Hey Joel was an animated sitcom that aired on VH1 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 appear in the show, and often play important roles in the plots, but never actually have their voice provided by the actual person. That includes Stein himself, a real-life music columnist for The Los Angeles Times and Time magazine and a talking head on VH1's I Love the Exties series of shows. While he created the show, Stein's character is instead voiced by Jon Cryer.
Tropes found in this show:
- All Anime Is Naughty Tentacles: In one episode VH1 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.
- Bad Boss: Z, who oversees Joel's show and Hugo, head of VH1.
- Blonde, Brunette, Redhead: Kevin: Blonde, Joel: Brunette, Michele: Redhead.
- Biting-the-Hand Humor: VH1 is constantly mocked and lampooned as a low-rated channel overshadowed by MTV.
- Freudian Trio: Joel: Id, Michele: Ego, Kevin: Superego.
- This trope is really only present in moralistic episodes, like "Joel Sells Out" and "Hockey".
- 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 AttackJoel: "How's your crotch, that I made sore?...With my violence ballet I mean."
- Kindhearted Cat Lover: Ryan Adams, who goes on Joel's show to talk about his new album "Whispers of Wiskers".
- Motor Mouth: Leif, even if you can understand him it doesn't make much sense anyways.
- Not a Morning Person: Michele, , who was moved from the morning block because she never showed up before the show ended.
- Nerd Glasses: Michele says Joel's old glasses were geek glasses.
- One Thing Led to Another: How Michele tells the story of her one night stance with Leif.
- Professionals Do It on Desks: In "Business Affair" Kevin admits he had sex with sevral 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.
- Recurring Extra: Wendy.
- Also the blonde in the tube top appears on posters and magazine covers, talk shows, crowds of celebrities, porno movies, and as the stripper who steals Leif's wallet.
- Sensitivity Training: Joel and the rest of the people working at VH1 are forced to undergo this because, as Z puts it, if they don't stop with all of the sexually-suggestive talk, "we'll be screwed."
- 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."
- 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.
- 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."
- 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. Theres also a song about it earlier in the episode.When none of the guys/Will look you in the eyes/thats when you realize/Your chest has grown in sizeWhen all your friends suggest/A wet T-shirt contest/It's not that hard to guess/They just wanna see your breastsWhen you become the dude/Who's mammaries protrude/Men can be so rude/Cause they're all picturing you nudeThey'll never let you be/Once you're a double D/What's a busty lad supposed to do?
