Tag Archives: community

2011/02/04 · 9:28 pm

Gratuitous Search Term Bait of the Day: Dungeons & Pegasuses

Today’s search term is “snl pegasus mural,” which means that someone was looking for this middling, often painful, somewhat baffling Saturday Night Live sketch:

Vodpod videos no longer available.

But it’s not our job to just give you what you asked for. No, our job is give you what you didn’t even know you wanted. To show you something better. To light up the path towards brilliance. And with that in mind here’s a far superior Pegasus-related clip from last night’s phenomenal Dungeons & Dragons-themed Community:

Vodpod videos no longer available.

[And see what happened next here]

From the first ten seconds of this episode you could tell it was going to be special, and it was just another example, in what has become a long line of examples, of how Community is totally redefining what it means to be a television comedy. The way they play with genre while still keeping the characters consistent is a marvel, their ability to reinvent themselves without sacrificing the greater story arcs truly remarkable. Basically, they’ve gone ahead and blown up our conception of a network sitcom, truly breaking new ground, blazing a trail. Freeing Draconis and shining a light on brilliance.

Perhaps there hasn’t been a show that has mixed this much deft comedy with as much genuine heart since Freaks and Geeks. Which is why we would be remiss not to bring you that one of a kind show’s own Dungeons & Dragons-centric moments. In many ways, these stories are two sides of the same coin:

Now if we could only see a showdown between Carlos the Dwarf and Hector the Well-Endowed.

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Filed under Brilliance, Discos and Dragons, Geekery, Gratuitous Search Term Bait, Greendale Human, Intersection of the venn diagram of things that I love, Saturday Night Live

Tagged as Basement Karate, Carlos the Dwarf, community, Draconis, Dungeons & Dragons, Freaks and Geeks, Hector the Well-Endowed, Nasim Pedrad, snl pegasus mural

2011/02/02 · 11:21 pm

Gratuitous Search Term Bait of the Day: Keeping up with the Joneses

It’s getting late and we had a long day (and, more importantly, we have to watch Top Chef and there’s pizza waiting), so we’re going with a search term staple today, “rashida jones.” Here’s the lovely Ms. Jones appearing on the brilliant Jeannie Tate Show, created by and starring Liz Cackowski, the former SNL and current Community scribe you might best recognize from Forgetting Sarah Marshall.

And if good comedy’s not your thing, here’s Jones on the cover of Vanity Fair‘s 2011 Hollywood Issue.

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Filed under Good Humor, Gratuitous Search Term Bait, Greendale Human, Internet Killed the Print Media Star, Saturday Night Live, Yasmine Bleeth

Tagged as community, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Hollywood Issue, Jeannie Tate Show, Liz Cackowski, Rashida Jones, SNL, Vanitiy Fair

2011/01/26 · 12:17 pm

You Don’t Know What You Got ‘Til It’s Gone: Quick Thoughts On Last Week’s NBC Thursday Comedies

That’s how we felt about The Office. As much as we’ve harangued the show this year for underusing or misusing Jim, rendering him no more than the Greek chorus, it turns out that we really need him. Absent for the entire episode, save the cold open, we kept waiting for the camera to cut to him, to confirm the absurdity of the situation. But he wasn’t there (Jon Krasinksi off shooting a movie, we assume), and without Jim to ground Michael’s insanity it was a runaway train. Now, they could still cut back on some of the Jim reaction shots, but as long as Michael is around, we’ll need that balance.

Speaking of Michael, we’ll wonder if we’ll feel the same way when he’s gone. Because, right now, we’re eager for him to get moving out of Dunder Mifflin. The act has finally grown tiresome, and it often suffocates the other characters and the show. We’re sure we’ll miss him, but that doesn’t mean we’ll want him back. However, Kudos to Mindy Kaling and Craig Robinson for continuing your MVP seasons.

Parks and Recreation, welcome home! Thank goodness you gave us that season two recap to get us back up to speed (we could have used that for The Office and 30 Rock as well, frankly), and it seems like you haven’t missed a beat. We think it got a little too broad at times (Andy with April’s new boyfriend, for example), and the overuse of things like the “Ron Swanson Pyramid of Greatness” worry us, but it’s definitely picking up where it left off, as the second best show of the night.

Which brings us to Community. Oh how we missed you! And you were only gone for six weeks. Don’t stay away that long ever again! You guys came back from the Christmas break without any rust, setting up what we can only assume will be an even better second half of season two. Looking forward to it. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.

Oh, and Outsourced was awesome (jk! jk!).

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Filed under Analysis, Dunder Mifflin, this is Pam, Good Humor, Greendale Human, Must See TV, We'll Get It In Post

Tagged as 30 Rock, community, Craig Robinson, Darryl, Jim Halpert, Jon Kras, Kelly Kapoor, Michael Scott, Mindy Kaling, Outsourced, Parks and Recreation, Swanson Pyramid of Greatness, The Office

2011/01/20 · 6:15 pm

Flashback: Another Look at Another Look at ‘Parks and Recreation’

With Parks and Recreation making its long, long-awaited return tonight, we thought it would be appropriate to take a look back at a post we wrote in September of 2009, just before the show returned for its sophomore season. Right now, in January of 2011, Parks and Recreation is widely recognized as one of the best, if not the best, comedies on television (which is why it was so excruciating when the series was pushed until mid-season to make room for the abominable Outsourced), but just about 17 months ago when it was coming off a lackluster, somewhat disappointing first season the story was much different. It’s developed into one of the most reliable, warmest, funniest shows on network TV or any other channel, and boasts perhaps the deepest ensemble cast, but back before its second season the jury was still out, and it was a show very much still finding its footing. But Jumped the Snark went ahead and asserted the potential of the show, watching the first season and finding much room for improvement but also much room for greatness. And we think its fair to say that both this blog and Parks and Recreation were vindicated.

In that post we outlined three areas where Parks and Rec most needed to progress to reach the quality of a show like The Office, its spiritual forefather (and not only has Parks and Rec equaled its progenitor, it’s now surpassed it. The student has become the teacher). Let’s take a look at those recommendations and how Parks and Rec took them into consideration.

See what we got right and they got wrong. Plus, our advice for Season 3!

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Filed under Analysis, Best Show You're Not Watching, Flashback!, Good Humor, Greendale Human, Lists, Must See TV, Mustachio'd

Tagged as 30 Rock, Adam Scott, Amy Poehler, Andy, Ann, Annie, Aubrey Plaza, Aziz Ansari, Boy Meets World, Chris Pratt, community, Jack Donaghy, Jean-Ralphio, Jeff, Leslie Knope, Liz Lemon, Mark Brendanawicz, NBC, Nick Offerman, Outsourced, Parks and Recreation, Paul Schneider, Pawnee, Rashida Jones, Rob Lowe, Ron Swanson, Tom Haverford

2011/01/05 · 6:57 pm

Reginald VelJohnson in Uniform Moment of the Week: Debut Edition!

We recently had the pleasure of viewing Die Hard for the very first time (seriously!) and we were struck by a number of things. For example, it’s really, really good, Bruce Willis had a lot more hair; Alan Rickman is super creepy; you can totally see its influence on Community‘s paintball episode; and the late 80s were a weird time when computer screens only broadcast in two colors, green and black. But perhaps our biggest takeaway was this: Reginald VelJohnson sure does play a lot of cops and other uniformed personnel. And with that small thought, that tiny light bulb, was birthed yet another Jumped the Snark semi-regular feature. So, without anymore hesitation, our first installment of the “Reginald VelJohnson in Uniform Moment of the Week:”

Yes, we did that.

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Filed under Greendale Human, Reginald VelJohnson, TGIF, The Big Screen

Tagged as Alan Rickman, Bruce Willis, Carlsbad, community, Die Hard, Family Matters, paintball, Reginald VelJohnson, Urkel

2011/01/03 · 6:43 pm

Gratuitious Search Term Bait of the Day: Christmas in January

Very, very, excited about today’s entry. Many thanks to whomever searched for today’s term, because it’s allowed us to post one of our favorite scenes from Community, and also one of our favorite scenes from anything ever. Today, more than a week after Christmas, we were gifted the words “anthony michael hall community.” The fact that it’s a holiday clip makes it all the more perfect.

Anthony Michael Hall with a mustache. A brawl in fake snow. Chevy throwing punches indiscriminately. Florence + the Machine. Can’t do much better than that.

But we’re going to try! As a bonus, here’s a clip of Anthony Michael Hall from his ill-fated stint on the ill-fated tenth season of SNL (along with Robert Downey, Jr! Also ill-fated!):

We’re going to Applebees!

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Filed under Brilliance, Gratuitous Search Term Bait, Greendale Human, Mustachio'd, Saturday Night Live

Tagged as Anthony Michael Hall, anthony michael hall community, Applebees, brawl, Chevy Chase, community, Florence + the Machine, Robert Downey Jr, SNL

2010/12/31 · 9:44 pm

On the Last Day of the Year: The Best Show of 2010 and Nine Other Good Ones

Unbelievably, we’re about to enter our third calendar year in existence. It seems like just yesterday we were scrambling to put together our best of the decade lists (which makes sense, because we didn’t actually post one of those until this week). In 2011 we hope to be even more timely, on-point and just plain better. Until then, let’s try to end 2010 on a high note with our not-at-all anticipated Best Shows of the Year:

1. Community: This was an absolute no-brainer. Far and away Community was the most original, ambitious, rewarding, warm, funny, creative, fearless show of 2010. It was just a little over a year ago when the show delivered its holiday episode, “Comparative Religion” (featuring mustachio’d Anthony Michael Hall), and we began to feel then that the show was truly building towards something special. When Community returned in January of this year it began what should be considered one of the greatest runs of any comedy series in television history, playing “can you top that?” with itself from week to week. Solid episodes like “Investigative Journalism” with Jack Black, “Physical Education” with a nearly naked Joel McHale, and the truly superb Goodfellas tribute “Contemporary American Poultry” culminated in the single best episode of 2010 across the board, the paintball-splattered, action movie homage masterpiece “Modern Warfare” (we know that we’ve already proclaimed the greatness of this episode, but it’s worth doing over and over again).

Keep reading: More on why Community is the best show of 2010. And 9 other good ones…

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Filed under Best Show You're Not Watching, Brilliance, Dillon Panthers, Greendale Human, Lists, LOST, Matt Christopher Books, Must See TV, Top Scallop, Tribal Council

Tagged as 24/7, All-Stars, Amazing Race, Amy Poehler, Apollo 13, Boardwalk Empire, Boston Rob, Capitals, Children's Hospital, Coach Taylor, community, Dave Allen, Donal Logue, Donald Glover, Friday Night Lights, Glee, Hard Knocks, HBO, Jack Black, Jeff Probst, Jets, Joel McHale, Ken Marino, Kerri Kenney, Lone Star, LOST, Modern Family, Nicaragua, Parks and Recreation, Party Down, Penguins, Rashida Jones, Rex Ryan, Ricky Blaise, Rob Corrdry, Rob Huebel, Russell Hantz, Saved by the Bell: The New Class, Sopranos, Steve Guttenberg, Survivor, Tami Taylor, Terriers, The Office, The Soup, Tom Lennon, Top Chef, Veronica Mars, Winter Classic

2010/12/27 · 11:09 am

Cabin Fever

We’re snowed in on Long Island and going rather stir crazy. This would have been the perfect opportunity for our long-gestating Saved by the Bell marathon, but, unfortunately, we recently brought all five seasons back to Brooklyn for that very occasion. It’s like Gift of the Magi, but with Screech instead of a comb.

So hopefully we’ll take this predicament as an opportunity to write, reflect, and ponder the nature of man. In other words, let’s turn snow into snowade. And thanks to our mother’s refusal to pass up a discount and our father’s love of soup, we have enough provisions to last through another dozen Snowreckonings. Certainly, we feel more prepared than Kip & Henry.

[Part 2]

While we tend to side with their conclusion about the nature of man, Community might disagree. What do you think?

YOU DECIDE.

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Filed under Buffy & Hildegarde, Greendale Human, Local Flavor, Saved by the Bell, You Decide

Tagged as Bosom Buddies, community, nature of man, Screech, Snow, Who's on thirst

2010/12/25 · 5:18 pm

Christams Clipdown: Day of Reckoning!

Merry Happy, Everyone! The clock struck midnight and we’ve arrived at C-Day. Let’s finish off Christmas 2010 with a bang.

First, let’s get the festivities going with a little Full House holiday party. Steve has gone off to Junior College in Florida and DJ is super bummed; meanwhile Danny is carrying on a long-distance relationship with Vicky, Becky misses the snow and no one seems to find it creepy that unmarried, unrelated “Uncle” Joey lives in the house with three young girls. It’s a very Tanner Christmas and DJ is on the rebound. WHAT WILL HAPPEN?

Yayyyy! (Part 1 here)

And it wouldn’t be a Jumped the Snark Christmas without a contribution from Jim Henson. We already covered the basic Muppet Christmas staples, so for Christmas Day we’re going outside the John Denver classics and proudly gift to you the 1986 TV special, Toy Story before there was a Toy Story, The Christmas Toy:

If you’re not watching Community, you’re stupid. If you haven’t seen their Christmas special, you’re silly. If you’ve seen it and weren’t moved to tears, well, then you’re completely dead inside, and we both pity and despise you. But if you’re in one of the first two camps (or just want to relive its greatness), please enjoy “Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas,” just the latest example of how Community has been the most inventive, most ambitious, smartest, warmest and just flat-out best show on television this year.

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That’s it for us this Christmas (we think)! Hope you got that Magic Bullet you wanted!

(and remember to recycle your wrapping paper. Or reuse!)

XXX

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Filed under Good Humor, Lady Holiday, Muppets, Wake Up, SF!, Yankee Swap

Tagged as 2010, A Very Tanner Christmas, Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas, Christmas, Christmas Toy, community, DJ, Full House, Jim Henson, Muppets, Toy Story, Uncle Joey