When a show has to punctuate the end of every single line (whether it’s an intentional joke or not) with loud, obnoxious, over-reacting laugh tracks, maybe there’s a little too much focus on post-production volume levels, and less time spent crafting jokes with any sort of intelligence. Whatever loose plot is contained within “And The Big Buttercream Breakthrough”, the penultimate episode of 2 Broke Girls‘s freshman season, is completely buried over the incessant laughing at every blind, insensitive, played out joke being hammered into our brains at every turn.
First of all, get Jennifer Coolidge out of this show. Sophie is the stupidest, most nonsensical character in history, and they aren’t doing Jennifer any favors with the outfits they’re choosing for her. Too much of this episode is focused on her non-relationship with Oleg (as he says, they have gross sex but have never kissed), and too many lines are wasted on the mindless drivel that spews from her mouth in what I’ll kindly say is a terrible, unfunny accent.
I mean seriously, how many cum jokes, ‘stupid immigrant’ shots, and ‘slutty Russian’ tropes can we hear in a 22-minute period? Her big moment is also hands down the worst of the episode (although the sewer scene put up a strong fight); it involves a lot of gross food sex jokes and everyone standing in the cramped back room. A VERY tired series of jokes emits the loudest, longest bit of hilarity I’ve ever heard out of a studio audience.
Max and Caroline’s storyline is a bit better, as Caroline tries to get Max to start believing in herself and taking more risks in getting their business going. I almost got into it a little bit, but the writers are so hell-bent on shoving the same joke down our throats multiple times in the same scene, it rips any sort of pleasure I might’ve gotten out of Max and Caronline’s dilemmas. That fucking Latina lady with the dead bodies and the “whatnot” phrase was like a thousand nails on backgrounds, amplified by the cranked-up, obnoxious laughing of the drugged (or beyond simpleton) audience in attendance for the taping.
It wouldn’t be so bad if the jokes were simply not funny – there are plenty of moments in laugh track sitcoms that people laugh at non-funny stuff. Humor is subjective. But when there is lengthy fits of giggles and clapping by the audience to jokes involving infanticide, suicide, and ‘kinky’ sex, it becomes an embarrassment to the culture, that we even attempt to find humor in certain situations. I’m the farthest thing from conservative, but that doesn’t mean I find jokes about dumb, unfit mothers leaving their kids in a locked car with the windows up in the middle of a city amusing – or appropriate.
I’m embarrassed for anyone who finds this show engaging or funny, and just feel sorry that the creators can’t produce anything better than this pandering brand of unfunny humor. Next week, 2 Broke Girls will bring in the supremely awesome acting skills of Martha Stewart, in what is bound to be one of the most memorable finales for any freshman comedy in the history of anything.
Other thoughts/observations:
- those subway scenes were painful to watch.
- does anyone find this funny enough for a 10 second long audience laugh: “it’s more depressing than watching The Notebook at a funeral.” what the fuck?
- HAHA Max said dyke. HAHAcum jokes. HAHA Oleg wears velour, because he is European. HAHA rich girls are so dumb. HAHA Rich people adopt Africans…. the hits never stop coming!
