Working My Last Nerve

[Content Note: This post contains a discussion of ABC's new sitcom "Work It," which is profoundly misogynist, transphobic, racist, and classist, and also uses rape jokes.]

Last month, Eastsidekate wrote about a new sitcom coming to ABC called "Work It," about, in Kate's words, "dudes who pretend to be chicks so they can get a job, because that's totally how things work in the world."

"Work It" premiered this week, to rave reviews. And by "rave reviews," I mean Deeky and me ranting and raving about what an absolute fuckshite garbage nightmare disaster it is.

LAST NIGHT:

Deeky: I am watching "Work It."

Liss: I am watching a re-run of "Big Bang Theory."

Deeky: Holy fucking god! This is soooo terrible! You MUST watch it! Really. Watch it before it disappears down the memory hole. It's fucking amazing.

Liss: LOL! Okay. I'll put it on when this is over.

Deeky: It is just soooooooo fucking misogynist. Who thinks women behave like that?

Liss: Is it OnDemand?

Deeky: Yes. That's how I'm watching it.

Liss: Ah, found it. Starting it now…

Deeky: Enjoy!

Liss: Thirty seconds in and there's a rape joke. Awesome. "Stop comparing prostate exams to the pinball scene in The Accused." Wow.

Deeky: I know, right?!

Liss: Mancession. Oh dear.

Deeky: LOL!

Liss: "When the women take over, they'll just keep a few men as sex slaves."

Deeky: For cuddling and kissing and talking.

Liss: Not talking. Listening. Even worse!

Deeky: LOL!

Liss: "I'll just go out with my friends and wake you up for sex later." OMG.

Deeky: Oh god. Then how he says "you seem mad"?

Liss: This is so misogynistic.

Deeky: I don't think I've seen such a misogynistic TV show ever.

Liss: I don't think I have, either. And it's so transphobic. Like, it manages to make fun of trans women by playing on the dude-in-the-dress stereotypes (and have you seen the poster for the show? it straight-up plays on trans bathroom panic) while simultaneously disappearing trans people and their experiences by having every woman just axiomatically receive these guys as cis women.

Deeky: Totes. And I refuse to believe that there are people who think women actually behave like this! "All women are saintly wives, annoying dipshits, or sinister cunts. That's the whole spectrum of womanhood for ya!" Who thinks that?!

Liss: And who is this show for?! Men who hate women but love men who dress up like women to get one over on women? Women who hate women and love men who trick women? Men who hate men and love watching shows that make men look like complete fuckos? Who is the audience for this show? WHAT IS GOING ON.

Deeky: I know. And who are we supposed to be rooting for? Everyone on this show is terrible!

Liss: Very terrible and very stupid.

Deeky: Did you like the scene where the boss-lady, who only hires women like the law totally says you're allowed to do, tells the man in the dress that "she's" the smartest person she's interviewed?

Liss: Uh-huh. And all the other (actual) women are stupid. It's like this show is an MRA wank-fantasy of anti-feminism, but all the female solidarity on the show is inexplicably built on hatred of other women? Whut.

Deeky: It's a mess.

Liss: The only thing that is clear is that this show is the worst.

Deeky: LOL!

Liss: And now for the racism: "I'm Puerto Rican—I'd be great at selling drugs."

Deeky: LOL! Yup!

Liss: Plus I love how it's "shameful" to be employed at a fast food place.

Deeky: I know, right?

Liss: This is actually shocking. I am actually shocked.

Deeky: LOL! This show is so unbelievable, isn't it?

Liss: It's gobsmacking. Iain just said it's the best show he's ever seen, lol.

Deeky: It's 2012. How did this get made?!

Liss: Me: "This is the most misogynistic show I've ever seen." Iain: "I dunno. I think the jury's still out on that one." Me: "Nope! I am the jury, the judge, AND the executioner, and I am MURDERING THIS SHOW!" Iain (trying not to laugh): "Well, I think it's interesting on a number of sociological levels." Me: "So is divorce."

Deeky: Tell him his b-hole is interesting on a number of sociological levels.

Liss: He says he's very flattered, lol.

[In case there's any confusion about whether Iain actually enjoyed this plop of dogshit, he did not. He was, in fact, quoting statistics at the show about workplace gender inequality and informing it tersely that the "mancession" is misogynist folklore and 2/3 of all new jobs created are filled by men.]

Deeky: I am kind of in awe that this show exists.

Liss: This show hates women more than Bill Maher.

Deeky: LOLOLOL! I almost made the same joke, braintwinz!

Liss: LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL! I love how he's the benchmark for woman-hating.

Deeky: Well he is!

Liss: He really is!

image showing a scene from Work It and an image of Bill Maher with a greater sign favoring Work It, labeled 'Maher Misogyny Scale'

[See also: Work It Doesn't Work.]

Shakesville is run as a safe space. First-time commenters: Please read Shakesville's Commenting Policy and Feminism 101 Section before commenting. We also do lots of in-thread moderation, so we ask that everyone read the entirety of any thread before commenting, to ensure compliance with any in-thread moderation. Thank you.

blog comments powered by Disqus