“Gentlemen’s Intermission”

Hermès is a high-end Paris-based purveyor of leather, clothing, perfume, and anything else rich people like to buy. It was started in 1837 by Thierry Hermès who made the finest wrought harnesses and bridles for the carriage trade, and taken over by his son, Charles-Émile Hermès, who introduced, yes, saddles. And Charlotte’s new saddle is, in case you missed it, emblazoned with a “C”.

A reader pointed out this was from S04E13 “Anna Howard Shaw Day” at 15:16.

The newscaster on the monitor is Lester Holt, the weekend anchor of NBC’s Today and Nightly News.

Hmmm tricky! The best reference I could find is to Jacob from Genesis, specifically Jacob’s Ladder, which is the bridge between heaven and earth. It was also a freaky good movie.

[Update:] A couple of reader pointed out this may also refer to Jacob from the TV show Lost. This may be, but Jacob doesn’t have that much to do with people passing from life to death, nor do the 30 Rock writers reference shows like Lost very often.

It’s true! Lots of media outlets write up obituaries in advance. And accidentally release them with alarming frequency. Wikipedia’s got a list so extensive it’s alphabetized. Apparently Pope John Paul II was killed three times by the media before his actual death. I guess you could consider it an honour?

No one’s ever been caught Driving Under the Influence at the controls of a submarine. That’s not to say it hasn’t happened.

Tom Sawyer is a character written by Mark Twain in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Clever joke: Tom Sawyer was set in 1844 along the banks of the Mississippi, which is pretty dang hillbilly, something you figure Kenneth would cotton to. But nope, this sort of high-brow literature didn’t make it all the way to the Parcell clan in Stone Mountain, Georgia. Though from the description of the burial, I think they may have created a zombie.

Because he was sad and lonely. Like people who cook for one. Oh wait I know people who cook for one. I like a select few of them. Still funny, though;)

The “Fat Bitch” are probably references to Tracy’s previous movies like the one where he “had to pretend to be this old lady” (based on Big Momma’s House and maybe The Nutty Professor I & II).

So all of the clips used are:

• Jedi: From S01E01 “Pilot.”
• Fat Bitch: Also from S01E01 “Pilot.”
• French Poof: I don’t remember this from anything previous. May have been made for this episode.
• Oprah Throwing Up: From S01E08 “The Break Up.”
• Swearing Interview: I think this was also created new for this episode.
• Making Out With the Queen: Also done for this episode;)

As far as the Queen thing goes, I have no idea what he was about to say. Pervo? Perv-o? What… Perv-o-lovin? Pervomitis?

[Update:] A reader pointed out this may be parvo, the viral disease dogs get from other dogs’ feces. Which is pretty funny;) Well, that Tracy may have given the queen parvo. Apparently parvo itself is less funny.

Ahhhh jet packs! Up there with flying cars, Rosie the Robot, and other futuristic and evergreen favourites of yesteryear that never came to pass. I think no matter how far in the future we give it, we’ll never have these things;) Actually they do have flying cars you can buy now, they’re just horribly impractical and wickedly expensive.

Mark Cuban is a rich dude. He owns the Dallas Mavericks (NBA), Landmark Theatres (US movie theatre chain), and runs HDNet (HDTV cable network). No mention of him and jet skis. In fact, he said as much on Twitter;)

This really sounds like she’s imitating someone, but maybe it’s just crazy Liz brain.

So… this is some sort of weird cruel joke. When women get pregnant their breasts get larger. Yaye! But they often also get so sensitive they can’t be touched. Boo! What the hell is that? Who thought that up!? Not cool, sir!

Trivial Pursuit is a trivia game with six categories: Geography, Entertainment, History, Arts & Literature, Science & Nature, and Sports & Leisure. I can’t imagine a film in which you could play a trivia category, and even if I could, I’d cast Jenna as Entertainment. Spazzy, self-centered Entertainment.

It’s Kim Jong-il, and he’s the ruler of North Korea, everyone’s favourite little hermit state. And he’s pretty important. If for no other reason than everyone suspects he’s up to no good which isn’t helped by the fact he barely talks to the outside world. It’s the perfect formula to make everyone terribly interested in you.

Fantastic. Someone needs to create these and sell them on Etsy.

Ed Hardy was a Japanese-inspired American tattoo artist who went on to license a clothing line. The Mervyn’s reference is a little odd. Mervyn’s was a department store chain, but it went bankrupt and closed all locations at the end of 2008. So this implies Daddy Lemon bought this shirt two years prior. Perhaps this was a very premeditated 2010 affair.

Well, we know he bought the shirt in advance;) Maybe not 300 years in advance…

A colonoscopy is one of those “things old men get.” An examination of the colon via the rectum and all sorts of pleasant and dignified.

Push ups are a staple of Army fitness training. They’re actually very very good for you; they exercise a ton of muscles in your body and are great for core strength. I’m currently trying to do The Hundred Push Ups Training Program right now. How am I doing? Slow going;) Push ups are hard! Apparently the world record for non-stop push ups is over 10,000. That’s insane.

The US Army Physical Fitness Test requires a minimum number of push ups based on age. At 62+ you should be able to do a minimum of 16 push ups. It actually maxes out at 62, but up till then there’s a new category every 4 years. Using my rudimentary grade 6 math skills, Dick (and presumably his Army buddy), at 80 years of age, would fall into the 77-81 age category and be required to do 10 push ups. They still fall short.

And there is no bar called “Swingles” in NYC.

Hmmm… So I translated this by copying & pasting the English into Google Translate, but what came out doesn’t perfectly match. The last German word translated to “Anrufererkennung” (caller ID), but Avery actually says “Anruferkennzeignung.” Luckily my good friend Stef speaks German! Rah Stef! So Anruferkennzeignung is the colloquial for “caller ID,” and Anrufererkennung is the more formal version, which is why Google Translate spat it out at me.

And at first I thought it was pretty funny they translated Liz Lemon’s name as Liz Zitrone, which sounded to me like it must be the German word for “Lemon,” but I’m sure you normally just leave people’s named alone when translating. Well, apparently that’s actually what Liz is called in Germany. Liz Zitrone;)

Tracy may be referring to masturbation. I can’t be sure.

Actually I think you can substitute a number of different verbs in there and people would assume you mean masturbating. “I’m waxing mysef.” “I’m masticating myself.” “I’m defibrillating myself.” Sort of like you can throw anything in the “verb the adjective noun” template to imply sex.

Googling yourself is also known as egosurfing.

Prince Hal was Henry IV as a wild young lad, in Shakespeare’s play Henry IV (part 1).

Well this is true. Well, some scientists think it’s true. I love scientists. They’re smart.

What is Pete talking about? Liz only has one brother, and he’s a real sweet kid. He wouldn’t call his dad a bald wang. Oh wait. Unless Pete’s projecting.

Ah Dr. Drew. Medical doctor and professor of psychiatry, he’s hosted a number of shows where he offers medical and relationship advice, notably on Loveline and Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew.

Silly joke — New York Necks is a play on the New York Knicks (NBA), but “Necks” cuz they’re… giraffes… and giraffes have long… necks. I think they have a “one corny joke per episode” union rule.

Liz is trying to reference the song Takin’ Care Of Business by Bachman-Turner Overdrive.

Heh… Because a hunched Liz looks like a hunchback, most famously (and hilariously) Igor (pronounced EYE-gore) from Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein. Apparently the hunchback “Igor” character is a movie archetype that started with the 1927 film Metropolis. For some reason I always figured it was a literary archetype.

Dorothy Michaels was the name Dustin Hoffman’s character used in Tootsie when he dressed up as woman to land an acting job. Liz and Dustin Hoffman look eerily similar when dressed up as a woman.

Looks like a line made up right here on 30 Rock! One dollar gift card to Tim Horton’s for the best ending to this line!

It’s a real business! Looks tiny, though. No website, and doesn’t show up in Google Maps.

That would be a gay bar. Gar bars have rainbow flags.

Tony Shalhoub is best known for his role in the TV show Monk.

Jenna was born on February 24, 1969 (S03E13 “Goodbye, My Friend”), making her 41 at the time this episode aired.

Passing wind = farting. There I said it: farting.

Meredith Vieira is the host of NBC’s Today show. And cats dialing 9-1-1… this actually happens. From time to time.

John Boehner is the 21st Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives. Is everyone in the states keenly interested in intensely boring aspects of government? I imagine they chose him because his name is spelled boner even though he insists on pronouncing it BAY-ner. And, as usual, Dickipeida proves a far more entertaining look at this otherwise bland-as-paste political representative (including the fact he was at one point the least popular politician in the US).

Oh and as far as I can tell he has normal sized hands.

1200 calories a day, huh? Let’s see, Elizabeth Banks is 5’5”, 36 years old, and reasonably active. She weighs, I’m sure, less than 110 lbs, but we’ll say 110. At that height/weight/activity level she’d need to eat 1870 calories per day to maintain her weight. Eating 3500 calories fewer per week will cause you to lose 1 pound per week. She’s eating 6530 fewer calories per week, so she’d be losing 1.8 lbs per week. At that rate she’d disappear completely in a little over a year. Don’t say we don’t teach you anything here at What the What?!

And there is no Organized Living magazine. There, you’ve learned two things.

Bee tee dubs is exactly how this sort of Generation Y douchebag would pronounce “btw”. Like pronouncing wtf out loud as “doubleyoo tee eff”. Only Lucas can get away with shit like that. Artoo Deetoo!

Ironic kickball is usually played only by those wearing ironic mustaches.

Nice! “Hard to Watch: Based on the Book Stone Cold by Manipulate” was one of the two movies Tracy considered doing at the end of Season 4 (S04E21 “Emanuelle Goes to Dinosaur Land”) along with Garfield 3: Feline Groovy.

Tracy’s been going for the “O” in his EGOT since S04E07 “Dealbreakers Talk Show #0001”.

Mmmm… not that we know about. Though there has been a lot of talk of Atlantic City and black bachelorette parties.

Okay what the hell. Someone please find out what Jenna’s talking about every time she says “jags.” She mentioned it before in S05E03 “Let’s Stay Together.”

Because Avery snuck up on Liz like a ninja. But she’s a blond haired blue eyed pretty ninja, not a swarthy dark masked ninja that may or may not take part in annual ninja parades.

Duane Reid is a drug store chain, mainly in New York City. Their bags look a little something like this. Now imagine it snuggled up against Liz’s nethers.

Remoras (a.k.a. suckerfish) are fish that live most of their lives suctioned on to sharks, whales, or sea cows. It’s actually phoresy, not symbiosis, and they don’t eat the hosts’ parasites. It’s speculated they may eat the feces of their host. This is a stunningly gracious and kind analogy Jack has cooked up.

Waugh! Curb stomping is… okay it’s horrible. It’s one of the worst things I can think of. You make a person lie down in the street, bite the curb, and then you stomp on the back of his head, shattering (at the very least) his teeth on the pavement. I watch a lot of horror movies (including The Human Centipede — do not watch this; you have been warned), and one of the most brain-shudderingly horrible scenes I can remember is the curb stomping scene from American History X.

Ahhh Laser Zeppelin. It’s the (slightly) updated version of just getting horribly stoned and putting on some Led Zeppelin albums. Instead, you get horribly stoned and watch trippy psychedelic laser light shows while someone else puts on Led Zeppelin albums. Behold! Laser Stairway!

Knicks = New York Knicks (NBA).

FUNNY. Becuse Liz is played by Tina Fey. Semi-fourth-wall-breaking, self-referential humour! Tina’s real name is actually Elizabeth Stamatina Fey (Greek, in case you’re wondering).