Occasionally, in this sea of despair and bugs that many call life, a minuscule glimmer of joy pokes its way through the muck and breaches the darkness. For many, that glimmer comes in the form of Halloween, which ironically takes place mostly in the dark. But sometimes, somebody hooks up a car battery to that tiny joy machine and cranks it up to top gear, providing a moment of happiness that could pierce even the thickest of funks. This year, that somebody was Steve Buscemi, who turned to his classic 30 Rock look to bring joy to the people.
Well, ok, maybe he's 1 of several people who really brought the smiles. But aside from Lizzo and her party boy Grogu costume, Buscemi has joined the ranks of nigh on perfect and fondly memorable Halloween highlights with a callback to one of his most meme-worthy roles. The funny thing is, the outfit itself is based on a one-off gag from a show on which he was a periodic guest star, so he probably spent more time putting it together than he actually spent on-screen in the joke's original appearance.
Apparently, the veteran actor decided to make things interesting this Halloween in his hometown of Brooklyn, New York by dressing as his own half-obscure and half-viral character from the always hilarious NBC comedy 30 Rock, also starring Alec Baldwin and Tina Fey. Several residents of the area spotted Buscemi and got selfies with him, making for probably one of the more surreal holidays in their lifetimes. Granted, this is New York, so it was probably topped a few minutes later. Twitter users Debra Wexler and Ariel Fan posted their timeless encounters almost immediately to the internet's delight.
Fans of 30 Rock will likely instantly recognize Buscemi's costume as part of a heavily memed bit that remains a classic. In the original show, he showed up from time to time as private investigator Lenny Wosniak, and one such appearance featured him attempting to infiltrate a school while undercover. Sporting "hip" young people clothes (including a shirt that now likely enjoys a prominent role in the wardrobes of many) with a skateboard slung over his shoulder, he approached a group of youths and uttered the now infamous line, "how do you do, fellow kids?" Thus, a legendary meme was born.
This isn't the first time Buscemi reached out to the neighborhood that raised him, as he also famously joined up with the Fire Department of New York on September 11th, 2001 with no fanfare or publicity to help evacuate people from ground zero. As a former firefighter himself who eventually moved on to become a beloved actor, he didn't just rush in without any experience. He actively offered his years of experience to assist his home city without any hope of praise or compensation (and no, the fact that people eventually found out and still talk about it endlessly to this day doesn't count).
It's just one more nice little gesture from a celebrity who is, by all accounts, a pretty swell guy. The Brooklyn residents he encountered seemed absolutely tickled pink, and in the end, isn't that really what it's all about? Halloween may be all about the scares for some, but for others, the smiles are everything.
30 Rock is available to stream on Hulu.
Source: Debra Wexler/Twitter