Two Broke Girls is a sitcom that follows the lives of Caroline Channing and Max Black as they attempt to get their cupcake business off the ground and find financial stability. Caroline comes from an affluent background but due to her father’s involvement in a Ponzi scheme, she must get a real job. She then meets Max and the two work together as waitresses and become roommates. The show has gotten a lot of criticism because of the ways in which it reinforces some of the patriarchal notions that are seen as the “status quo.” Oleg, the cook at the diner where Max and Caroline work, is constantly shown harassing and berating the two with sexual innuendoes and this is seen as comic relief rather than an actual problem to be dealt with. Max is even shown sometimes thanking Oleg for his sexual compliments and that his comments are welcome and can help other women with their insecurities as well.
While I have only ever seen commercials for this show the text description had me intrigued. I was interested to see what the underlying analysis would be and I was not surprised to hear that the girls were being harassed in the work place. It was also not a surprise to hear that this was in the restaurant industry. For me this is maddening because I work in this industry and it is a problem that happens often and most certainly not funny. While it seems as though this show is only drawing attention to it merely to make it joke I think the criticism the show receives is deserved and understandable.
ReplyDeleteI have never seen this show, but from your analysis I do not think I ever will! I absolutely hate it when sexual comments and innuendos are taken as comic relief because that just perpetuates sexism and does nothing to stop the problem. This is why men think that catcalling is a compliment. It's not. It's creepy. I wish there were more shows that did not show sexual harassment as humorous or use women for jokes.
ReplyDeleteWe see far too many shows and entertainment forms which render naturally offensive actions normal in the name of entertainment. While the roll that norms of power play in these activities is clear, I also think that part of the issue is related to fundamental concepts of entertainment and how we actually enjoy media. When Aldous Huxley wrote about "A Brave New World" he suggested the idea that in order to rid the world of conflict in reality we might also have to rid the world of conflict in literature. The point here is not to say that horrendous conceptions of humor from literal sexual assault are acceptable, far from. The point is to suggest that it is difficult to conceive of a world in which this type of normative play is not used to create stories. Narratives create conflict by playing on norms the consumer will relate with. The problem is that conflict only exists around problems. In a world where norms are problematic, and they are, the issue becomes writing a narrative with conflict that does not entrench norms. I agree that a future that does not entrench normative power structures the proper goal, I want to see that happen. I simply question whether media narratives as we conceive of them today, are even possible in a world without normative power?
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