of 30 Rock and
Philosophy 217
INDEX: Shinehardt Wig Company Filing System 221
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