Jenny Fromdabloc
Encyclopedia
"Jenny Fromdabloc" is the sixteenth episode of the sixth season
of the animated
comedy series
American Dad!
. It first aired on Fox
in the United States on April 17, 2011. This episode mainly centers around Steve, who tries and comforts his friend, Snot, after facing rejection from Hayley. Snot goes into a deep state of depression
after realizing that Hayley does not have any feelings for him. Steve devises a plan that requires Roger to personate as a teenage girl from New Jersey
. Roger ends up developing a deeper relationship with Snot, much to the frustration of Steve. He begins to feel threatened, as Snot develops into a charismatic and arrogant individual that Steve's friends look up to. Meanwhile, Stan wishes to start drinking some martinis
, only for him to pass out on several occasions and run around Langley Falls in a drunk tangent.
This episode was directed by Bob Bowen and written by Laura McCreary. It received critical acclaim from many television critics, with much of the praise stemming from the main storyline and the cultural references. According to the Nielson ratings, the episode was viewed by 4.70 million viewers and garnered a 2.2 rating in the 18-49 demographic during its initial airing. It featured guest appearances from Edward Asner and Carl Reiner
, as well as several recurring voice actors and actresses for the series.
, where Steve, Toshi, and Barry all leave the two alone to connect. The next day, at Pearl Bailey High School, Snot announces to Steve and his friends he and his date went to the beach and had sex
there, much to Steve's horror.
Back home, Steve becomes outraged at Roger and start fighting, until he finds Roger washing a stress ball he used for another persona. When Steve questions him on why he is cleaning it, Roger reveals he is using it in order to have sex with Snot. At the Wild West Land amusement park, Steve spills the news to Snot, showing the stress ball as proof. Devastated, Snot ends his relationship with Roger, which upsets Roger as well. Steve brings back up his original 31 flavors idea, but Snot still remains depressed from his broken relationship. Steve devises another idea to get him and Roger back together. In his Jenny disguise, Roger meets Snot again and apologizes for his past actions, and Snot accepts him back into their relationship again, at least until Roger gets hit and killed by a bus, much to Snot's depression once again until Steve tells Snot he has gotten closer to having sex with someone than anyone in the group has ever been. Roger shows up again at the scene in another disguise and tells Steve that he faked his death, explaining his ability to move very fast as he sets up a decoy of his Jenny persona right before the bus hits it.
Meanwhile, Stan decides to live life like a man from the 1960's after watching an episode of Bewitched
. When he wants to start drinking martini
s, Francine objects since he cannot handle his alcohol. However, she gives him a chance, only to subsequently chase him running down the street in only his underwear. Francine then disbars the arrangement, but Stan decides to get drunk again, causing him to pass out repeatedly and believe that Francine is a witch.
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"Jenny Fromdabloc" was directed by series regular Bob Bowen, in his fourth episode of the season. This would be the first episode that Bowen would direct since the season six
episode "A Piñata Named Desire
". This episode was written by series regular Laura McCreary. This would be the second time McCreary has written an episode for the season, having also written season six episode "Stanny Boy and Frantastic
". McCreary is also notable for writing for television shows such as Kim Possible
and As Told By Ginger
. Seth MacFarlane
, the creator and executive producer of American Dad!, as well as its sister shows Family Guy
and The Cleveland Show
, served as the executive producer
for the episode, along with series veterans Mike Barker, Rick Wiener, Matt Weitzman
, Nahnatchka Khan, Michael Wittenburg, and Kenny Schwartz. Diana Retchey was the animation producer for the episode, in her thirteenth episode of the season. Amanda Bell served as the production manager, and this episode would be Bell's thirtheenth episode of the season where she served as the production manager.
This episode featured two guest appearances from Edward Asner and Carl Reiner
, as well as several recurring voice actors and actresses for the series. Asner previous made an appearance on the episode "There Will Be Bad Blood
", serving the role as Grandpa Smith. Curtis Armstrong
, Daisuke Suzuki
and Eddie Kaye Thomas
guest starred as Steve's friends in the episode, while Kevin Michael Richardson
would return to play his part as Principal Lewis. Jeff Fischer
returns to resume his role as Hayley's husband. All Armstrong, Suzuki, Thomas, Fischer, and Richardson previously reprised their roles in the season six episode "License to Till
".
This episode contains several references relating to music, media, film, and other pop culture phenomenon. The title of this episode is a reference to the Jennifer Lopez
song "Jenny from the Block
". The stress ball that Roger uses to fake sex with Snot is a promotional item for the Fox sitcom Sons of Tucson
, which was subsequently canceled after replacing American Dad! for a month. When putting the stress ball in the washer, it is noted that Roger is whistling the theme song. Steve shows in interest in going to Baskin Robbins and trying out all 31 flavors, a reference to the creation of the company in 1945. In a flashback Steve and his friends visit Dennis Quaid
and his brother Randy Quaid
.
Hayley's favorite song is revealed to be "Gangsta's Paradise
" by Coolio
. Stan and Francine agree to act out the 1960's television series Bewitched
and I Dream of Jeannie
. The scene in which Stan hallucinates and imagines a witch flying on a broom is shown in a similar fashion to the opening sequence of Bewitched. The woman then crashes into a building, a reference to the September 11 attacks. Roger excitedly mentions that he wants a pair of cigarette jeans, a looked first popularized and endorsed by Forever 21
. Roger, as Jenny, compares Snot to a "young Paul Reiser
" whereas Steve says on his best day he is Rob Morrow
. While setting up the Jenny dummy, Roger receives a text from Bob Saget
. Principal Lewis attempts to sell two belts, one containing a bird that closely resembles Tweety Bird and the other containing a lyric from the Janet Jackson
song "Nasty
". Snot's basement is designed in a similar fashion as the basement of Eric Foreman from That 70's Show. The final scene during the ending credits of the episode is a reference to the 2010 science fiction action heist film
, Inception
.
. It was preceded by a rerun of The Simpsons
, and succeeded by its sister show Family Guy
and the The Cleveland Show
. It was viewed by 4.74 million viewers upon its original airing, despite airing simultaneously with America's Next Great Restaurant
on NBC
, Amazing Race on CBS
, and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
on ABC
. The total viewership of the episode was on par with that of The Cleveland Show, but significantly lower than than that of Family Guy. It achieved a 2.2 rating in the 18-49 demographic, according to the Nielson ratings. Ratings for the episode were slightly below that of The Cleveland Show, while significantly lower than that of Family Guy. The episode's total viewership and ratings were significantly up from the previous episode, "License to Till
", which was viewed by 3.35 million viewers upon its initial airing, and garnered a 1.8 rating in the 18-49 demographic. The episode's ratings and total viewership were also the highest since the season six episode "I Am the Walrus
", which was viewed by 4.99 million viewers and acquired a 3.0 rating in the 18-49 demographic.
"Jenny Fromdabloc" was met with critical acclaim from television critics. Rowan Kaiser of The A.V. Club
gave the episode a positive review. In her review for the episode, she opined: "This was as good as I've seen American Dad." Kaiser praised the character development taken place in Roger, going on to write, "This was the Roger showcase I'd been waiting for, where he gets the chance to be shocking and witty, as well as using his character costumes to fantastic effect. Steve's friend Snot is obsessed with Hayley, who [...] isn't interested. In order to break him out of his rut, Steve convinces Roger to play a teenaged girl who's interested in Snot. Naturally, Roger goes too far, and it's fantastic." She went on to give the episode an "A" grade, the highest rating of the night, scoring higher than the Family Guy episode "Brothers & Sisters" and The Cleveland Show episode "Back to Cool
". Dyana Maria of Daemon's TV praised the episode, writing, "I wasn’t expecting things to develop the way they did with the Snot and Jenny/Roger story. It was nice to have an episode with a plot that was both funny and unpredictable so overall, this was another good episode of American Dad."
The Parents Television Council
, a television watchdog
group and a regular critic of American Dad! and other Seth MacFarlane
-created and produced shows, named American Dad! the "Worst TV Show of the Week" during the week of April 22, 2011 for this episode, citing sexually lewd content coming from Roger's persona, Jenny Fromdabloc. The review compared E.T. from E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
with Roger, noting, "[E.T.] taught us a few things about humanity, while the latter [Roger] specializes in profanity."
American Dad! (season 6)
American Dad!'s sixth season began airing on October 3, 2010. and ended after 19 episodes on May 22, 2011. Guest stars of this season include Jason Alexander, Sarah Chalke, Hector Elizondo, Anthony Michael Hall, Hayden Panettiere, Lou Diamond Phillips and Burt Reynolds.-Episodes:-External links:* ...
of the animated
Animated cartoon
An animated cartoon is a short, hand-drawn film for the cinema, television or computer screen, featuring some kind of story or plot...
comedy series
Television comedy
Television comedy had a presence from the earliest days of broadcasting. Among the earliest BBC television programmes in the 1930s was Starlight, which offered a series of guests from the music hall era — singers and comedians amongst them...
American Dad!
American Dad!
American Dad! is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane and owned by Underdog Productions and Fuzzy Door Productions. It is produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television...
. It first aired on Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
in the United States on April 17, 2011. This episode mainly centers around Steve, who tries and comforts his friend, Snot, after facing rejection from Hayley. Snot goes into a deep state of depression
Depression (mood)
Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person's thoughts, behaviour, feelings and physical well-being. Depressed people may feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable, or restless...
after realizing that Hayley does not have any feelings for him. Steve devises a plan that requires Roger to personate as a teenage girl from New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. Roger ends up developing a deeper relationship with Snot, much to the frustration of Steve. He begins to feel threatened, as Snot develops into a charismatic and arrogant individual that Steve's friends look up to. Meanwhile, Stan wishes to start drinking some martinis
Martini (cocktail)
The martini is a cocktail made with gin and vermouth, and garnished with an olive or a lemon twist. Over the years, the martini has become one of the best-known mixed alcoholic beverages. H. L. Mencken called the martini "the only American invention as perfect as the sonnet" and E. B...
, only for him to pass out on several occasions and run around Langley Falls in a drunk tangent.
This episode was directed by Bob Bowen and written by Laura McCreary. It received critical acclaim from many television critics, with much of the praise stemming from the main storyline and the cultural references. According to the Nielson ratings, the episode was viewed by 4.70 million viewers and garnered a 2.2 rating in the 18-49 demographic during its initial airing. It featured guest appearances from Edward Asner and Carl Reiner
Carl Reiner
Carl Reiner is an American actor, film director, producer, writer and comedian. He has won nine Emmy Awards and one Grammy Award during this career...
, as well as several recurring voice actors and actresses for the series.
Plot
Ten years ago, Snot attains a crush on Hayley, which persists to the present day. In the present, while Steve is proposing an idea to his friends of tasting 31 ice cream flavors at Baskin Robbins, Snot professes his love for Hayley, despite her marriage to Jeff Fischer. Hayley rejects Snot, leaving him depressed, so Steve and Roger devise a plan to cheer him up. Roger dresses up as Steve’s teenager cousin from New Jersey, Jenny Fromdabloc, and Snot falls in love with her at a video arcadeVideo arcade
An amusement arcade or video arcade is a venue where people play arcade games such as video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, merchandisers , or coin-operated billiards or air hockey tables...
, where Steve, Toshi, and Barry all leave the two alone to connect. The next day, at Pearl Bailey High School, Snot announces to Steve and his friends he and his date went to the beach and had sex
Sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...
there, much to Steve's horror.
Back home, Steve becomes outraged at Roger and start fighting, until he finds Roger washing a stress ball he used for another persona. When Steve questions him on why he is cleaning it, Roger reveals he is using it in order to have sex with Snot. At the Wild West Land amusement park, Steve spills the news to Snot, showing the stress ball as proof. Devastated, Snot ends his relationship with Roger, which upsets Roger as well. Steve brings back up his original 31 flavors idea, but Snot still remains depressed from his broken relationship. Steve devises another idea to get him and Roger back together. In his Jenny disguise, Roger meets Snot again and apologizes for his past actions, and Snot accepts him back into their relationship again, at least until Roger gets hit and killed by a bus, much to Snot's depression once again until Steve tells Snot he has gotten closer to having sex with someone than anyone in the group has ever been. Roger shows up again at the scene in another disguise and tells Steve that he faked his death, explaining his ability to move very fast as he sets up a decoy of his Jenny persona right before the bus hits it.
Meanwhile, Stan decides to live life like a man from the 1960's after watching an episode of Bewitched
Bewitched
Bewitched is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for eight seasons on ABC from 1964 to 1972, starring Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York and Dick Sargent , Agnes Moorehead, and David White. The show is about a witch who marries a mortal and tries to lead the life of a typical suburban...
. When he wants to start drinking martini
Martini (cocktail)
The martini is a cocktail made with gin and vermouth, and garnished with an olive or a lemon twist. Over the years, the martini has become one of the best-known mixed alcoholic beverages. H. L. Mencken called the martini "the only American invention as perfect as the sonnet" and E. B...
s, Francine objects since he cannot handle his alcohol. However, she gives him a chance, only to subsequently chase him running down the street in only his underwear. Francine then disbars the arrangement, but Stan decides to get drunk again, causing him to pass out repeatedly and believe that Francine is a witch.
Production
American Dad! (season 6)
American Dad!'s sixth season began airing on October 3, 2010. and ended after 19 episodes on May 22, 2011. Guest stars of this season include Jason Alexander, Sarah Chalke, Hector Elizondo, Anthony Michael Hall, Hayden Panettiere, Lou Diamond Phillips and Burt Reynolds.-Episodes:-External links:* ...
episode "A Piñata Named Desire
A Piñata Named Desire
"A Piñata Named Desire" is the eleventh episode of the sixth season of the animated comedy series American Dad!. It first aired on Fox in the United States on February 13, 2011. This episode mainly centers around Roger and Stan, who begin to experience tensions growing against each other for the...
". This episode was written by series regular Laura McCreary. This would be the second time McCreary has written an episode for the season, having also written season six episode "Stanny Boy and Frantastic
Stanny Boy and Frantastic
"Stanny Boy and Frantastic" is the tenth episode of the sixth season of American Dad!. It aired on Fox in the United States on January 23, 2011. This episode centers around the couple of Stan and Francine, who are bored with their lives. In a desperate attempt to get out of the house, Stan and...
". McCreary is also notable for writing for television shows such as Kim Possible
Kim Possible
Kim Possible is an American animated television series about a teenage crime fighter who has the task of dealing with worldwide, family, and school issues every day. The show is action-oriented, but also has a light-hearted atmosphere and often lampoons the conventions and clichés of the...
and As Told By Ginger
As Told by Ginger
As Told by Ginger is an American teen drama animated series that was produced by Klasky-Csupo and aired on Nickelodeon from 2000 to 2009. The series focuses on a middle schooler Ginger Foutley who, with her friends, tries to become more than a social geek. There are many subplots that focus on...
. Seth MacFarlane
Seth MacFarlane
Seth Woodbury MacFarlane is an American animator, writer, comedian, producer, actor, singer, voice actor, and director best known for creating the animated sitcoms Family Guy, American Dad! and The Cleveland Show, for which he also voices many of the shows' various characters.A native of Kent,...
, the creator and executive producer of American Dad!, as well as its sister shows Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
and The Cleveland Show
The Cleveland Show
The Cleveland Show is an American animated television series that premiered on September 27, 2009, as a part of the "Animation Domination" lineup on Fox in the United States...
, served as the executive producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
for the episode, along with series veterans Mike Barker, Rick Wiener, Matt Weitzman
Matt Weitzman
Matt Weitzman is one of the creators of American Dad!, and one of the original writers of Family Guy. Matt has written on twelve television shows including Daddy Dearest, Off Centre and Damon. He has also written several films including Freebie.Matt Weitzman was born in Los Angeles, California...
, Nahnatchka Khan, Michael Wittenburg, and Kenny Schwartz. Diana Retchey was the animation producer for the episode, in her thirteenth episode of the season. Amanda Bell served as the production manager, and this episode would be Bell's thirtheenth episode of the season where she served as the production manager.
This episode featured two guest appearances from Edward Asner and Carl Reiner
Carl Reiner
Carl Reiner is an American actor, film director, producer, writer and comedian. He has won nine Emmy Awards and one Grammy Award during this career...
, as well as several recurring voice actors and actresses for the series. Asner previous made an appearance on the episode "There Will Be Bad Blood
There Will Be Bad Blood
There Will Be Bad Blood is the sixth episode of the sixth season of American Dad! It aired on Fox in the United States on November 28, 2010. In this episode, The Smiths prepare for the arrival of Stan's half-brother's family for Thanksgiving....
", serving the role as Grandpa Smith. Curtis Armstrong
Curtis Armstrong
Curtis Armstrong is an American actor best known for his portrayal as Booger in the Revenge of the Nerds movies, as Herbert Viola on Moonlighting, and as famed record producer Ahmet Ertegün in the film Ray.-Early life:...
, Daisuke Suzuki
Daisuke Suzuki
is the songwriter of J-Pop group Girl Next Door.He debuted as Rubii in 1998. He is also the voice of Toshii on American Dad....
and Eddie Kaye Thomas
Eddie Kaye Thomas
Eddie Kaye Thomas is an American film, television, and stage actor who rose to prominence in 1999 as Paul Finch in the American Pie film series.-Early life:Thomas was born in Staten Island, NY...
guest starred as Steve's friends in the episode, while Kevin Michael Richardson
Kevin Michael Richardson
Kevin Michael Richardson is an American actor and voice actor who currently stars as Cleveland Brown, Jr. in The Cleveland Show...
would return to play his part as Principal Lewis. Jeff Fischer
Jeff Fischer (actor)
Jeff Fischer is an American voice actor known for his work in commercials, cartoons, and video games. In 2005 he was chosen to announce the Teen Choice Awards....
returns to resume his role as Hayley's husband. All Armstrong, Suzuki, Thomas, Fischer, and Richardson previously reprised their roles in the season six episode "License to Till
American Dad! (season 6)
American Dad!'s sixth season began airing on October 3, 2010. and ended after 19 episodes on May 22, 2011. Guest stars of this season include Jason Alexander, Sarah Chalke, Hector Elizondo, Anthony Michael Hall, Hayden Panettiere, Lou Diamond Phillips and Burt Reynolds.-Episodes:-External links:* ...
".
Cultural references
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...
song "Jenny from the Block
Jenny from the Block
"Jenny from the Block" is a song by American singer Jennifer Lopez, featuring American rappers Styles P and Jadakiss. Written by Lopez, Troy Oliver, Mr. Deyo, Samuel Barnes, and Jean-Claude Olivier and produced by Cory Rooney, Oliver, and Poke & Tone, it was released to radio in late September 2002...
". The stress ball that Roger uses to fake sex with Snot is a promotional item for the Fox sitcom Sons of Tucson
Sons of Tucson
Sons of Tucson is a comedy television series starring Tyler Labine, Frank Dolce, Matthew Levy and Benjamin Stockham. It premiered on Fox on March 11, 2010...
, which was subsequently canceled after replacing American Dad! for a month. When putting the stress ball in the washer, it is noted that Roger is whistling the theme song. Steve shows in interest in going to Baskin Robbins and trying out all 31 flavors, a reference to the creation of the company in 1945. In a flashback Steve and his friends visit Dennis Quaid
Dennis Quaid
Dennis William Quaid is an American actor known for his comedic and dramatic roles. First gaining widespread attention in the 1980s, his career rebounded in the 1990s after he overcame an addiction to drugs and an eating disorder...
and his brother Randy Quaid
Randy Quaid
Randall Rudy "Randy" Quaid is an American actor perhaps best known for his role as Cousin Eddie in the National Lampoon's Vacation movies, as well as his numerous supporting roles in films, including his Oscar nominated performance in The Last Detail, Independence Day, Kingpin and Brokeback Mountain...
.
Hayley's favorite song is revealed to be "Gangsta's Paradise
Gangsta's Paradise (song)
"Gangsta's Paradise" is a rap song by Coolio featuring L.V.. The song was released on the Coolio album Gangsta's Paradise, as well as the Dangerous Minds soundtrack in 1995. Coolio was awarded a Grammy for the song/album...
" by Coolio
Coolio
Artis Leon Ivey Jr. , better known by the stage name Coolio, is an American musician, rapper, actor and record producer.-Late 80s:He recorded two singles in the late 80s, titled "Watcha Gonna Do" and "You're Gonna Miss Me"...
. Stan and Francine agree to act out the 1960's television series Bewitched
Bewitched
Bewitched is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for eight seasons on ABC from 1964 to 1972, starring Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York and Dick Sargent , Agnes Moorehead, and David White. The show is about a witch who marries a mortal and tries to lead the life of a typical suburban...
and I Dream of Jeannie
I Dream of Jeannie
I Dream of Jeannie is a 1960s American sitcom with a fantasy premise. The show starred Barbara Eden as a 2,000-year-old genie, and Larry Hagman as an astronaut who becomes her master, with whom she falls in love and eventually marries...
. The scene in which Stan hallucinates and imagines a witch flying on a broom is shown in a similar fashion to the opening sequence of Bewitched. The woman then crashes into a building, a reference to the September 11 attacks. Roger excitedly mentions that he wants a pair of cigarette jeans, a looked first popularized and endorsed by Forever 21
Forever 21
Forever 21 is an American chain of clothing retailers with branches in major cities in The United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East that offers fashion and accessories for young women and men....
. Roger, as Jenny, compares Snot to a "young Paul Reiser
Paul Reiser
Paul Reiser is an American stand-up comedian, actor, television personality, author, screenwriter and musician. He is most widely known for his role on the long-running television sitcom Mad About You.-Early life:...
" whereas Steve says on his best day he is Rob Morrow
Rob Morrow
Robert Alan "Rob" Morrow is an American actor. He is known for his portrayal of Don Eppes on Numb3rs and as Dr. Joel Fleischman on Northern Exposure, a role which garnered him three Golden Globes and two Emmy Award nominations for "Best Actor in a Dramatic Series."-Personal life:Morrow was born in...
. While setting up the Jenny dummy, Roger receives a text from Bob Saget
Bob Saget
Robert Lane "Bob" Saget is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and television host. Although he is best known for his roles as Danny Tanner in Full House, host of America's Funniest Home Videos and Future Ted Mosby on How I Met Your Mother, Saget is also known outside of television for his blue...
. Principal Lewis attempts to sell two belts, one containing a bird that closely resembles Tweety Bird and the other containing a lyric from the Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
song "Nasty
Nasty (song)
"Nasty" is the second single from Janet Jackson's third studio album, Control . Released in 1986, the single peaked at number three on Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, and remains one of Jackson's signature songs. Paula Abdul choreographed the music video and appeared...
". Snot's basement is designed in a similar fashion as the basement of Eric Foreman from That 70's Show. The final scene during the ending credits of the episode is a reference to the 2010 science fiction action heist film
Heist film
A heist film is a film that has an intricate plot woven around a group of people trying to steal something. Versions with dominant or prominent comic elements are often called caper movies. They could be described as the analogues of caper stories in film history...
, Inception
Inception
Inception: The Subconscious Jams 1994-1995 is a compilation of unreleased tracks by the band Download.-Track listing:# "Primitive Tekno Jam" – 3:23# "Bee Sting Sickness" – 8:04# "Weed Acid Techno" – 8:19...
.
Reception
"Jenny Fromdabloc" was first broadcast on April 17, 2011 as part of the animation television night on Fox. The episode aired on the third spot of the line-up, a spot generally taken by Bob's BurgersBob's Burgers
Bob's Burgers is an American animated television sitcom, which premiered on January 9, 2011 on the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series was created by Loren Bouchard and focuses on the Belcher family, who runs a hamburger restaurant. On April 7, 2011, Bob's Burgers was renewed for a second season...
. It was preceded by a rerun of The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
, and succeeded by its sister show Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
and the The Cleveland Show
The Cleveland Show
The Cleveland Show is an American animated television series that premiered on September 27, 2009, as a part of the "Animation Domination" lineup on Fox in the United States...
. It was viewed by 4.74 million viewers upon its original airing, despite airing simultaneously with America's Next Great Restaurant
America's Next Great Restaurant
America's Next Great Restaurant is an NBC reality television show featuring contestants pitching restaurant ideas to a panel of judges, where the winner receives financial backing for their restaurant concept. Three locations were opened across the nation — Los Angeles, Minneapolis, and New York—on...
on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, Amazing Race on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is a reality television series providing home renovations for less fortunate families and community schools etc...
on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
. The total viewership of the episode was on par with that of The Cleveland Show, but significantly lower than than that of Family Guy. It achieved a 2.2 rating in the 18-49 demographic, according to the Nielson ratings. Ratings for the episode were slightly below that of The Cleveland Show, while significantly lower than that of Family Guy. The episode's total viewership and ratings were significantly up from the previous episode, "License to Till
License to Till
"License to Till" is the fifteenth episode of the sixth season of American Dad!. It aired on Fox in the United States on April 10, 2011. During its first airing it was seen by 3.35 million viewers....
", which was viewed by 3.35 million viewers upon its initial airing, and garnered a 1.8 rating in the 18-49 demographic. The episode's ratings and total viewership were also the highest since the season six episode "I Am the Walrus
I Am the Walrus (American Dad!)
"I Am the Walrus" is the thirteenth episode of the sixth season of American Dad!. It first aired on Fox in the United States on March 27, 2011. This episode mainly centers around Stan and his son Steve, who are both competing for the dominant role of the house. Steve is the first person to finish...
", which was viewed by 4.99 million viewers and acquired a 3.0 rating in the 18-49 demographic.
"Jenny Fromdabloc" was met with critical acclaim from television critics. Rowan Kaiser of The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
gave the episode a positive review. In her review for the episode, she opined: "This was as good as I've seen American Dad." Kaiser praised the character development taken place in Roger, going on to write, "This was the Roger showcase I'd been waiting for, where he gets the chance to be shocking and witty, as well as using his character costumes to fantastic effect. Steve's friend Snot is obsessed with Hayley, who [...] isn't interested. In order to break him out of his rut, Steve convinces Roger to play a teenaged girl who's interested in Snot. Naturally, Roger goes too far, and it's fantastic." She went on to give the episode an "A" grade, the highest rating of the night, scoring higher than the Family Guy episode "Brothers & Sisters" and The Cleveland Show episode "Back to Cool
Back to Cool
Back to Cool is the twentieth episode of the second season of the animated series The Cleveland Show. It aired on Fox in the United States on April 17, 2011 at 9:30 PM E/P. In this episode, when Cleveland Jr. bonds with Donna’s ex-husband, Robert Cleveland challenges Robert to a “Coolympics”...
". Dyana Maria of Daemon's TV praised the episode, writing, "I wasn’t expecting things to develop the way they did with the Snot and Jenny/Roger story. It was nice to have an episode with a plot that was both funny and unpredictable so overall, this was another good episode of American Dad."
The Parents Television Council
Parents Television Council
The Parents Television Council is a U.S. based advocacy group founded by conservative activist L. Brent Bozell III in 1995 using the National Legion of Decency as a model...
, a television watchdog
Watchdog journalism
Watchdog journalism aims to hold accountable public personalities and institutions, whose functions impact social and political life. The term "lapdog journalism", for journalism biased in favour of personalities and institutions, is sometimes used as a conceptual opposite to watchdog...
group and a regular critic of American Dad! and other Seth MacFarlane
Seth MacFarlane
Seth Woodbury MacFarlane is an American animator, writer, comedian, producer, actor, singer, voice actor, and director best known for creating the animated sitcoms Family Guy, American Dad! and The Cleveland Show, for which he also voices many of the shows' various characters.A native of Kent,...
-created and produced shows, named American Dad! the "Worst TV Show of the Week" during the week of April 22, 2011 for this episode, citing sexually lewd content coming from Roger's persona, Jenny Fromdabloc. The review compared E.T. from E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is a 1982 American science fiction film co-produced and directed by Steven Spielberg, written by Melissa Mathison and starring Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, Robert MacNaughton, Drew Barrymore, and Peter Coyote...
with Roger, noting, "[E.T.] taught us a few things about humanity, while the latter [Roger] specializes in profanity."