Parodying the Superwoman Complex: Liz Lemon in the Workplace in 30 Rock
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Abstract
The main character in the situation comedy 30 Rock (NBC, 2006-2013), Liz Lemon, can be easily described as the explicit parody of a feminine stereotype, that of a woman who, unable to “have everything”, feels frustrated. The possibility of reaching both a successful career and a happy and stable home has been imposed to women ever since their first inclusion in the workforce. Liz is the head writer for a live sketches television show, a demanding job she tries to combine with her non-existing personal life. Thus, most of the recurring gags of the show insist in the chaotic results of Liz’s inability to unite those two areas of her daily life and the confusion that comes with it. By analyzing the way the character is portrayed, this brief work tries to explain how the mise-en-scène is used to insist in the disorder that defines Liz Lemon. Using this, a commentary on the consequences of the superwoman complex utopia will be made, while also trying to state what role parody plays in this example.
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