History Recap / CommunityS1E21ContemporaryAmericanPoultry

* ItsAllAboutMe:

** When Abed says "As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be in a mafia movie." This is quite clearly a parody of the line "As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster" from ''Film/{{Goodfellas}}''. The sequence where Abed systematically destroys the things the study group have acquired through the chicken fingers syndicate also parodies a similar sequence in the movie wherein Robert De Niro's character has his confederates in a major heist systematically murdered; both montages are scored to the guitar solo from Eric Clapton's "Layla".

** When Abed says "As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be in a mafia movie." This is quite clearly a parody of the line "As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster" from ''Film/{{Goodfellas}}''.

* GoneHorriblyRight: Jeff's plan (get Starburns fired, get Abed hired as fry cook, get assured supply of chicken fingers) actually goes off flawlessly; however, Abed's GenreSavvy application of Mafia movie tropes ends up making the plan increasingly complicated and spirals out of (Jeff's) control anyway.

The most popular -- and only edible -- food in the Greendale campus cafeteria is the fried chicken fingers. Unfortunately, this means they're also frequently sold out before our heroes can get any to eat, and it doesn't help that Starburns, the cafeteria fry-cook, always holds some back to give to his friends to try increase his popularity. Jeff has decided that this is unacceptable, and convinces his friends to help him get Starburns fired and Abed hired as his replacement in order to make sure they get some.

** "He's gone from lovable [[Film/ShortCircuit Johnny Five]] to evil [[Film/TwoThousandOneASpaceOdyssey HAL]]. ''(to Pierce)'' Not Hal Holbrook."

* DidntThinkThisThrough: After forcing the study group to say "[[IToldYouSo You were right]]" to Jeff, Jeff then orders them to write that on their bathroom mirror at home. Troy then points out that writing "you were right" on your own bathroom mirror would make it seem like the writer was the one who was correct, not Jeff.

* VictoryIsBoring: Jeff quickly grows tired of chicken fingers even though it was his plan to get them.

* DramaticIrony: Jeff tries to convince Abed to go along with his plan by saying that he would get the most important job of all, the fry cook. Abed voices his doubts about it being the most important. But as the rest of the episode proves, it really was.

!The ''Series/{{Community}}'' episode "Contemporary American Poultry" provides examples of:

* DumbassHasAPoint: After forcing the study group to say "[[IToldYouSo You were right]]" to Jeff, Jeff then orders them to write that on their bathroom mirror at home. Troy then points out that writing "you were right" on your own bathroom mirror would make it seem like the writer was the one who was correct, not Jeff. Ironically, Jeff doesn't actually pick up on this, and seems to assume that Troy believes that they'll be writing it backwards.

* ASimplePlan: Played with, in that Jeff's seemingly straightforward plan (get Starburns fired, get Abed hired as fry cook, get assured supply of chicken fingers) actually goes off flawlessly; however, Abed's GenreSavvy application of Mafia movie tropes ends up making the plan increasingly complicated and spirals out of (Jeff's) control anyway.

* UnsportsmanlikeGloating: Naturally, Jeff

Now has [[YMMV/CommunityS1E21ContemporaryAmericanPoultry a "Your Mileage May Vary" page]]

->''"[[Film/{{Goodfellas}} As far back as I could remember]], I always wanted to be in a [[WholePlotReference Mafia movie]]."''

* TotallyRadical: Pierce tries to start "streets ahead." Nobody really knows what it means.
** But if you don't know what it means, you're streets behind.

* WholePlotReference: Primarily ''Film/{{Goodfellas}}''.

* {{Hypocrite}}: The entire study group in this episode. They put Starburns out of a legitimate job for abusing it and then do exactly what he did, [[MoralMyopia never recognizing their own wrongdoing]].

** The scandal involving Starburns is called [[Film/{{Stargate}} "Star-Gate"]].

* JerkassHasAPoint: Although the study group are getting spoiled, obnoxious and blinded with ambition thanks to Abed's control of the chicken wings, they are nevertheless accurate in pointing out that Jeff's opposition to Abed stems more from jealousy over being unseated as group leader than from concern for Abed. Jeff eventually concedes to the point when he admits that he was planning to sabotage the fryer and remove Abed's power.

** "He's gone from lovable [[Film/ShortCircuit Johnny Five]] to evil [[Film/TwoThousandOneASpaceOdyssey HAL]]. (to Pierce) Not Hal Holbrook."

** "He's gone from lovable [[Film/ShortCircuit Johnny Five]] to evil [[Film/TwoThousandAndOneASpaceOdyssey HAL]]. (to Pierce) Not Hal Holbrook."

->''[[Film/{{Goodfellas}} As far back as I could remember]], I always wanted to be in a [[WholePlotReference mafia movie]].''

* AffectionateParody: Of Mafia movies; primarily ''{{Goodfellas}}'', but ''Film/TheGodfather'' also gets a few nods.

-->'''Jeff:''' You want a shot at the Jeff Winger throne? [[FunnyMoments You better bring a powerful ass]]!
* {{Hypocrite}}: The entire study group in this episode. They put Starburns out of a legitimate job for abusing it and then do the exact same thing.
* JerkassHasAPoint: Although the study group are getting spoiled, obnoxious and blinded with ambition thanks to Abed's control of the chicken wings, they are nevertheless accurate in pointing out that Jeff's opposition to Abed stems more from jealousy over being unseated as group leader than it does from concern for Abed. Jeff eventually concedes to the point when he admits that he was planning to sabotage the fryer and remove Abed's power.

'''Shirley:''' ''[Fed-up]'' We get it! The monkey's name is "Annie's Boobs".

* {{Scandalgate}}: The school newspaper has a headline which reads "Star-Gate!"[[note]]The story being about Starburns getting fired as fry cook.[[/note]] and the subhead, "[[LampshadeHanging Headline in reference to Watergate,]] [[Film/{{Stargate}} not the 1994 sci-fi film]]."

** "He's gone from lovable [[Film/ShortCircuit Johnny Five]] to evil [[Film/TwoThousandAndOneASpaceOdyssey HAL.]] (to Pierce) Not HalHolbrook."
* ASimplePlan: Played with, in that Jeff's seemingly straightforward plan (get Starburns fired, get Abed hired as fry cook, get assured supply of chicken fingers) actually goes off flawlessly; however, Abed's GenreSavvy application of mafia movie tropes ends up making the plan increasingly complicated and spirals out of (Jeff's) control anyway.

'''Shirley:''' ''[Fed-up]'' We get it! The monkey's name is 'Annie's Boobs'.

Abed, however, has [[GenreSavvy decided to view this scheme through the lens of a mafia movie]], and is soon the mastermind of an underground network of chicken finger smuggling, elevating the social status of the study group as everyone desperately tries to curry favour in order to secure the precious food. However, this means that Jeff is gradually becoming dislodged from his position as group leader, and the other members of the group become increasingly spoiled and arrogant with their newfound status it increasingly looks like the higher they rise, the harder the inevitable fall will be...

** "He's gone from lovable [[Film/ShortCircuit Johnny Five]] to evil [[Film/2001ASpaceOdyssey HAL.]] (to Pierce) Not HalHolbrook."