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Tina Fey's Pinball Past

Finally, a semi-justifiable reason to write about Tina Fey on a video-game website!

By Ryan Davis  |  Dec. 3, 2008

Quick, where's the nearest Medieval Madness machine!
Quick, where's the nearest Medieval Madness machine!
Like so many comedy nerds, I've had a creepy crush on Tina Fey for a long time now. She was the head writer at SNL during one of my personal favorite eras of that show, she somehow managed to salvage Weekend Update from the charisma-free Colin Quinn while simultaneously preventing a giggly Jimmy Fallon from ruining it all over again, and I maintain that 30 Rock has been the funniest show on TV for the past three years running. She's smart, she's funny, she's self-deprecating, and she's got a bookish, accessible quality to her. Like I said, it's a creepy crush.

While I've had to suppress my elitist early-adopter knee-jerk reaction to her recent meteoric rise following her popular/divisive Sarah Palin impression (it dilutes the illusion of attainability,) it has certainly allowed further insight into her life. Turns out, she's got a weird bit of arcade trivia hidden in her past. Vanity Fair has a nice article for Fey obsessives, revealing how she got that mysterious scar on her chin, as well as teasing the fact that she provided some voices for an unnamed pinball game back when she was living in Chicago. Kotaku's Brian Crecente did some legwork and discovered that the game in question is Medieval Madness, a machine released in 1997 by Williams. Even sweeter, the folks at Pinball News have a clip from Pinball Expo 2004 where Medieval Madness sound designer Dan Forden plays a few takes of a mid-20s Tina Fey that didn't make it into the game. It's all a little too perfect, you know? Like she's a cyborg sent back in time for me to get weird about.
Filed under: Tina Fey, Medieval Madness
51 Comments
Black_Roseon Dec. 3, 2008 at 9:53 p.m.
Sweet, Tina Fey is awesome.
MasterSplinteron Dec. 3, 2008 at 9:53 p.m.
Umm.. there is nothing creepy about having a crush on Tina Fey.
Jeff staff on Dec. 3, 2008 at 9:55 p.m.
You don't understand the way Ryan crushes, then.
GiantGUSon Dec. 3, 2008 at 9:56 p.m.
wow, cool, I like 30 Rock too, and that audio clip is just weird, but now Dan Forden is an easy link between Tina Fey and Mortal Kombat
Charleslegrandon Dec. 3, 2008 at 9:57 p.m.
Pinball voices?  I wonder if she puts it on her resume.  I know I would!  
On the plus side, if you ever get to meet her, you have one awesome discussion starter!
TripMasterMunkyon Dec. 3, 2008 at 9:57 p.m.
Whoo! A Tina Fey page! lol.
KamasamaKon Dec. 3, 2008 at 9:58 p.m.
Yup, a little creepy. I'd say her being married to a man with whom she has a daughter dilutes the illusion of attainability far more. And hell yea about 30 Rock!

Anyway, her geekiness is quite apparent, so this doesn't seem like much of a surprise; still interesting though.

EDIT: Changed wording to not sound so pedophiliac.
Roger_Klotz is online on Dec. 3, 2008 at 9:58 p.m.
I think Ryan wants to show Tina some pinballs,  if you catch my drift....
AngeTheDudeon Dec. 3, 2008 at 10:02 p.m.
Can't go wrong with Tina Fey.
NinjaHunteron Dec. 3, 2008 at 10:09 p.m.
Yeah, Tina Fey's cool.
Ping5000on Dec. 3, 2008 at 10:13 p.m.
Tina Fey. I want her.
TheGreatGueroon Dec. 3, 2008 at 10:23 p.m.
"Even sweeter, the folks at Pinball News have a clip from Pinball Expo 2004 where

Medieval Madness sound designer Dan Forden

plays a few takes of a mid-20s Tina Fey that didn't make it into the game."

Time out there, Ryan. This is how you introduce Mortal Kombat's Dan "Toasty" Forden? I am surprised Jeff did not intervene to object. It's okay, though. I'm sure you both know who he is, so this time I will forgive you.
Black_Roseon Dec. 3, 2008 at 10:25 p.m.
Roger_Klotz said:
"I think Ryan wants to show Tina some pinballs,  if you catch my drift...."
I lol'd
Benjamin_Siskoon Dec. 3, 2008 at 10:29 p.m.
Only you Ryan....Only you...
MasterSplinteron Dec. 3, 2008 at 10:59 p.m.
Jeff said:
"You don't understand the way Ryan crushes, then."
... like Brian Adams?
... like Brian Adams?
Jeff staff on Dec. 3, 2008 at 11:02 p.m.
MasterSplinter said:
"Jeff said:
"You don't understand the way Ryan crushes, then."
... like Brian Adams?
... like Brian Adams?
"
Oh, so I guess you do understand.
EvilTwinon Dec. 3, 2008 at 11:33 p.m.
Ryan said:
"She's smart, she's funny, she's self-deprecating, and she's got a bookish, accessible quality to her."
I think the word "accessible" has a great opportunity, henceforth, to be used in many trashy pick-up lines.  Awesome.
ColumnBreakeron Dec. 3, 2008 at 11:50 p.m.
Jeff said:
"MasterSplinter said:
"Jeff said:
"You don't understand the way Ryan crushes, then."
... like Brian Adams?
... like Brian Adams?
"
Oh, so I guess you do understand."
Hot. I hope Ryan develops a crush on me sometime.
YoctoYottaon Dec. 3, 2008 at 11:56 p.m.
Are we talking pentagram-and-candles-crush, or stalk-and-murder-and-cut-face-off-and-wear-it-and-i'm-so-pretty-so-very-very-pretty-crush?
MisterWaingroon Dec. 4, 2008 at 12:01 a.m.
Funniest show on TV?  For the past 3 years?  Clearly Ryan hasn't seen Xavier Renegade Angel.

Dig Deeper into Tina Fey

Tina Fey was a cast member and head writer of Saturday Night Live, and now writes and performs in NBC's 30 Rock. She is famous among the gaming community for doing voice work for Medieval Madness, a pinball machine.

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