The Stench From Rove's Visit Means We Need Comic Relief

We spent most of yesterday in the same area code as Karl Rove, and that has left us feeling as if we need to run through an industrial-strength car wash to remove any hint of Rovian sleaze that might have floated our way.

Perhaps the safer route would be to wash away the scent of Turd Blossom with some comic relief here in our little corner of the blogosphere. As usual, we turn to Scrubs, one of the best and most underappreciated shows in television history.

One of the many attributes that makes Scrubs special is its ability to use cultural references to great comic effect. The Simpsons, of course, is brilliant at this, constantly making sport of movies, other television shows, books, plays, public figures, social trends--you name it.

Scrubs is pretty good at it too, and one of our favorite examples comes from an episode that features key characters obsessing about current issues--big and small--in their lives. Elliot "Barbie" Reed is obsessed about the fiance she recently dumped. Chris "Gandhi" Turk frets about the pieces of candy still stuck in his teeth after he ate a Bit O' Honey candy bar. And John "Dame Judy" Dorian can't stop thinking about his tendency to sabotage relationships.

The producers of Scrubs use this scenario, and a memorable rant from Dr. Perry Cox, to set up a hilarious skewering of award shows, especially the Academy Awards. In the Scrubs version, it becomes "The Who Caresies Awards"--honoring those people who think "others actually give a rat's ass about the minutiae of their lives."

It ends with an inside joke. Zach Braff, as J.D., accepts his award by saying, "Suck on that, Tony Shalhoub." That's a reference to the actor from Monk, who had beaten out Braff for an Emmy Award.

How good is this bit? I caught the episode on reruns the other night, and later--while loving on our boy kitty kat, Baxter, before bedtime--thought of the phrase "Dame Judy Dorian" and couldn't help but laugh out loud. Baxter proceeded to give me one of those "WTF" looks that kitty kats are famous for.

Anyway, let's enjoy a Scrubs classic: