MetaSorkin

November 14, 2014 8:06 AM

The Aaron Sorkin sketch to end all Aaron Sorkin sketches (previous and previouser and previouserer).
posted by AlonzoMosleyFBI (25 comments total)

For anyone else confused, the link has a time offset (presumably unintentionally) at the end. Corrected link.
posted by Hot Pastrami! at 8:14 AM on November 14, 2014

Mod note: Fixed link, carry on
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 8:15 AM on November 14, 2014 [1 favorite]

Needs more meta.
posted by kmz at 8:17 AM on November 14, 2014

It's missing the Female Character Who Only Exists To Have Stupid Female Emotions And Fluster The Hard Working Man.
posted by The Whelk at 8:18 AM on November 14, 2014 [11 favorites]

Sorkin was right. The 30 Rock one was - because it seemed tighter/ briefer - better. But then again, Seth Meyers is another one of those people that makes me wonder how he got to be a major TV personality.
posted by NorthernLite at 8:19 AM on November 14, 2014 [3 favorites]

Ken Levine's "If Aaron Sorkin Wrote a Show About Baseball."
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:20 AM on November 14, 2014 [1 favorite]

Saw this last night as I wasn't going into work today, figured I'd see this posted here. It was awesome.

Sorkin was hilarious after the skit too...
posted by JoeXIII007 at 8:21 AM on November 14, 2014

It's close, not not quite there. It's Sorkin-kinda-likeish.
posted by Buttons Bellbottom at 8:23 AM on November 14, 2014

I agree. You really can't do a good Sorkin sketch without a musicals reference.
posted by still_wears_a_hat at 8:23 AM on November 14, 2014 [1 favorite]

At this point I'm wondering if all the somewhat overt desk lamps were an allusion to "lampshading," or if I'm being too meta.
posted by ShutterBun at 8:29 AM on November 14, 2014

I have (inexplicably) only seen a handful of Sorkin television so I'm pretty sure everything I know about him comes from parodies. In other words, I loved this!
posted by Room 641-A at 8:39 AM on November 14, 2014

Haha, homeless.

Oh man.
posted by ODiV at 8:48 AM on November 14, 2014

Nice to see one of the cast of 30 Rock (I don't remember his name but it was the guy they always picked on) is now employed as a writer for Seth Meyers. That's kind of meta. (oh all right.... Lutz)
posted by Flashman at 9:25 AM on November 14, 2014

The laugh track

Isn't that the studio audience laughing as they watch the skit unfold? I'm not sure that's the same thing as a "laugh track" per se.
posted by yoink at 10:09 AM on November 14, 2014

It's not a laugh track, but I wouldn't be surprised if the audience was being prompted by a laugh sign. (And they're almost certainly being prompted to applaud when Sorkin appears on screen.)

This was pretty good. I think it just misses feeling truly Sorkin-esque because it lacks a musical soundtrack.
posted by Atom Eyes at 10:18 AM on November 14, 2014

So is this supposed to not have an end?
posted by I-baLL at 10:26 AM on November 14, 2014 [3 favorites]

Looks like it segues nicely into the traditional late night talk show interview.
posted by ODiV at 10:35 AM on November 14, 2014

I'm... I'm confused. Not once in that 4 minutes and 4 seconds of comedy did one of those characters recite their resume. What kind of amateur-hour, candy-assed Aaron Sorkin parody was this? This isn't ladies drink free night at Ha-ha's, this is Metafilter. This is the NBA. Come on, people. In half an hour I want to make Toby laugh.
posted by officer_fred at 10:36 AM on November 14, 2014 [16 favorites]

30 Rock - Season 5, episode 18. The Aaron Sorkin parody.

He's very funny in it. I bet he laughs every time he sees it, and I'm guessing he's seen it a lot.
posted by quin at 10:55 AM on November 14, 2014 [14 favorites]

Nice to see one of the cast of 30 Rock (I don't remember his name but it was the guy they always picked on) is now employed as a writer for Seth Meyers. That's kind of meta.

As far as I know almost all the 30 Rock writers group are actual comedy writers. Though of course behind the camera/in front of the camera is often a useless distinction in comedy.
posted by kmz at 11:02 AM on November 14, 2014

I watched it over and over again to look for the machete guy in the background
posted by Renoroc at 11:12 AM on November 14, 2014 [7 favorites]

Token lame comment that is ostensibly meta but in retrospect, oh never mind...
posted by sammyo at 11:35 AM on November 14, 2014

In half an hour I want to make Toby laugh.

Did you just re-watch that episode last night too, or was I the only one?
posted by mrgoat at 12:27 PM on November 14, 2014

Although I liked Sports Night, I actually mostly dislike most everything Aaron Sorkin does, which is why I liked the 30 Rock parody so much-- it at least showed that Sorkin is aware that his own tropes are a bit absurd and probably knows he is milking them because his niche audience really likes them.
posted by deanc at 6:55 AM on November 15, 2014

To be next level meta, Sorkin would have to be creating a metafilter account right now while his assistant yelled at him to step away from the keyboard.
posted by LynnDee at 6:47 PM on November 15, 2014 [1 favorite]