"The Nielsen company said the second episode on Tuesday was seen by less than five million people"

five million stupid people

I saw this show back in the 70's.



Wasn't a big fan of it either.

You would think with popularity of the shiat ___ Say videos this would have been more popular.

/half kidding

bow: That seems highly inappropriate. The transgender community goes through enough, without things like this. I don't know if it was necessarily a slam on them because I didn't watch it, but I can see how it would be perceived that way.

This wasn't specifically about transgenders so I don't know how it could make them look bad. It was about two idiot guys dressing as women.

Benevolent Misanthrope

Mugato: Benevolent Misanthrope: Yes. Though obviously not very effective sarcasm...

The point is, all your examples were aimed at a specific ethnicity of behavioral problem. Most guy in drag humor is not aimed at transgender men. It's one of the oldest gags in comedy, long before TV and I kind of doubt they were making fun of guys who have sex change operations or gender identity issues. It's a sight gag and equating it with blackface or whatever is being a little over sensitive.

I see where you're coming from, but I disagree. I think is is exactly like blackface - and no one had a problem with Al Jolsen in the 20s, because it "wasn't aimed at black people", it was just a portrayal.

Times change. Whether or not it's aimed, it hits. I'm not terribly offended personally, but I don't think it's funny, either. Any more than the stereotypes I listed above.

Then you are an overly sensitive idiot. The premise of the show has nothing to do with gay or transgender issues. These men are dressing as women for work, not pleasure.

In fact it could be argued that such a show would be good for the transgender community if done right. Have them seek advice from a transgender, commiserate with their plight in sympathic ways, etc. but no, the community went all drama queen on it.

Don't get me wrong, I assumed from the 2 commercials I saw that this would suck. As others in this thread have pointed out the premise barely worked when Hanks and Scolari did it, and they are great actors. It's a limited premise worth about an episode normally(I.E. Main character needs info that can only be had from opposite gender social setting so gets in drag)

The stupidest part is they are dressing as women to get jobs as cosmetic reps. Those jobs don't just go to women, they go to beautiful sexy women. 2 regular guys dressed as women aren;t going to get those jobs. At least in Bosom Buddies the fact that they werent particulalry attractive women wasnt a plot hole like in this.

Let the Trannys take credit for killing this show if they want though. It needed killing.

Benevolent Misanthrope: Mugato: Benevolent Misanthrope: Yes. Though obviously not very effective sarcasm...

The point is, all your examples were aimed at a specific ethnicity of behavioral problem. Most guy in drag humor is not aimed at transgender men. It's one of the oldest gags in comedy, long before TV and I kind of doubt they were making fun of guys who have sex change operations or gender identity issues. It's a sight gag and equating it with blackface or whatever is being a little over sensitive.

I see where you're coming from, but I disagree. I think is is exactly like blackface - and no one had a problem with Al Jolsen in the 20s, because it "wasn't aimed at black people", it was just a portrayal.

Times change. Whether or not it's aimed, it hits. I'm not terribly offended personally, but I don't think it's funny, either. Any more than the stereotypes I listed above.

So you think all the Monty Python woman stuff is now bigoted?

Benevolent Misanthrope: I see where you're coming from, but I disagree. I think is is exactly like blackface - and no one had a problem with Al Jolsen in the 20s, because it "wasn't aimed at black people", it was just a portrayal.

When you understand the difference between Al Jolson and Tropic Thunder, you'll understand the difference between Work It and most other drag comedy.

Mugato: Was that sarcasm?

Benevolent Misanthrope: Yes. Though obviously not very effective sarcasm...


Yes... it's true. It was not very effective.

Jixa: I saw this show back in the 70's.



Wasn't a big fan of it either.

Huh. I saw it in the '60s.



I heard rumors that the cross-dressing comedy might go back even further. (new window)

Digitalstrange: The stupidest part is they are dressing as women to get jobs as cosmetic reps. Those jobs don't just go to women, they go to beautiful sexy women. 2 regular guys dressed as women aren;t going to get those jobs. At least in Bosom Buddies the fact that they werent particulalry attractive women wasnt a plot hole like in this.

It was selling pharmaceutical drugs to doctors, not cosmetics. The rest of what you said was pretty much spot on though.

People actually think this is a slight on trannies? That's bafflingly retarded.

Heartbroken.

And also, no offense trannies, but you're doing a fine enough job yourselves at Benevolent Misanthrope: Gads, guys. There's no way to make you see - you don't want to, I don't have the words, and there's no reason to try to convert one another. We just disagree. Jeez.

I promise never again to make even the subtlest threat against your desire to look at men dressed as women, guys. I had no idea you were all so dedicated to the concept.

In all honesty, are you trolling right now?

Benevolent Misanthrope: Mugato: I've never even heard of this show but no one's allowed to do guy in drag humor anymore? That's a comedy staple and it never had anything to do with transgender people. Jeesh, fellas. Gals. Not everything is about you.

I know, right? It's like no one can take a joke anymore. We can't have the "lovable drunk" that everyone just accepts as normal - some people are just drunks. Or the strutting, unintelligibly-speaking black pimp representing all blacks. Or the pidgin-English-murmuring Chinese laundry guy representing all Asians.

What the fark is wrong with people these days???

men look silly in dresses. anyone who does this with a straight face has mental problems

The folks are GLAAD are losers all the way around and they can protest this show until the cows come home and it won't matter.

The show was dropped because no one watched it, NOT because those whiners at GLAAD complained.

Terrible show, badly written and poorly executed is what killed it not some whiners with self-esteem issues.

Jixa: I saw this show back in the 70's.

(BosomBuddies pic)


Really? That's amazing, considering that the show didn't premiere until September 1980.

LesserEvil:
I dunno.... the way I see it, every picture I've seen promoting "Work It" has the two guys done up as obviously cross-dressing guys, and not in a Bosom Buddies way, but in a flaming, "fabulous" drag queen manner.

Mugato: I've never even heard of this show but no one's allowed to do guy in drag humor anymore? That's a comedy staple and it never had anything to do with transgender people. Jeesh, fellas. Gals. Not everything is about you.

No, you can still do it.





The trick is you have to do it WELL.

I'm sorry, what are you arguing about again?

the second episode on Tuesday was seen by less than five million people


I'm stunned they got that many viewers.

Mugato: I've never even heard of this show but no one's allowed to do guy in drag humor anymore?

The most basic rule is: Nothing is in bad taste if it's funny. Like most people, I saw enough in a couple of trailers to know that this wasn't funny.

It does raise the interesting question, though, of how TV executives who are paid a great deal of money for, presumably, their ability to identify and improve potentially successful shows green lit this turkey. Each network looks at about 500 pitches for new shows every year. Of those, they might request scripts for about 70, and in turn order about 20 pilot episodes. Ultimately, maybe 4 to 8 new shows will be picked up. So that means either (a) ABC saw 430 premises less promising than this, 50 pilot scripts worse than this, and about 15 pilot episodes less entertaining than this; or (b) TV executives are stunningly incompetent.

calbert: the second episode on Tuesday was seen by less than five million people

I heard that it was seen by less than 7 billion people.

shiat, that's more than a lot of Dexter episodes. :/