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2 Broke Girls: If You've Never Been to Brooklyn But Still Hate It, This Is the Show For You

You have to be cautious when you recommend 2 Broke Girls to a family member, friend or co-worker. Sure, maybe the pilot made you giggle, but if a person randomly tuned into "And Strokes of Goodwill," they might assume you're a racist, raunch-loving freak who watches that terrible CBS show that comes on before Two and a Half Men. Forever more, your taste level will be scrutinized and people will think of you differently. It's a bad scene (and a true story).

If you're lucky, the person who took your endorsement will watch "And the Rich People Problems" or "And the '90s Horse Party" and see the chemistry between Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs, giggle at the immaturity and forgive the stereotypical dorky Asian manager (Matthew Moy) and wise elderly African-American cashier (Garrett Morris). It'll probably help if the person has never been to Brooklyn (specifically Williamsburg) and decidedly hates it, or has been there but likes making fun of it. If they have no concept of hipster culture other than the vague notion that it exists and that they loathe it, you'll be the go-to person for TV advice forever more.

As a Williamsburg resident -- I remember that pop-up disco party in the Laundromat -- and a person who is able to subject themselves through a whole lot of bad TV, I'm able to find the joy in 2 Broke Girls... but I question how long that will last. I've found little evidence that there are people out there who proudly state their fanhood publicly, but there are definitely viewers (as seen in our forums) who feel connected to Caroline and Max and therefore can't really pull themselves away from the show as of yet.

Theories for making the series better include: moving the girls out of the diner and into a temp agency where they can interact with a more diverse group of people, presenting real jokes instead of lazily relying on hipster clichés and shock-factor sex jokes and actually writing remotely accurate material for what North Williamsburg is like. I include the last point because one of the reasons my fellow Garden State-born residents and I loved Jersey Shore so much when it first debuted was because the gang actually represented a cultural phenomenon ("Guidos") that was not entirely understood by the rest of the world but nevertheless definitely existed. (Why do you think True Life had been on all of these years?) North Williamsburg is not seedy, and though this is probably only important to a tiny fraction of fans, it'd be more accurate and interesting to at least have the girls live in Bushwick or Bed-Stuy in order to feature a convincingly sketchy neighborhood. That way, Max could resent hipsters for pushing her out of her once-affordable neighborhood and Caroline could still be reasonably baffled by their pretend-poor lifestyle.

The writers have proven they can deliver significant laughs while making fun of pop culture, as seen by 2 Broke Girls being one of the first network shows to openly mock flash mobs (take that, Modern Family and Glee!) and by the program giving ironic credit to Small Wonder. Because Behrs and Dennings can personally only carry the series for so long, I'm hoping it will be able to find its rhythm in laughing at what it's like to be penniless in a thriving city. Too many more jokes about horse poop and masturbating in a bathtub and no one will be able to respect 2 Broke Girls fans ever again.

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10 Comments

October 18, 2011 12:58 PM
Amy C
Reply

The problem with this show for me is there is just way too much of Whitney Cummings in it. I adore Kat Dennings (sometimes I find Beth Behrs incredibly charming, sometimes the character of Caroline just feels forced-I still kind of blame the writing on this one.) but some of her one-liners feel like they were directly ripped from one of Whitney's sessions on Chelsea Lately. That being said, sometimes a joke on this show catches me so hard, that I stick around another episode. That, and I hate hipsters so, so much.

October 18, 2011 2:56 PM
Barbara
Reply

All good suggestions for the show, may I add one more? GET RID OF THE LAUGH TRACK. Sorry for yelling, I was simply trying to mimic the volume of the track, especially when compared with the rest of the dialogue. I think the show could go somewhere with these tweaks.

October 18, 2011 3:00 PM
gingersmom
Reply

I watch this show and it makes me sad sometimes, because I see a lot of potential. I think the two leads are being under used. If the show gets reworked a little and could be really funny. I don't know how that would look, but I feel like the current writing and setting are holding the characters back.

October 18, 2011 3:58 PM
Kathleen
Reply

I like this show. It's pretty funny and last night's episode was great. I think a few more episodes for it to find its footing and it will be must see tv.

October 18, 2011 5:05 PM
Jenna
Reply

What's wrong with the cashier? I get that the owner of that diner is an offensive racial stereotype, but I actually like the cashier, he has great chemistry with the girls. But I think this show, that I actually really like, should ditch the laugh track ASAP. It ruins a lot of good jokes.

October 18, 2011 8:37 PM
Alicia
Reply

This show demonstrated its complete lack of understanding of "hipster" culture in its first 5 min. when Kat Dennings' character accused 2 guys of being hipsters AND liking Coldplay. No. Hipsters don't like Coldplay. Please insult hipsters for the right reasons.

October 19, 2011 1:09 AM
Jill
Reply
replied to comment from Alicia

Any insult to a hipster is ok, whether correct or not. If only each insult could then be followed by a b*tch slap, then the world would be a better place. Cause nobody deserves a b*tch slap or 3 as much as a hipster does.

October 19, 2011 12:31 PM
Erin K
Reply

I don't think the cashier is a "wise elderly African-American" cliche, either. He admits to drug use and doesn't go around giving other characters sage advice. Rachel, I think you just looked at an older black cashier and projected the stereotype onto him.

October 19, 2011 2:02 PM
ratgirlagogo
Reply

Gee, I was gentrified out of Williamsburg in the mid-90's. So I assume it's OK to hate you for forcing me out, Rachel? I'd tell you where I'm living now, but I'm sure you understand - don't want you and your hipster a-hole friends pushing me out of this neighborhood, too.

October 19, 2011 7:28 PM
Samantha
Reply
replied to comment from Barbara

Barbara wrote: GET RID OF THE LAUGH TRACK.
Could not agree with this more. The laugh track is so loud and obnoxious that it kills every single joke for me. The 2 leads are appealing enough and the jokes are okay, but the laugh track makes this show unwatchable for me--I've given up on it.

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