At some point, I’ve really got to question the people producing this show, and what they’re thinking when they come out with half hours of television like tonight’s ‘And The Three Boys With Wood’. Is it really that great of a paycheck that you can go home and not feel like a soulless human being? Fred Savage, are you even noticing that your outdoor sets have the production values of my high school musical (which was in my fucking cafeteria)?
There was an interview with Whitney published yesterday in Vulture, and after reading it, I’ve started wondering how delusional Whitney Cummings is about the work she does. In the article, she talks about her new E! talk show and when discussing the writing of the show and how she’s going to deal with ‘important issues’ like pregnant woman in Spanx and guys who don’t think Kristen Stewart are pretty, she is quoted as saying this:
“I mean, we’ll still have dick and ball jokes. But I just want them to have a bigger impact. Let’s make those pussy jokes important.”
So, Whitney, are you telling me this is your philosophy, the goals you’re trying to reach with your creative visions, both on Whitney and 2 Broke Girls? If so, you’re failing like a motherfucker, and ‘And The Three Boys With Wood’ is the perfect example. For example, the first scene features a joke (that would recur through the episode) about how Max is down for some anal on the first date. Now, it’s enough that Whitney’s constant need to criticize herself and play up the ‘dark comedy’ (using Max’s character as a physical stand-in for herself; notice Kat Denning’s shorter stature, larger chest, and overdone, cartoon-like makeup… this is not an act of subtlety here by the co-creator of the show) has reduced Max to nothing more than a soundboard for trashy one-liners, giving her the exact same cliched personality she’s supposed to be breaking down.
Another Cummings quote from the article about the content of her new talk show:
“Like if we’re talking about celebrities, let’s get into deeper issues, not just make a bunch of vapid, superficial jokes about Nicki Minaj’s butt, or Kim Kardashian’s butt, or whomever’s butt is the biggest.”
Has she ever watched an episode of the show that is lining her pockets (or not hers… her family sounds a little dysfunctional in that article)? 2 Broke Girls is nothing but a bunch of superficial jokes about butts, dicks, fucking idiot celebrities, dirty vaginas… and in this episode, Amish people! What’s interesting about that quote and this episode is the massive opportunity to tell a hilarious story about this experience all young Amish people go through. When Amish children become of a certain age, they leave their Amish village and experience life on the outside, to determine whether they will dedicate their life to their faith, or be lost among the many electronic-using demons of the modern world (there’s a great, disturbing documentary my room mate showed me in college, but the name escapes me. Commenters?)
Anyway, even with the middling sex jokes this episode could’ve been something interesting – and one where both sets of characters could learn something from each other… but instead, the two Amish characters are launching pad for more anal jokes, a ton of boner jokes, and even a scene where an Amish person passes out from a panic attack/orgasm when Caroline gyrates up against him (as she’s trying to get ‘day laid’ with her new love interest Andy). There really isn’t even much of an attempt to make the plot of the episode mean something; in the end, one of the Amish people decides to stay for some reason, and Max tells him that life sucks, except when you’re eating candy or getting laid.
I’ve sat through 30 episodes of this show, and I can’t think of many worse than ‘And The Three Boys With Wood’, and coming on the heels of that bullshit Vulture article, really pushed me over the edge. Vulgarity for the sake of vulgarity isn’t funny – not without some kind of meaningful context, something 2 Broke Girls is too mind numbingly stupid and shoved up its own ass to realize.
Grade: F
Other thoughts/observations:
– I have a big problem with Max and Caroline’s reactions to Andy’s reluctance to get sexual with Caroline. Immediately, the only possible answer is that he’s gay (a joke that carries through 95% of the episode)… yet another example of the writers saying “HAHAHA… We don’t even have to TRY and we still get paid!!!”
– Earl sounded drunk in his one brief scene… did anyone else notice that?
– Sophie… just go away.
– it would be nice if the show pretended to be real for one week and had their girls wear their hair up at work… anyone who has ever worked in a restaurant, diner, or eating establishment has to get annoyed every time they see that. “Look at those two broke girls with their fresh hairdos that took three hours to perfect! I FEEL SUCH A DEEP CONNECTION WITH THESE CHARACTERS.”
– the girls made $200 this week by doing… what exactly? That tally is so stupid.
– To answer the Vulture writer: Until she starts walking the talk she’s talking, no, Whitney Cummings cannot get any respect.
What did you think of ‘And The Three Boys With Wood’? I’d love to read your thoughts on the episode – and Whitney Cummings and what she really stands for – in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
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I have only recently discovered this web-site, particularly the recurring blogs/reviews on “2 broke girls” (which I have read all of them in the past day, great work, please continue them they’re hilarious). To give my comment proper context, I’d like to start off by saying I watch a lot of T.V. and film and most would consider me more “snobby,” as my taste mostly consists of classic old films both domestic and foreign or modern art films. My T.V. taste is roughly similar, as I mostly like more critically acclaimed shows, i.e. Breaking Bad, Mad men, Louie, and Homeland. Also, I am a male and in my mid-20’s, so I understand I am not the target audience for the this particular show. However, I must admit I have watched every episode of “2 broke girls,” and bought season 1 on DVD. I can now safely say this is the worst show that has ever aired on T.V., for the life of me I can not comprehend how anyone could watch this show and find it entertaining other than for the mere fact of how terrible it is. I honestly can’t stop watching it, because it is like watching the most devastating car crash, and I can’t look away. I don’t know if the show-runners are just lazy, incompetent, or both because I just don’t understand the writers/producers thinking on some of these episodes. For example, I don’t know if you have noticed (which you have mentioned this briefly in your review at times) but it takes the show usually six or seven minutes to start to develop any semblance of a “plot.” While, that may not seem like much when you consider that a sitcom normally has 22 minutes of air time, they are wasting at times a 1/e of their show doing nothing other than Max picking on a poor customer in the shop, for really no reason other than they annoy her. Also, they rarely resolve the plot at all. For example, the show where they store was robbed/han went to a movie, neither of these plots are resolved AT ALL. Now the rape, racist, bad taste bodily humor aside (while this is the lowest/cheapest form imaginable, considering the context in which they are using it) I don’t think the writers realize how to “write a joke,” while “2 and a half men,” is terrible at least the show is attempting to tell a jokes, such as a set-up and then a punchline. “2 Broke Girls” rarely attempts this and relies more on the actors or actresses to make the audience laugh with their attitude or just saying something sexual, racist, crude or shocking rarely do the jokes make any sense nor do they make any sense within the context of the show. They also make various attempts at puns, but rarely do they ever actually make a pun, it’s usually just a pop culture reference thrown into a situation without any context or reason for it to be there other than they need to make a kardashian joke or a breaking bad pun. Which is amazing to me because it isn’t that difficult to write a joke, while it’s difficult to write good and clever jokes that generate laughter, or at least attempt to write one. This show doesn’t even try, it doesn’t try to write jokes, create believable characters (relies on outdated stereotypes), develop any sort of plot or try and tell a story, nor give any sort of message. For example, while this comparison may be unfair, the show “Modern Family,” usually revolves around a consistent relateable theme and has a message at the end, while at times it may be slightly corny other times it is really creative an insightful. I’m not saying the show needs to do this, but they never even attempt to do anything that any T.V. show or sitcoms do or that stories are meant to do. Either entertain, make you laugh, or give you life lessons, which gives me the opinion that this show exists for no reason other than to garner ratings and get advertisement dollars. I don’t know how the world I live in a world in which shows like Arrested Development and Firefly get cancelled so quickly because they don’t have enough viewers yet show like this will continue for six or seven seasons. While, I admit I am part of the problem, as I watch the show and bought season one, I did make sure I bought it on ebay from a person so at least I knew CBS wouldn’t be getting my money. Sorry I took this post to go on a rant, but I wanted to let you/the contributors on the site know that I really like your reviews, and I know watching this show and writing these can’t be fun for you or anyone I encourage you guys to keep it up to at the very least raise awareness on the just piece of trash this show is. I’d love a reply, but understand if you don’t. Also, I will continue to read/comment on the site’s reviews from now on. Also, I am currently in the process of editing a video essay on why I feel this, (“2 broke girls”) is the worst T.V. show ever created, that wasn’t cancelled within the first season. If you or the editors on the site would be interested in posting it, as it will be on youtube, you can email me.
You nailed it on the head right there. At least the ratings for the show appear to be taking a slow, but steady dive through season two (although it appears the numbers were up ever so slightly from last week). Problem is, the show’s already been pre-sold into syndication (for $1.7 million an episode!) so the show’s going to be around for awhile, regardless of how it performs. And that’s fine with me – as much as I hate the show and think its a bottom-feeding pile of shit, it is fascinating to study and analyze a show that is completely and utterly blind to how awful, incompetent and socially regressive it actually is.
Anyway, I appreciate the kind words: keep on fighting the good fight, Zachery – if we can raise the average intelligence of the mainstream American sitcom viewer just a smidgen, we might just be able to keep the next Arrested Development on the air. Keep an eye on your inbox, I’m going to want to see that video!
Wow i didn’t know it has already gotten syndication, how it that possible? Doesn’t it take a show a 100 episodes before that happens? However, thanks for the reply, and I will continue to be an avid fan/commenter for the site.
The beauty of pre-syndication rights, which are officially called “off-net rights”. In June, Warner Bros. sold those rights (and the rights of Mike & Molly) to TBS for some boatloads of money.
It happens fairly frequently: CBS has done it with a number of their modern shows, and its proven to be profitable not only for them, but for networks like TBS and FX (who are now able to fund their own original comedic programming and advertise it to much bigger audiences).
Bad as it is, these shitpiles living on in syndication help bring great sitcoms to the table (or in TBS’s case, just more shitty ones).
I have got to agree that this episode was awful. As far as I’m concerned, this was the last nail that’s sealing the coffin on 2 Broke Girls. If I could not watch another episode of this show for the rest of my days, I would consider my life a success. LOL! Unfortunately, my roommates are going to make that dream difficult for me, since they are absolutely in love with 2BG still.
I’m glad I’m not the only one that sees this show for what it is!
This is truly one of the worst sitcoms ever. I can’t believe it ever lasted past season two. What annoys me the most even beyond the rasict sexist and just downright disgusting episodes at times is that Max can not carry on even the slightest conversation . Every sentence is a bad one liner . The other characters are bad sure but at least they can talk without everything they say being a one liner . Just had to get that off my chest . Her character drives me crazy .