Originally, I posted this on a comment thread on Screen Rant because I am sick of NBC executives and Whitney Cummings.
I have to ask if anybody understands why Whitney Cummings is getting all this attention lately. I never liked her on the comedy central roasts (usually I fast forward her routine), therefore I never watched her stand-up. Now, she has her sitcom "Whitney" and is a creator of the sitcom "Two Broke Girls." Of these, I've watched 1 1/2 episodes of "Two Broke Girls." My wife and I thought that the comedy was nothing more than trashy toilet humor. Then last night, we watched a recording on my DVR as it ended "Two Broke Girls" came on (we had been recording HIMYM). For merely 30 seconds to a minute, the show was on when the blonde character said that the elf who had her tights before had a little extra gift being given to her and Kat Dennings character said "talk about a period piece." This gross out humor instantly offended my wife and she changed the channel.
I don't understand why this type of low-brow humor is being accepted as network sitcom quality (remember Cheers, Friends, Seinfield, Frasier). I know it is a different era, but I think network sitcoms shouldn't contain gross-out toilet humor (Always Sunny and the League are safe because they are on cable and it is expected). Sure this type of comedy is fine in Judd Apatow comedies or any R-rated Jonah Hill or Seth Rogen movie, but that is because it is rated R and expected to be crass comedy that an adult can watch after the kids go to bed, still it gets old and tiresome quick - I'm looking at you "Your Highness." I'm not watching shows like that at 7:30 (central time) while my daughter is still in the room.
Community is something entirely different. The comedy is not crass (no fart jokes are needed) and is completely based on characters' personalities. I do not understand how far down in the gutter the comedy for sitcoms has gone and why the network who brought us all those shows I mentioned earlier (along with Scrubs, the Cosby Show, the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Mad about You, Wings, Family Ties, the Office, the Golden Girls, Third Rock from the Sun, The Facts of Life, Night Court, Valerie, Just Shoot Me, Empty Nest, Will and Grace, a Different World, Taxi, My name is Earl, Mama's Family, Parks and Recreation, and 30Rock) would shelf such a well-written sitcom like Community and leave something written by Whitney Cummings on the air.
Sorry for my long-winded ranting, but that "period piece" joke last night really bugged me.
I have never attempted to watch either show because "Two Broke Girls" seemed to have a pointlessly stupid premise and "Whitney" seemed to have no premise what so ever. I don't know what goes through the networks heads when they think that the next big thing is a show like "Whitney"
ReplyDeleteMe either and it seems like these network executives are heading further down the same path with Chelsea Handler now. She's fine a comedienne on cable television, but I don't think she fits with network standards. I've said it before about NBC...you can't be the fourth rated network and use your brain.
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