The Serious Actor (30 Rock)
In an effort to be taken seriously after receiving a Golden Globe nomination, Tracy Jordan pulled out all of the stereotypical "serious actor" stops on last night's 30 Rock -- first by declaring that he will only make dramatic films ("From now on the only movies that Tracy Jordan makes are about the Holocaust, Georgia O'Keeffe or both!") and then by hosting charitable events. Only Tracy's idea of "hosting a charitable event" was to order the occupants of a women's shelter to pipe down and enjoy a free screening of his dark drama. "Here's a movie that holds a mirror up to your own terrible lives," he said while wearing a diamond studded-chain that spelled out "poverty."
But because 30 Rock and Tracy Morgan are incapable of ever delivering a hackneyed character -- except as the butt of a clever joke -- Tracy Jordan also took a few liberties with his "serious actor" image. He started wearing a Samuel L. Jackson-style Kangol hat and bought his own light comedy flick so that it would never be distributed and Norbit him out of a Golden Globe. And then, in the midst of his Sean Penn-ing, he unhurled this hard knocks lesson on audience members: "People only take you seriously if you are serious."
Sorority Girls (Cougar Town)
Friend to Movieline Busy Philipps infiltrated a sorority on this week's episode of Cougar Town. Yes, in order to "wear pearls without being judged," get free scrunchies and instill valuable wisdom on impressionable young women ("The only way to not be labeled a tramp is to not sleep with guys who talk so much."), Philipps's character Laurie Keller told Travis' peers that she was a transfer student in the market for sisters. Within days, Laurie had assumed the role of alpha Zeta and was talking girls down from suicide (by convincing them that their parents would definitely buy them that new convertible). Later, when the nose job advice became tiresome and she realized that Travis needed his space, Laurie faked her own scuba diving death and watched the sisters' celebrate her life via vigil.
Miserable Society Wives (Real Housewives of Beverly Hills)
I hate to bring this post full circle but while Tracy Morgan's 30 Rock character was belittling domestic violence victims at a women's shelter, one Beverly Hills housewife's partner was actually belittling his domestic violence survivor wife on this week's episode. Yes, Taylor, the most miserable of the B.H. pack wanted to do something admirable with her time and money so she organized a benefit for a women's crisis center. The cause was obviously important to her and Taylor celebrated this by sharing her own tear-strewn story in front of a packed ballroom during the event. It was a philanthropic moment for the show -- but not for Taylor's husband who scolded his wife over and over again for scheduling the event so inappropriately. Meanwhile, in other lonely households, Camille Grammer's husband told her that he'd prefer staying in New York City rather than return to her. Kim Richards failed to find a man and Kyle Richards received a brutal bikini wax.