Jack Donaghy’s loving ode to the McFlurry in last night’s episode of 30 Rock has gotten the blogosphere in a tizzy — has Tina Fey’s Emmy-winning sitcom completely sold out to egregious product placement? According to Ms. Fey, the answer is a resounding no. Fey issued this statement to finally put McFlurry-gate ‘09 to rest:
“It gives me great pleasure to inform you that the references to McDonald’s in last night’s episode of 30 Rock were in no way product placement. (Nor were they an attempt at product placement that fell through.) We received no money from the McDonald’s Corporation. We were actually a little worried they might sue us. That’s just the kind of revenue-generating masterminds we are.
Also, the upcoming story line where Liz Lemon starts dating Grimace is just based on a recurring dream I have.
Seriously, though, it’s not product placement.
Also, whoever is writing my Twitter account is pretty funny, but it’s not me.”
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Who cares – it was hilarious!
geesh. would folks rather that shows go back to the old school of making up fake companies and such. what after that, married couples sleeping in twin beds and saying golly gee instead of cursing.
Is she for real about that twitter thing? Lame. Then again, Twitter is probably the most useless thing since lava lamps.
Wrong. Lava lamps entertain.
I think the only folks who thought it was product placement are people whodon’t watch the show. It was just darn funny. What, no complaints about the generalissimo and Mickey D coffee. Go watch another show!
i am a hhuge 30 rock, but i honestly think its been a little stale lately, selma hayek or whatever is so boring on the show, get back to actually showing whats going on at 30 rock
yeah, it was really funny. fake companies take you right out of the show like those 555 phone numbers.
I never even thought that the multiple McFlurries in the episode were product placements. For some reason, McFlurry is a funny dessert, so it just seemed appropriate to me.
I hope McDonald’s doesn’t sue. I haven’t been there in years, but I’m itching for a McFlurry myself after watching the episode.
Reina: yes, she’s for real, because someone is impersonating her with a Twitter account of the name tinafey, and Us Magazine actually recently quoted it as if it were her. Some of her fans have actually wondered if it’s really her or not (most of us figured it wasn’t and don’t really read it), so she’s just setting the record straight.
If McFlurry’s weren’t the most delicious dessert ever, then I might be suspicious.
honestly, I’ve been craving a McFlurry ever since I saw the episode last night…bastards!
Well, I love Tina, but that is a bit hard to believe. I couldn’t believe it when they were saying that McFlurry was the best dessert ever invented (blizzards are so much better , though, right?) Then they even went to McDonald’s at the end! Can we get a break from commercialism, even if it’s not necessarily payed for?
I got my first McFlurry in years today and I believe its because of 30 Rock and I also have been drinking lots of Snapple thanks to that episode in season 1
I hate that, regardless of intention, it has made me crave a McFlurry.
No matter what, I think we all can agree that McFlurries are DELICIOUS.
It didn’t even cross my mind that the scenes may have been product placement. I just thought it was freakin funny.
ha it was hilarious – especially alec baldwin confessing his sins “once i claimed ‘i am god’ during a deposition” hahah from the awesome movie Malice
I like their blatant product placement, where they turn to the camera and say “can we have our money now?” hahahah
I went out and bought a McFlurry after that, it was delicious, per usual.
I want a mcflurry!!! mmmm
Don’t I feel like a total idiot now… I thought that really was her Twittering.
NBC has gotten so crazy with the way it sells itself out – it’s hard to tell anymore. And it isn’t like 30 Rock hasn’t done product-driven plotlines before.
How about the gratuitous iPhone appearances?
Why would they sue – it was great publicity for them – the best free advertising they could get. I bet they had a spike in McFlurry sales afterwards and today.
We love 30 Rock and we think of the constant product placement as a running gag. I agree that the people who are bothered by it aren’t regular 30 Rock viewers.
Keep it up Tina! We love your show!
P.S. Hooray, Snapple.
Are you kidding me? The whole McFlurry thing was hilarious! I agree, the idiots who made anything of this obviously never watch 30 Rock.
30 Rock has been doing organic product placement fform the very beginning. The very FIRST episode had jack doing basically a commercial within the show for a GE oven…a REAL one. There was an entire episode in the first season with a running joke ABOUT network dictated product placement where the product was Snapple. Another was for Verizon, where Liz famously asked “Can we have our money now?” Jesus Christ on a cracker, this is much ado about nothing.
I had such a McFlurry craving after that but then decided to get a Blizzard at DQ instead since they’re actually better. The whole McFlurry thing was hilarious.
That’s a product placement even without any agreement or compensation and yes the show is laced with product placements: iphone hello?!, the most expensive dessert with gold is a real thing too.
That’s ok with me for 30 rock to get more revenue this way such a brilliant show should should get better ratings.
I actually went to McDonald’s after watching the episode for the first time in about 5 years to get McFlurry.
I had cravings for Snapple while watching the first season of 30 rock.
oh god its not really her on twitter? I mean Stephen Fry’s twitter is really him!
I’m so heartbroken. Georgina it’s ok you aren’t the only one!