Remotely Interesting: No need to justify a laugh

There are great conundrums in life, more baffling than simple issues like, say, the problem of infinite regression.

Philosophy operates on the principle that knowledge is justified true belief, but that definition raises the question of how one can know whether one's justification is sound.

You need a justification for that justification, then that justification requires justification, as does the one before and the one after and, you know, things get weird pretty quickly, and someone thought it might be cool to call it infinite regression.

Then there is the Munchhausen Trilemma, which claims it is impossible to prove any certain truth even in fields such as logic and mathematics. According to that argument, the proof of any theory rests either on circular reasoning, infinite regression or unproven axioms.

Confusing? Yes.

But not half as confusing - and I know this issue has been broached before - as why Saturday Night Live is sooooo not funny, when 30 Rock, written by and starring Tina Fey, based on her time writing for and starring in SNL, sooooo is.

There is something circular in there, I just know it.

But just as we sail blithely through life with both infinite regression and the Munchhausen Trilemma tripping unresolved through our consciousness, so we must tune religiously into 30 Rock and enjoy it, despite the confusion.

We must do this because 30 Rock is supremely excellent.

Alongside Fey's character Liz Lemon is the very funny Alec Baldwin as Jack Donaghy, the network executive, not to mention Tracey Morgan and Jane Krakowski.

Tonight, on Four at 8.30pm, in the fifth season of the Emmy award-winning show, 30 Rock marks its 100th episode with part one of a two-part episode about, of course, a 100th episode.

An unavoidable mailing mishap saw this column receiving episode one of series five, rather than tonight's show, but watching it proved, at least, that the writing and acting has, if anything, improved as the series has progressed.

A Harry Potter theme park the company is developing is "popular with both Anglophiles and paedophiles", Tracy Morgan's wig budget is high because his head keeps changing size, and Liz Lemon's gynaecologist has committed suicide.

Liz' boyfriend (played by Matt Damon) is sensitive and cries, and Liz has to "spoon him for an hour" to get him to sleep. "And I was the outer spoon," she complains.

Jenna Maroney (Krakowski) realises she is not necessary in her job. "The last time I said that I was in a three-way with two of the Backstreet Boys," she says.

Tee-hee giggle.

30 Rock makes you laugh. Laughing makes you happy.

Happy makes you forget about infinite regression and the Munchhausen Trilemma.

 

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