There was a hilarious reference to M*A*S*H on last night’s episode of 30 Rock. Alan Alda guest starred in the episode (and last week’s episode as well). I’ve already received one e-mail about it from jbright. I’m sure plenty of other people recognized the reference. I’ve added it to the M*A*S*H References on Television page.
During the last two episodes of the third season of NBC’s 30 Rock, Alan Alda guest starred as Milton Greene. In “Kidney Now!,” the season finale (first broadcast May 14th, 2009) there is a scene in which Tracy (played by Tracy Morgan) talks with Kenneth (played by Jack McBrayer) about a traumatic experience he had in high school. It involved dissecting a frog. He breaks down and starts crying just as Alda’s character walks by:
Tracy Jordan: “It’s true. There was no baby. I was chicken. I was chicken.”
Milton Greene: “A guy crying about a chicken and a baby? I thought this was a comedy show?”
This hilarious reference relates to the series finale of M*A*S*H in which Hawkeye has a mtental breakdown after watching a Korean mother suffocate her baby to keep it quiet. During his psychotherapy, Hawkeye remembered it as a chicken, but then realized it was a child. He starting crying about a chicken and a baby, then called the therapist a “son of a bitch for making me remember that.”
I just recently started watching 30 Rock and am still in the process of watching this episode.
I am a huge fan of mash and when i heard this line i thought “ohh nice line there” People who missed mash wont appreciate it but that was a nice addition.