Hey Joel

Hey Joel was an animated sitcom that aired on VH-1 in 2003. The plot revolved around Joel Stein, a talk show host who was only interested in talking about himself. Supporting characters included his producer Michele and production assistant Kevin. Celebrities often appeared on the show, and often played important roles in the plots, but never actually had their voice provided by the actual person.

Tropes used in Hey Joel include:

• All Anime Is Naughty Tentacles: In one episode VH-1 wants to run an English-dubbed anime series. The series stars a pink seal who looks like a giant penis, constantly surrounded by violence and naked school girls.
• Attention Whore: Joel.
• Attractive Bent Gender: Joel, according to Bill Wyman.
• Author Appeal: Classic rock stars.
• Bad Boss: Z, who oversees Joel's show and Hugo, head of Vh1.
• Bare Your Midriff: Michele.
• Boy Band
• Black Boss Lady: Z
• Black Bead Eyes: Every character except Michele, Leif and a few celebrities.
• Blonde, Brunette, Redhead: Kevin: Blonde, Joel: Brunette, Michele: Redhead.
• Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Sandra.
• Berserk Button: Don't try to change Joel's show.
  • For Z and Hugo, making the network look bad. Whatever they decide the definition of "bad" is.
• Butt Monkey: Lenny Kravitz.
• Costume Test Montage: In the first episode.
• Comic Trio: Joel, Kevin and Michele.
• Censor Steam
• Deadpan Snarker: Michele
• Covert Pervert: Lenny Kravitz.
• The Ditz: Joel.
• Dirty Old Man: Bill Wyman.
• Double Standard Rape (Male on Male)
• Double Standard Rape (Female on Male): Not exactly rape, but I get the feeling they wouldn't have a joke about a female character who's too nice to say no (ever) being taken advantage of sexually by young male co-workers.
• Dumb and Drummer: What Michele thinks of Charlie Watts.
• Extreme Doormat: Kevin.
• Executive Meddling: Happens in universe fairly often.
• Freudian Trio: Joel: Id, Michele: Ego, Kevin: Superego.
  • This trope is really only present in moralistic episodes, like "Joel Sells Out" and "Hockey".
• Friendless Background: Joel.
• Functional Addict: Michele, who is on meth of all things.
• Full-Name Basis: Most of the celebrity characters such as Lenny Kravitz, Debbie Gibson and Bill Wyman.
• Groin Attack

Joel: "How's your crotch, that I made sore?...With my violence ballet I mean."

• Girl of the Week: Debbie Gibson and Sandra.
• Heavy Sleeper: Michele.
• Heroes Want Redheads
• Jail Bait: Bill Wyman brings a group of pre-teen girls with him for his interview.
• Kindhearted Cat Lover: Ryan Adams, who goes on Joel's show to talk about his new album "Whispers of Whiskers".
• Lady Drunk
• Loser Protagonist
• Motor Mouth: Leif, even if you can understand him it doesn't make much sense anyways.
• Masculine Girl, Feminine Boy: Michele to Joel and Kevin.
• Not a Morning Person: Michele, who was moved from the morning block because she never showed up before the show ended.
• Nice Guy: Kevin.
• Narcissist: Joel, Leif and Michele, to a lesser extent.
• Nerd Glasses: Michele says Joel's old glasses were geek glasses.
• Otaku: Kevin
• One Thing Led to Another: How Michele tells the story of her one night stance with Leif.
• Plucky Office Girl: J-Lo's niece.
• Prison Rape
• Professional Butt-Kisser: There's a song about it in one episode.
• Professionals Do It on Desks: In "Business Affair" Kevin admits he had sex with several interns on Joel's desk. Not that he wanted to though, he was just too polite to say "no".
• Pop Star Composer: The band "Fountains of Wayne" wrote and performed the theme song, as well as two original songs each episode.
• Really Gets Around: Michele.
• Recurring Extra: Wendy.
  • Also the blonde in the tube top who appears on posters and magazine covers, talk shows, crowds of celebrities, porno movies, and as the stripper who steals Leif's wallet.
• Repeating So the Audience Can Hear
• Small Name, Big Ego: Joel.
• Sensitivity Training
• Stealing From the Till: Michele steals some money from a donation envelope and is caught by Kevin. Later he tries to return the money from her purse to the envelope but is caught by Hugo, who yells at him for not stealing more money from her.
• Sleeps with Everyone but You:

Michele: Oh god, why do I always sleep with my friends?
Joel: Maybe you just want to take your friendship to the next level.
Michele: Some friendships are already at the perfect level.

• Show Within a Show: "3 Minutes With Joel".
• Split-Screen Phone Call: In episode 2.
• The Tease: Michele sometimes uses Joel's crush on her to manipulate him. A perfect example would be when she wanted to prove she could book a Rolling Stone, she told Joel the breasts he'd grown as a side effect from a bulk up powder, were sexy, because Bill Wyman would do the show if he thought Joel was a young girl.
• Those Two Guys: The mail room guys.
• Three Amigos: Joel, Kevin and Michele.
• Vanity Is Feminine: Joel. He has a pink hand mirror and is once described by Debbie Gibson as "someone who seems gay, but isn't."
• Lolicon: Bill Wyman

"Rainbows and ponies? She sounds like a complex and fascinating woman."

• My Eyes Are Up Here: A bulk-up powder causes Joel to grow a pair of breasts in one episode. During his show Bill Wyman won't stop staring at his chest, prompting him to say this. There's also a song about it earlier in the episode.

When none of the guys
Will look you in the eyes
That's when you realize
Your chest has grown in size
When all your friends suggest
A wet T-shirt contest
It's not that hard to guess
They just wanna see your breasts
When you become the dude
Whose mammaries protrude
Men can be so rude
Cause there all picturing you nude
They'll never let you be
Once you're a double D
What's a busty lad supposed to do?

• Work Com
• White-Haired Pretty Boy: Leif.