NBC’s 30 Rock is regarded as one of the best sitcoms of all time thanks to its fantastic writing and ensemble cast, featuring Tina Fey, known for her work on Saturday Night Live and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and Alec Baldwin, known for Pearl Harbor and The Aviator.
Based on creator Tina Fey’s personal experiences on SNL, the show has received critical acclaim for its writing, winning various accolades such as Emmy Awards and Writers Guild of America awards for best comedy series multiple times. So, here are 10 clever 30 Rock jokes and quotes guaranteed to make audiences chuckle.
“It Wouldn’t Be A Lemon Party Without Old Dick!”
In the season 2 episode, “Ludachristmas”, Liz’s parents are visiting her and go out to eat with her and Jack. When Jack offers to pay, Liz’s father, Dick Lemon, declines the offer and says he got it, followed by the above quote.
For the uninformed, this quote would seem quite normal, but to those familiar with internet shock culture websites, Lemon Party with Old Dick has a different, darker, horrific meaning. While half the audience was sure to miss this joke, the other half would have laughed that much more.
“Tracy, I Don’t Know How To Say This. De-ay-bah-tees?”
Dr. Spaceman (pronounced Spach-e-mun, except Tracy, who pronounces it as 'spaceman', hilariously), played by Chris Parnell, has many hilarious lines in the show, this one being one of his best. After Tracy goes to get a health checkup from Dr. Spaceman, he says the above quote.
Dr. Spaceman is one of the funniest guest stars on the show, and is a very shady doctor, always taking illegal drugs and messing up procedures. It's a wonder why big-time celebrities like Tracy Jordan and Jenna Maroney still consult Dr. Spaceman, but sitcom's gotta sitcom.
"Your Boos Are Not Scaring Me. I Know Most Of You Are Not Ghosts!"
In a cutaway scene, audiences can see a crowd boo-ing Tracy, to which he says the above lines. It's a pretty funny one-off joke, especially considering how hilarious the wording is. Tracy is often shown to be crazy or downright insane, like when he claimed he was "living in a show within a show, and his real name was Tracy Morgan".
Tracy has some of the funniest lines of the entire show and this one does not disappoint. Even funnier is the fact that he says "most of you" rather than "you all", showing just how crazy Tracy can be.
"Oh, That Word Bums Me Out Unless It's In Between The Words 'Meat' And 'Pizza'."
In the season 2 episode, "Secrets and Lies", Jack tells Liz that he and a woman she saw earlier were 'lovers'. This instantly grosses her out and she says the above lines. Liz is often shown to be quite immature regarding relationships, especially the sexual aspect, and is often unwilling to talk about it with Jack.
The show passes off Liz being forty and single as a joke multiple times to hilarious effect, and this line, too, is sure to make audiences chuckle.
"Science Is My Favorite Subject, Especially The Old Testament"
After Grizz and Dotcom, Tracy's entourage, tell Kenneth about how Tracy dropped out of high school, Kenneth says the above line, showing audiences his roots from Georgia. Kenneth is shown to be extremely Christian, such as when he said judging people was reserved for God's Angel, implied he was one and then said Jenna was the worst person he had ever met.
Kenneth is from Stone Mountain and is shown as a hillbilly to comedic effect many times. For example, in the show, he once claimed his role model growing up was a pig named Harold, and his town mayor was once a horse.
"TGS With Tracy Jordan Without Tracy Jordan Is An Oxymoron, Like 'Liberal Government' Or 'Female Scientist'."
This quote was said by Jack in the season 5 episode, "Plan B". When Tracy "goes to Africa", Liz goes to Jack to ask him for advice on what is to be done. As executive producer, Jack declares that without Tracy, TGS has to be put on forced hiatus, which basically means it's canceled. He then says the above lines.
Jack Donaghy is one of the most pro-capitalism characters on television (second only to the legendary Ron Swanson). The show has many instances of ironic feminism and it's played for a joke in this scene hilariously.
"I'm Not Going To Be Pushed Around And Forgotten, Like That Time At My Sister's Funeral."
This line was said by Jenna in the season 4 episode, "Stone Mountain". When Liz and Jack go to Kenneth's hometown in Georgia to find a new actor for their sketches, Jenna is worried about a new actor taking away attention from her. Jane Krakowski's delivery of the line also guaranteed the audience would be sure to chuckle.
Jenna Maroney is one of the funniest characters on the show and is a hilariously perfect parody of snooty and crazy TV actresses that keep making the news. From crazy situations such as her being cast on a movie no one can pronounce the title of (hint: it's The Rural Juror) to her one-about her dating history with Mickey Rourke, she's all over the place.
"I Don't Need A Birthday Cause I Buy Myself All The Presents I Need. And Because Of My Drinking, They're Usually A Surprise."
In the season 3 episode, "Goodbye, My Friend", Kenneth discovers that Tracy doesn't celebrate his birthday. When asked about it, he simply says the above line. It's a hilarious situation and audiences get to see Tracy, who's often shown to be very silly and in denial, so open about his drinking problems, combined with Tracy Morgan's delivery of the line.
Tracy has been shown to be a real piece of work throughout the show, such as when it's revealed that Tracy is not allowed in Las Vegas due to his gambling problem. Or the time when Tracy told Grizz, Dotcom, and Kenneth about his troubled childhood, like when he "saw two drunk babies giving each other tattoos", but he is still very likable, despite all that.
"I Did Big Sister In College. That Little Girl Taught Me How To Use Tampons"
This line was spoken by Liz in the season 4 episode, "Into The Crevasse". During one of their regular talks in Jack's office, Liz reveals yet another part of her menstrual history with Jack, something he is often disgusted about, like when she told Jack she got her first period at the age of seventeen while Jack asked her for advice.
Liz has a very hilarious, and equal parts sad and disgusting history. She's shown to be very lame and pathetic, almost a parody of single middle-aged ladies. This quote is as disturbing as it is hilarious, and is sure to make viewers chuckle.
"Jack Donaghy playing with himself...It's a Jack-Off."
In the season 6 episode, "Today You Are A Man", Liz goes to renegotiate her deal with Jack, when he sends over the same deal for her to sign. When Liz uses the tips Jack himself gives in his tutorial videos on how to negotiate, Jack catches on. Desperate for a challenge, he agrees to negotiate with Liz, who is using Jack's strategies. He then says the above quote.
Audiences were sure to giggle at this quote if not outright laugh out loud, seeing that "playing with himself" and "jack-off" have, well, rather humorous and explicit alternate meanings. Quotes like this really show how clever the writers were, and how many of these they had thought up to be used in whimsical situations.