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Passionate, if misguided, "Occupy 30 Rock" movement fights to save "Community"
By Ben ReiningaDecember 22nd, 2011, 7:47 pmComments (5)
The 99% have woken up, organized, and they're making their voices heard. Of course, in this instance, we're talking about 99% of the people in a large shopping mall, or roughly the number of people who actually watch Community.
This afternoon, a bunch of passionate TV-watchers descended on 30 Rockefeller Plaza to protest the suspension (and perhaps cancellation) of NBC's Community. Calling themselves "Occupy 30 Rock" the protesters gathered around Rock Center's giant Christmas tree to sing Christmas carols, (specifically, holiday favorite "Oh, Christmas Troy") in an act of a passionate-yet-seasonal civil disobedience — that was likely mistaken by most for just some more annoying holiday cheer.
A video from the protest suggests the turnout was surprisingly high, but predictably, most of the action took place in the micro-blogosphere. #SaveCommunity was trending this afternoon. Joel McHale and show creator Dan Harmon chimed in (though neither actually came to the event).
I, for one, feel pretty mixed about the whole thing. On the one hand, Community is an amazing, wacky show. Writing this post has given me a wonderful excuse to spend a lot of time watching amazing clips (like this one, and this one, and this one). On the other hand, should we really be protesting someone like Joel McHale losing his job, when half of America is officially in poverty, the government is broken, and global warming is turning the Arctic into rapidly melting ice penises?
Then again, in tough times like these, maybe Troy and Abed's antics are just the comfort we all need.
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Commentarium (5 Comments)
I don't think anyone is protesting Joel McHale losing one of his two jobs (The Soup is still a thing, relegated though it is to Wednesday night). They're protesting the elimination of one of the few bright spots in the television wasteland. The only thing misguided here is the old canard that it is necessary to dismiss art in the name of other issues, as if there is a set limit of giving a fuck that a person can do.
If this is misguided, how do I fix this whole cancelled thing?
Spend enough money on Community merchandise to make keeping it around a smart business decision.
Antarctic and Arctic ice are very very different.
As cocreator of the 30 rock mob, I have affection for bloggers writing about NBC community. That was the point: you're talking about it! The sauciness of your approach makes me happy, too. There is a flash mob, independent of me, taking place in LA on January 19th. We aren't Occupy people if we're buying stuff to help a TV show; just FYI. I know it's an easy analogy, and I'm not mad at the media for it. I just don't want Occupy on our case. More shenanigans are on the blog, savecommunitynow dot blogspot com. Also, if anyone sees Bill Murray, tell him that this show is beautiful, in danger of an Arrested Development fate, and that he can pick on Chevy Chase if he comes on for an episode. Thank you!