S03.E11: Kimmy Googles the Internet!

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Quote

Kimmy discovers the humiliating power of the internet. Titus wonders if he's compatible with Reuben. Jacqueline takes care of Mimi after butt surgery.

[TheOtherOne]

One of my favorites of the season. The dual Rachel Dratches, all the Linda gags, the return of Dr. Bayden (okay, that was a little sad) and the ending with Russ's new face. Hilarious from start to finish.

[JustaPerson]

I'm glad that Jacqueline's love for Russ has been shown to be genuine throughout the season. I was afraid that she would leave him after he got smooshed. 

[weightyghost]

I loved this episode because I've had conversations with my co-worker Linda about her name and how she was named at the end of the Linda craze so growing up, she all the other Lindas she knew were at least 10+ years older than her. 

[daisycat]

Can Mimi just... go away now? I really hate that character. She's OTT, but not in the right context of the show. She's just dumb.

ETA: is no one going to comment on Daveed Diggs rapping about philosophy? They set it up so that everyone would be just BLOWN AWAY by his genius rapping about something random like philosophy (ahem), but then he just bombed. It must have been so hard for him to rap terribly.

And Kimmy was so cute with the way she made sure the inevitable YouTube videos wouldn't show him being humiliated alone. Very sweet.

Show, can you please keep Daveed Diggs around? I ask for very little... He's just so, so, so purty.

Edited May 22, 2017 by daisycat

[Slovenly Muse]

Loved it so much! This one is my favourite of the season so far! I love that Kimmy has discovered how to use the cruel spectacle of the internet for good. Now her online identity can be determined by the ways in which she humiliates herself on purpose! That rap battle was EVERYTHING! And capping it off with doing "The Eel Roll?" I died!

Titus and the Lindas was so great! And it was wonderful to see Andrea Martin again... reprising her role from 30 Rock? That whole scene is something this show does extremely well: Set up a group of people in a situation that seems designed to result in embarrassment and hurt feelings, and instead have everyone go ALL IN with love and acceptance. All the Lindas agreeing that that baby name was bonkers, THEN opening up about their experiences and counselling Titus on what he's really looking for in a relationship, AND enthusiastically inviting him for cupcakes... it was a thing of beauty. And a clever reversal of the tired trope of the gay best friend giving the straight woman protagonist advice about men.

The Rachel Dratch dual-role was fabulous! "They're allowed to stay up late. They're not chickens!" And it was great to see Andrea again... more or less exactly where you might have expected to find her!

[StaceyNotStacie]

28 minutes ago, daisycat said:

Can Mimi just... go away now? I really hate that character. She's OTT, but not in the right context of the show. She's just dumb.

I agree. I cannot stand the character. She brings nothing to the show. I'd rather see more Lillian or some other less annoying character. 

[Enginerd]

Now I want a full series of philosophy lessons in rap format, delivered by Daveed Diggs at his actual skill level. It was entertaining, but I still feel cheated!

[Bec]

They "smooshed" David Cross' character and now he's played by a hot guy. I figured when he gets out of the bandages he would either be really grotesque or really hot. It can be nothing in between. I don't think this show has the budget to CGI a human pancake, so of course they went the hot route! I wonder if he's going to imitate David Cross' mannerisms.

I agree on "please give us more pretty guys and less Mimi." In fact, I would not complain if we just never see Mimi again.

What makes the show's insistence on shoving Mimi at us even more puzzling is that there clearly is an awareness that she is super annoying ("You spent a day with her without killing her! That's amazing!")

This show is generally more nuanced than one of those sketch shows where the same annoying characters do the same annoying crap over and over. But when they do Mimi bits it drags it down to that level.

[DrSpaceman73]

This is one of my favorites of the season. 

Loved the diagnosis of being smooshed.  The pamphlet, conversation.  I do miss David Cross though, replaced by the new guy.  Was hoping he was in more than one episode this season. 

The Linda's conversation was very funny as well. 

Finally figured out where I had seen Ruben before.  Played Tracy's "son", Donald, on 30 Rock, of course. 

[tennisgurl]

Is it crazy that when Reuben said his baby was named Linda, I basically had the same reaction that Titus had? It really DOES sound like the name of a middle aged woman in HR, not a baby! I've just never really met a younger Linda, so even though I know, intellectually, that those older Linda's were kid Linda's at one point, its just odd to me. Its like how my mom just couldn't get over the fact that I had a friend in grad school who was the same age as me (mid 20s) in 2016 whos name was Ira. She just always associated that name with old guys, not 24 year olds.

Nice seeing Dr. Bayden again, although its also pretty sad how much her life has taken a down turn. And I continue to really like Perry as Kimmys next love interest. I don't think I've really liked any of her prospective love interests this much since the veteran guy with PTSD she met at that party for one episode as much as him. And, yeah, I was kind of prepared for him to be totally awesome at rapping, but him totally sucking was hilarious. And Kimmy jumping up to have his back was sweet.

Edited May 24, 2017 by tennisgurl

[starri]

6 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

I know, intellectually, that those older Linda's were kid Linda's at one point,

Except the one who changed her name because of how Linda's have more opportunities in HR.

[Rinaldo]

8 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

And, yeah, I was kind of prepared for him to be totally awesome at raping

The double consonant is our friend....

I guess the whole bit about the name Linda made no sense to me, so none of that plot worked for me. Linda always struck me as a pretty name, that any girl might have, including quite a few of my classmates when I was young. I suppose that just supports what the story said, as we're around 70 now, but have people really stopped giving their daughters that name? -- it still has a "young" association for me. Now, there are indeed names that sound like "old lady" names to me, like Sadie (which I thought was going to become extinct like Myrtle or Mildred as its holders died off), but recently I see it's become quite fashionable again. So you never know.

[Dots And Stripes]

The Linda bit reminded me of this article from Five Thirty Eight. No mention of "Linda" but it is an interesting look at how names change in popularity.

Now for my complaints. I figured Russ might emerge as a different actor. I don't like when shows bring in guest stars who can't finish out the storyline.

I'm really disappointed they brought back Andrea for her to still be an alcoholic. I found Andrea to be one of the darkest parts of this show. I get that this show makes light of a lot of dark things and that is baked in to the premise. Andrea is an alcoholic who desperately needs help and seeing that she didn't get help after her bender is sad.

[Irish Mermaid]

On 5/24/2017 at 5:25 AM, Rinaldo said:

The double consonant is our friend....

I guess the whole bit about the name Linda made no sense to me, so none of that plot worked for me. Linda always struck me as a pretty name, that any girl might have, including quite a few of my classmates when I was young. I suppose that just supports what the story said, as we're around 70 now, but have people really stopped giving their daughters that name? -- it still has a "young" association for me. Now, there are indeed names that sound like "old lady" names to me, like Sadie (which I thought was going to become extinct like Myrtle or Mildred as its holders died off), but recently I see it's become quite fashionable again. So you never know.

My mom is also 70, and I swear all her friends growing up were Linda, Barbara, and Bonnie (she's one of those three as well). She thinks more recently popular names like Emily, Emma, and Hannah are the old lady names. ? I'm in my late 40s and I can't recall ever meeting a Linda in my generation or younger. 

[Rinaldo]

Yes, when I was starting school, in the 50s, nobody was named Sarah, Rachel, Hannah, or Rebecca -- they seemed so Biblical as to be not just old-fashioned but belonging to antiquity. (When I first encountered "Rachel" in a book, I had to ask my mother how it was pronounced -- I was imagining "Rashelle.") And now such names are considered attractive and are among the most common. As a teacher I get to see the fashions in names come and go in graphic fashion. (Though by some coincidence I have yet to meet a single one of the Madisons that I'm told are all the rage.)

[April Bloodgate]

There was a Linda in HR at my last job. And I agree--I don't know a single Linda under 40.

[tennisgurl]

The joke totally worked for me because I'm in my 20s, and I have never met a Linda who was under the age of around 45. All the Linda's I know are my moms age or older. I don't think its a bad or ugly name or anything, its just not a name I associate with babies born in 2017.

6 hours ago, Rinaldo said:

nobody was named Sarah, Rachel, Hannah, or Rebecca -- they seemed so Biblical as to be not just old-fashioned but belonging to antiquity.

See that's so funny to me, because I grew up with TONS of Sarah's, Rachel's, and Hannah's (I graduated from high school in 2008 and we had five Sarah's in my graduating class of 110 students) and it always seems funny to me when I read really old, biblical stories with women who have those names, next to really old timey names, because I associate them with young modern women. Its always interesting how names go in and out of fashion, and what time periods names are associated with.

[theatremouse]

I get that they were subverting expectations by Perry rapping terribly, but I found it tremendously disappointing. Or...maybe the content could've been terrible philosophy-wise, but he still could've been good at rapping like...rhythmically/speedwise? I donno. Perhaps it was a no win.

[April Bloodgate]

10 minutes ago, theatremouse said:

I get that they were subverting expectations by Perry rapping terribly, but I found it tremendously disappointing. Or...maybe the content could've been terrible philosophy-wise, but he still could've been good at rapping like...rhythmically/speedwise? I donno. Perhaps it was a no win.

I agree. I wanted to hear an awesome rap, even if the philosophy content was cheesy.

[theatremouse]

The second he said that's what he was going to do, I literally said outloud "I hope he goes super fast". And then....nuthin.

[Litnit]

Whenever I hear the name Linda I picture my mother's friends or Mike Myers. 

My daughter's name is Rachel and it's not super popular but she's 6 so, yes, the older names are coming back. 

I loved this episode.

[Duke2801]

On ‎5‎/‎24‎/‎2017 at 8:25 AM, Rinaldo said:

The double consonant is our friend....

I guess the whole bit about the name Linda made no sense to me, so none of that plot worked for me. Linda always struck me as a pretty name, that any girl might have, including quite a few of my classmates when I was young. I suppose that just supports what the story said, as we're around 70 now, but have people really stopped giving their daughters that name? -- it still has a "young" association for me. Now, there are indeed names that sound like "old lady" names to me, like Sadie (which I thought was going to become extinct like Myrtle or Mildred as its holders died off), but recently I see it's become quite fashionable again. So you never know.

For the time being, and for the most part, yes.  The first Linda that comes to mind for me is my aunt.  Who is 70. 

The youngest Linda I know personally is 61. 

[Zeebreezy]

I thought the same thing about a baby named Linda so I found it hilarious that Titus thought the same thing.  However, my name is the opposite. My name was very popular in the 80 when I grew up but I have yet to meet a 50-60 year old Tiffany.  My name is forever a 9 year old girl lol. 

[April Bloodgate]

5 hours ago, Zeebreezy said:

I thought the same thing about a baby named Linda so I found it hilarious that Titus thought the same thing.  However, my name is the opposite. My name was very popular in the 80 when I grew up but I have yet to meet a 50-60 year old Tiffany.  My name is forever a 9 year old girl lol. 

To me, the name Tiffany is timeless because of the store and the movie "Breakfast at Tiffany's".
 

[Frisson]

As a Linda in my 30s who is not in HR, I found this episode very objectionable. Unless I take the show's stance that being Latina exempts me from all the Linda stereotypes?

Either way, I never had a nickname and am pleasant! (Is that something a Linda would say?)

[iMonrey]

Quote

Is it crazy that when Reuben said his baby was named Linda, I basically had the same reaction that Titus had? It really DOES sound like the name of a middle aged woman in HR, not a baby! 

So does "Karen" when you get right down to it, which made the joke about Karen's birthday cupcakes just as funny.

Personally I'm baffled by the re-emergence in popularity of names like Emma and Emily. Those sound like little old lady names to me.

I loved the way everyone was talking about "smooshed" as though it were a genuine clinical term. And Jacqueline actually had a pamphlet that said "living with smoosh." Like that's a thing.

Edited June 1, 2017 by iMonrey

[rabidchipmnk]

On 5/31/2017 at 7:33 PM, Frisson said:

As a Linda in my 30s who is not in HR, I found this episode very objectionable. Unless I take the show's stance that being Latina exempts me from all the Linda stereotypes?

Either way, I never had a nickname and am pleasant! (Is that something a Linda would say?)

I think it does, for some reason I categorize Leen-da as different from Lin-duh.  Maybe because "linda" is actually a commonly-used word in Spanish?

I'm too lazy to find a source, but don't names go in cycles, so we think of the Debs and Barbs and Lindas as middle-aged since those were popular 40-50 years ago.? Just think, in 40 years everyone will think of McKenna and Madison as the Lady-in-HR names... and maybe Linda will come back in style for being classic and retro.  

(I have high school acquaintances who named their baby Edith... maybe they're at the leading edge of a wave of Ediths and Roses, but that still sounds old-lady to me, I don't care it was on that one show. ABOUT OLD-TYMIE PEOPLE.)

[HunterHunted]

On 6/2/2017 at 4:00 AM, rabidchipmnk said:

I think it does, for some reason I categorize Leen-da as different from Lin-duh.  Maybe because "linda" is actually a commonly-used word in Spanish?

I'm too lazy to find a source, but don't names go in cycles, so we think of the Debs and Barbs and Lindas as middle-aged since those were popular 40-50 years ago.? Just think, in 40 years everyone will think of McKenna and Madison as the Lady-in-HR names... and maybe Linda will come back in style for being classic and retro.  

(I have high school acquaintances who named their baby Edith... maybe they're at the leading edge of a wave of Ediths and Roses, but that still sounds old-lady to me, I don't care it was on that one show. ABOUT OLD-TYMIE PEOPLE.)

Names fall in and out of favor. Most recently, it came up with Caitlyn Jenner because Caitlyn isn't a name that parents were naming their daughters in 1949 when Caitlyn was born. They would have been named Kathleen, Katherine, Caroline, Cathy, Cynthia, Carol, Christine, or Charlotte.

Goofing off on the Social Security Administration website is a fun and interesting way to waste time. You can search for prevalence over time, top names for a given year, or the full file as long as there are at least 3 kids with the name in a given year. It's funny that you mention Madison because it did not exist as first name until Splash. It's funny to see pop culture influence names, for example the rise of Trinity after the Matrix films, the number of Game of Thrones names that pop up (I think Khaleesi is the most popular), Renesme (Twilight), or Espn (yes, this is a name people name their sons - about 2 dozen a year).

[rabidchipmnk]

...please tell me that real humans aren't going around naming their real human babies Khaleesi...

Re: Reneesme: https://xkcd.com/1011/

How do you even pronounce Espn?  Like "Aspen" except dumber?

(I may have a side hobby of judging all my acquaintances' choices in children's names.  My cousins in particular have done a really bad job of it.  You can technically name your child "Maddison," but you do realize you are actually naming her "Maddison-with-two-Ds" because that is how she will have to introduce herself to people FOR.EVER?)

Ahem.  Topic?  Yeah, not a lot of baby Lindas, but you can do a hell of a lot worse in this day and age... glad that Titus realized it's not really about the Linda.

[Empress1]

This was the funniest ep of the season. The Lindas in HR were gold. I rewound the one Linda saying "You'll never make it" when the other said she was on day 2 of Whole 30. And I TOTALLY thought "who names a baby Linda in 2017?" It's just a middle-aged-and-older name, to me. My boss's teenage daughter is named Evelyn and I had the same thought about that name - I assume she's named after someone, though I've never asked.

On 6/1/2017 at 3:13 PM, iMonrey said:

So does "Karen" when you get right down to it, which made the joke about Karen's birthday cupcakes just as funny.

Ha - my best friend's name is Karen. She's in her mid-30s. My mom has a friend named Karen and she's about 60.

Rachel Dratch as both parts of a pretentious lesbian couple was hilarious.

Daveed Diggs is SO FINE. (If there were extras, there would totally be one of him rapping about philosophy at his actual skill level. I bet $10 he has rapped about philosophy at some point.)

[attica]

I sorta wish one of the Rachel's would have called the other "lovah". 

There's a dude that comes to my office occasionally. When he sees me, he always calls me Linda. My name isn't Linda. I correct him every time. Doesn't help. Maybe I have resting Linda face.

[Dobian]

I called Russ' miraculous Beauty and the Beast transformation well before the final reveal.  It was still pretty funny.  Rachel Dratch was hilarious, as well as the "Linda from HR" gag.  Everyone holding up their phones during Perry's inept rap cracked me up, and I love how Kimmy isn't self-conscious at all and just jumps up there.  Plus her whole insane logic to make embarrassing videos so the Mole Woman links get pushed down the list in Google.

[BoogieBurns]

On 6/10/2017 at 3:50 PM, attica said:

I sorta wish one of the Rachel's would have called the other "lovah". 

There's a dude that comes to my office occasionally. When he sees me, he always calls me Linda. My name isn't Linda. I correct him every time. Doesn't help. Maybe I have resting Linda face.

Linda means beautiful in Spanish. Maybe he has a crush on you.

[attica]

Nope. He just doesn't pay attention to what (usually women's) names are.  Now, the counter guy at the deli who calls me Linda, that's another story. He gets an 'hola, papi' back.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I loved the sign at the hospital wall that said "hospitaliano." I guess Russ is at the Olive Garden of hospitals.

[helenamonster]

I too loved the Linda joke (it's so true! it is not a baby's name!) and all the discussion here about names going in and out of fashion. I'm in that strange position of having a very old name (my parents wanted to name me after my grandmother, but figured Helen was too old-lady of a name in 1994, so they added an A and I still ended up with a name that literally dates back to ancient Greece) that hasn't become one of those trendy old lady names yet. 

"You live with a grown woman named Kimmy." "Yes, but I did not name her that."

I totally called Russ becoming hot when the bandages were taken off. But yes, smooshed being a technical medical term was very this show.

Is Kimmy the greatest friend or what? Sure, she partially helped Perry to push the mole woman coverage to the second page when you Google her, but she mostly went ahead and embarrassed herself for a friend. Also the way she got so excited when she realized if she ever became president the mole woman stuff would move to the third page (it would actually move back up to the first page, but I'll let her live) was so sweet. We should all take our self-esteem cues from Kimmy.

Loved the double dose of Rachel Dratch.

Andrea! Please tell me that's the Paramus Mall she's working at.

On 5/22/2017 at 5:30 PM, DrSpaceman73 said:

Finally figured out where I had seen Ruben before.  Played Tracy's "son", Donald, on 30 Rock, of course. 

"You remember my son, Donald, who's two years older than me?"

[thuganomics85]

Hmm, it is kind of true.... I don't know any babies or really anyone under the age of 20 named Linda!  And it does sound like a name you would see a lot in the HR department!  That was a fun gag, especially the panel of Linda.  Not surprised Titus and Ruben are through (I think.)  I like Ruben, but I think it is likely that Titus is really not over Mikey, and the differences would have been too much to overcome, especially with someone like Titus.

Glad Kimmy and Perry are back on good terms, and Kimmy willingly embarrassed herself in order to help Perry once she realized his "philosophy rap" was quickly going south.  Liked the callback to the eel dance move Titus mentioned.  Fun seeing Andrea/Tina Fey again and the dueling Rachel Dratch's were fun.

I figured they were going to switch out Russ once he had all those bandages on his face, and during all the "smoosh" stuff and scares, I knew it was going to end with him being way more attractive, instead of disfigured.

[NaughtyKitty]

I actually know a baby named Linda.  Do I win?

I thought it was so strange.  Mom is about 35 and dad is about 50.  Both white, suburban, California folks. Every other Linda I know is over 60.

But what do I know?  I'm a Meredith. Virtually unheard of until Grey's Anatomy.

[Tamariskie]

On 6/1/2017 at 3:13 PM, iMonrey said:

So does "Karen" when you get right down to it, which made the joke about Karen's birthday cupcakes just as funny.

I started to get offended but I'm 40 now and work in accounting so I guess that doesn't help my case.

I knew several Linda's growing up. Some are still under 40 but not by much. Still, people come up with the craziest names now, many of which are names I've always thought of as old person names. I will forever associate Sophia with Golden Girls so I've never understood how that name became so popular again.

With the dual role, I was totally expecting it to come out that the professor didn't really have a partner; that she made her up and constructed an elaborate ruse. Loved the chicken line. :-)