Lessons Learned from NBC's "30 Rock"

Liz Lemon and Jack Donaghy Contribute Their Wisdom

Submitted to Yahoo! Date: 11/12/2010

Learning from television is a reality, especially if you watch Emmy Award-winning "30 Rock" on NBC. Alec Baldwin and Tina Fey's characters, Jack Donaghy and Liz Lemon, respectively, constantly create tidbits of knowledge during their rapid-fire repertoire as mentor and mentee. When they talk with other characters on the show, the intelligence just keeps on coming. And Jenna Maroney, played by the gorgeous Jane Krakowski, always has a witty line up her sleeve to teach something new.
Here are some lessons from "30 Rock."

Acronyms always work
When Jack's explaining to his fiancé, Avery, in the season five episode, "Gentleman's Intermission," the acronym that he uses when picking someone to mentor, he teaches that it doesn't matter what the acronym spells. Drive, intelligence, humility, and chaos make up Jack's acronym DIHC, which has an unfortunate homophone making for a great innuendo. "I'm looking for DIHC, Avery, and I'm going to take it wherever I can find it."

Presidential words make you sound powerful
On another season five episode, "Reaganing," Jack explained to Liz the definition of the episode's title; "Making it through a full 24 hours without a single misstep is called Reaganing. The only other people who have ever done it; Lee Iacocca, Jack Welch, and—no judgment—Saddam Hussein." Later, Jack made a Greek mythology reference when he said, "I am the Sisyphus of Reaganing." Each time the word was used, the whole room stopped to pay attention. Add this one to your vocabulary.

Individuality is key
Also in "Reaganing," Jack mentioned how he was going to "swing by MSNBC. I have to talk to Rachel Maddow - only one of us can have this haircut." Never let someone steal your style.

Priorities sometimes trump morals
Liz once said to Jack, "If I could push a button and five people in the world would die, but I could get free cable for life, I would do it." Clearly, Lemon's thought this one out.

Pageants are important
Kenneth Parcell, the hilarious Jack McBrayer, reluctantly accepted Jenna's help in the episode "Let's Stay Together," after he told her that the page interviews had become "just a pageant." Jenna couldn't believe that Kenneth hadn't learned how important pageants really are and said, "Just a pageant?! That's like saying a guy is cool because he has just a speedboat."

Diversity can be difficult
Jack's reason for not telling Queen Latifah's Congresswoman Bookman how he really feels about diversity and how it's the core of our nation, also in "Let's Stay Together," is classic: "I was too busy trying to remember the name of the black kid on 'Community.'"

Substantial meals are necessary
Matt Damon had a great scene as Liz's boyfriend Carol with Liz on the phone during "Live Show."
Carol: "No non-essential chatter, Liz. I'm having the worst flight of my career. We got wind shear, lightning... the in-flight meal was a frittata!?"
Liz: "Oh my god; at night?!"
Liz knows the importance of a hearty meal when flying at dinnertime.

FOX shows are important too
In the same conversation, Carol reminds that other networks have shows worth watching sometimes. "Lizzie, if something were to happen, I want you to know that I ... I need you to ... TiVo 'Bones' for me in case I survive."

Made up words are fun
From "Blurg" to "lizzing" to "Blamm-o" Liz Lemon continues to introduce fun words into the American vocabulary. So much so that there's a dictionary of words and sayings at NBC.com. Sentences like "I want to go to there," also make the cut of hilarious new Lemon-isms.

How to spot a dealbreaker right away
In season three, Liz's catch-phrase, "That's a dealbreaker, ladies!" took on a life of it's own. She even got her book, Dealbreakers: A Girl's Guide to Shutting It Down, published (on the episode "Into the Crevasse"). Here is one tidbit to remember from the book: "If your man is still legally married in Mexico.... ...that's a dealbreaker, ladies!"

Catch more life lessons from Jack, Liz, and the rest of the cast of "30 Rock" on Thursday nights at 8:30 pm ET.

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Sources:
http://www.nbc.com/30-rock/