Newsgasm: Studio 60 turns into a Letterman joke

Industry

By Tabloid Baby | Wednesday, October 25, 2006 | 8:45 am | 29 Comments

studio60.jpg

Aaron Sorkin may have finally gone over the edge with the sermonizing, preaching and lecturing on Studio 60 on The Sunset Strip. The show has already been floating in an astoundingly bizarre alternate dramedy universe in its depiction of a live weekly comedy series, with its lame sketches, college-level references to Commedia dell’Arte, Gilbert & Sullivan, Ibsen and the Christian right, and the use of executive producer Tommy Schlamme’s long-in-the-tooth wife Christine Lahti as the femme fatale.

But all it took was one line to turn the entire series into a joke on Late Show with David Letterman.

And with next week’s episode being bumped for a Monday night airing of Friday Night Lights, the late night ridicule might be enough to pull the white sheet over Monday Night Dead.

We haven’t seen any recaps, so it may still be a spoiler, so we’ll save the line for after the jump:“Your little brother is standing in the middle of Afghanistan!”

dave.jpgThat was it, one line by a guest actor, but coming from out of the blue as it did on a series about a Hollywood comedy show, it was a doozy.

The line wasn’t intended to be a joke– but a moment of high drama– uttered amid an episode that was crammed with so many political and cultural references you’d think the writer was flying on crack or something: Christians, comedia dell’Arte, the United Nations, the history of comedy, vaudeville, Gypsy Rose Lee, racism, homophobia, LPs vs CDs, the state of black comedy, race relations, gang violence, the prison system, the invasion of Normandy, Alzheimer’s, the Paris Opera House, the Hollywood blacklist, Sid Caesar, inadequate body armour for American troops in Afghanistan, the difference between skits and sketch comedy, Abbott & Costello, slavery–

But the most stunning moment occurred after Nate Corddry’s Tiny Tom character takes his unrealistically bumpkin parents (they never heard of Abbott & Costello) on what sounded like an NBC page’s memorized tour of the theatre, and then defended his work as a top comedy star.

That’s when Dad blurts out: “That’s swell, Tom, but your little brother is standing in the middle of Afghanistan!”

You could hear the jaws dropping in living rooms everywhere.

And Letterman caught it. He repeated the line over and over on last night’s show, reminding himself and the audience that Studio 60 is supposed to be a drama. Most embarrassing, he kept it up as he led into to his interview with Tina Fey, creator and star of NBC’s in-house rival, 30 Rock, which at least tries to be funny.

Our bet is, if Dave keeps up the joke, it’s curtains for Studio 60.

–Tabloid Baby

29 Comments

  1. 1
    Laurie
    Posted October 25, 2006 at 9:11 am

    (sigh)

  2. 2
    Ignorant Bliss
    Posted October 25, 2006 at 9:14 am

    Please post a video clip for this… I’m not sure the joke is really coming through in this article.

  3. 3
    jash
    Posted October 25, 2006 at 10:03 am

    this entire post is worded and phrased in a manner that is entirely too awkward to even make sense.

    if only i had a red pen, i’d circl the entire thing and write “AWK.”

    like ignorant bliss said above…if theres a joke in here somewhere…it doesnt translate.

    at all.

  4. 4
    jashba
    Posted October 25, 2006 at 10:08 am

    I watch this show, and I enjoy it (not as much as Heroes, but so what) and I didn’t see anything wrong with the line. It showed how much the bumpkin father disapproved of the fact that his oldest son was nothing but a player on a funny show, while his youngest son is doing the most noble and honorable thing by being in the war. It really made you feel bad for the son, that’s all.

  5. 5
    mikey
    Posted October 25, 2006 at 10:18 am

    Yeah, I don’t get where the joke was either. Monday’s show was both overly treacly and heavy-handed (senile radio star, son-and-disconnected parents, racial discomfort, desperate friendless executive), but the Afghanistan line was one that at least resonated well within the confines of its storyline and felt “real” and not contrived.

  6. 6
    LaPhonda
    Posted October 25, 2006 at 10:29 am

    What are you stupid or something? I’ve watched that damn show since the premiere just to see DL and there was never any mention of Afghanistan until that very moment when the father brought it up. And what father who lives in Columbus Ohio never hard of Abbott & Costello? Every critic in the country says Studio 60 stinks! it was bad, it was stupid, and all you boobirds are the ones who’s awkward. If Tabloid Baby is so off base, then why was David Letterman making fun? I bet if that cute J-Unit made the post, you’d be kissing his butt. I think you all are arguing with the baby just for the sake of it.

  7. 7
    DickeyD
    Posted October 25, 2006 at 10:33 am

    LaPhonda, I just think people aren’t getting the joke that Baby is trying to get at… I sure don’t.

    This post is confusing

  8. 8
    EdHill
    Posted October 25, 2006 at 10:40 am

    actually tabloid baby is right. THis weeks epsiode was horrible. And taht line while intended to be dramaatic, made me cringe. Juvenile and preachy.

    His parents are from Columbus Ohio and theyve never heard of Abbott and Constello? Columbus Ohio, home to Ohio State University?

  9. 9
    Ethrich
    Posted October 25, 2006 at 10:43 am

    I’m with you, Tabloid Baby. Seriously… if you saw the ep, it was just, “WTF?”

    Seriously, WTF.

  10. 10
    sheldonkeller
    Posted October 25, 2006 at 10:55 am

    i, too, have gotten a chuckle from the knee jerk tabloid baby bashing on this site, but in this its wrong. i found the posting to be concise, witty, snarky, and right on the mark. There was no confusion whatsoever. score one for tabloid baby. and as one of the thousands of readers who enjoy your work, a belated welcome.

  11. 11
    minda07
    Posted October 25, 2006 at 11:14 am

    Ok, we need to all get off of baby’s back. She herself is not making the joke Letterman is. I didn’t realize that the Gasm fan base was so against the slightest bit of change. Tabloid Babys “job” is to report tabloid type stories as they happen. They are ment to keep you in the hollywood loop and let you know what is going on in real life instead of who did what on which show. YES tvgasm is a recap website, but it is also so much more. The only thing I do agree with, in the regards of Baby’s critics is that Baby’s postings should have its own section not to interfer with the main reason people log on to the Gasm.

    Enough of that rant, I watch Studio 60 every week and I actually enjoy it. The line that was dropped was in the heat of the moment and I did not find anything wrong with it, in the context in which it was used. The set up throughout the show regarding that charecter and how his parents regard the work he does. Oh, and FYI my mom is from Ohio, and while she did know of Abbott & Costello she didn’t know what the “Who’s on First” thing was.

  12. 12
    bevo360
    Posted October 25, 2006 at 11:20 am

    Edhill, dude, it’s home to The Ohio State University.

  13. 13
    marysch
    Posted October 25, 2006 at 11:27 am

    I watched Studio 60 this week and I totally understood what Tabloid Baby was saying. I also thought the exact same thing as Ethrich…WTF? I can understand what Sorkin was getting at, that the guy’s older son was making funny while his baby was making war, but the line came out of NOWHERE and just sounded ridiculous. Could have been handled better.

    But what can you say about a television show that jumped the shark in it’s SECOND episode…that god-awful Gilbert & Sullivan spoof…..

  14. 14
    chronic
    Posted October 25, 2006 at 12:15 pm

    Hm, I gave up after the first episode, so am not completely informed here. But whether or not that line was apt or not, on its own, it’s hilarious! Which is why Letterman probably used it, and it’s as good as any in terms of making fun of the overwrought seriousness of the show.

    Studio 60 is just ill-conceived in every respect. Sorkin can’t have the viewers spending 7 years believing in his vision of the White House, and then expect them to believe the exact same thing is a now a sketch comedy show. At least get rid of all the brown, and change that pompous font ffs.

    And yeah, nothing wrong with that post imho.

  15. 15
    OD-TV
    Posted October 25, 2006 at 12:30 pm

    Nobody put baby in the corner.

  16. 16
    james_woods_rules
    Posted October 25, 2006 at 12:52 pm

    I am not sure the line really came out of NOWHERE….the dad obviously doesn’t think much of what his funny son does. The kid can tell he’s not very impressed and says something like “you’re standing in the middle of history-don’t you get it?” and the dad blasts off with “and your brother is standing in the middle of Afghanistan”. It’s obvious that there is some tension between the two. I don’t understand how you all think it came from out of nowhere.

  17. 17
    Jennifer30309
    Posted October 25, 2006 at 1:02 pm

    Tabloid Baby I’m with you 100%. I actually shouted out “oh no he didn’t!” and sent a friend a text message during the show making fun if that line and the body armor comment. This show is far too preachy and it contrives plotlines to promote political agendas that are irrelevant to the context of the show. It’s as if the writers decided on a platform they want to promote (in this case take your pick: blacklist, black comedy, Alzheimer’s and on and on) and they writes a storyline in a way to promote that platform. I can’t even get a feel for any of the characters because all they are is voices for the writers. I had high hopes for this show, so I’m disappointed.

  18. 18
    LaPhonda
    Posted October 25, 2006 at 1:37 pm

    James Woods, it “came from out of nowhere” because nthere was never any hint that the character had a brother in Afghanistan right up until his daddy said it. That was bad and I don’t mean good.

  19. 19
    JerseyGirl
    Posted October 25, 2006 at 1:39 pm

    So many things to comment on:

    First, yes the line does seem awkward…when taken out of context. You can’t blame people for not understanding what the “controversy” was about if you don’t explain the whole situation. It’s like coming in on the punch line of a joke.

    Second, I’m not a big fan of TabloidBaby either, but most of the comments had nothing to do with that; the Newsgasm was written in a confusing manner. Whether the writer had been TB, J-Unit or EdHill they would have been called out on it because it seems at least half of the posters couldn’t even understand it.

    It’s kind of disappointing that people are hurling personal insults at other because they either didn’t understand the post or didn’t think the line was that controversial.

  20. 20
    EdHill
    Posted October 25, 2006 at 2:01 pm

    Marysch, you are right about that Gilbert and Sullivan thing. It wasn’t just that the idea of a Gilbert and Sullivan song parody on a late night sketch show was a horribly bad and unfunny idea (And how many people under the age of 80 who arent theater students know who Gilbert and Sullivan are?) its that the show treated them coming up with the idea as if they just came up with, well, who’s on first.

    That’s my big problem. Matthew Perry is treated on the show as a comic genius but whenever they show a clip of his supposed sketch’s on the show, they suck really really bad.

  21. 21
    hanan5050
    Posted October 25, 2006 at 2:27 pm

    Me write better-er. Holler at a job!

  22. 22
    newmillenniumcraka
    Posted October 25, 2006 at 2:59 pm

    I kept thinking throughout the rest of the show, why didn’t the son reply to his father, “That’s his choice.” It’s not noble to become another target for this country’s idiot in chief’s sham of a war by buying into all the war propaganda out there.

  23. 23
    HoneyBunny
    Posted October 25, 2006 at 3:10 pm

    minda07…
    I heard Tabloid Baby is a he.

    hb

  24. 24
    thegr8martini
    Posted October 25, 2006 at 4:01 pm

    TabloidBaby is 110% on target. I’m trying to love Studio 60, but the Wrap Party episode was absolutely terrible, for all the reasons he/she pointed out, plus a few more he didn’t have space to mention (Jordan is a Drunk and doesn’t have any friends, Timothy Busfield really really cares, groupies are really dumb and can’t figure out what the head writer actually does, Josh and Chandler would take time out of getting drunk to patronize the old man, etc etc etc etc). If you haven’t seen the episode, then I understand why his/her comments might not make sense, but if you have seen it and thought it was an hour of quality entertainment, go join the Sorkin love-fest on NBC’s blog where there are exactly zero negative comments regarding the show. Easily the worst of an unsteady season. I hope they get their shit together.

  25. 25
    Tony A.
    Posted October 25, 2006 at 4:58 pm

    I like Studio 60 about as much as I liked The West Wing. All the characters are waaaay too goddamned smart, snappy and talk about things most of us don’t either understand or remember. But I do know about Abbot and Costello’s “Who’s on First”. It’s Seinfeld’s favorite sketch. Or is that a skit?

  26. 26
    plethLaura
    Posted October 25, 2006 at 5:27 pm

    The war comment was totally in context during the show. What lost me was Timothy Busfield’s character’s PRECISE knowledge of the old guy’s WWII action and resulting injuries and blaming his knowledge on acting out battles with toy soldiers in his spare time.

    I get they want to revere and respect comedy history but all that blacklisting crap seemed like a very lame attempt to “warn” us about the current political climate. George Clooney already did that, thanks.

    I guess we can expect to see afflicted guest stars from now on reminding us about stem cells and immigration.

    I still like the show. The skits (HA!) are lame but most of the dialogue is sharp.

    (edit: I did laugh at the Juliette Lewis skit where she hosts Meet the Press)

  27. 27
    tvtvtv
    Posted October 26, 2006 at 5:52 am

    Thanks for the laugh, jash. Totally AWK.

  28. 28
    jack
    Posted October 26, 2006 at 5:54 am

    Edhill:

    to make matters worse, it turns out that SNL did a spoof of the very same g. & s. showtune (from ‘pirates of penzance’) in 1995.

    studio 60 is such a disappointment: so pretentious, so smug, so wrong-headed, and so NOT EVEN REMOTELY FUNNY. maybe–MAYBE–someone could convince me that all TV writers and producers aren’t necessarily the lowest form of humanity on the planet, but the image of plucky, morally righteous TV writers laboring around the clock to take down the bush administration with their blow, booze, ‘n’ vicodin-addled wit is just laughable–and not in a good way.

  29. 29
    sparky
    Posted October 26, 2006 at 8:36 am

    Letterman himself has been smug and not remotely funny for at least 20 years. Now he’s raiding other bad TV shows for his material. Bleh.

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