Work It

Why is cross dressing funny?  Particularly men dressing up as women?  Is it funny?  It’s long been popular in movies.  Some Like it Hot, Tootsie, Mrs. Doubtfire, and Big Momma’s House to name a few.  It’s also been popular, to a lesser extent in TV shows.  Ones that come to mind in particular are Drew’s brother in the Drew Carey show, and a particular episode of Twice in a Lifetime, where a man came back as a woman in order to help his former self (it was less complicated than it sounds).  But these shows just had certain episodes.  What about an entire TV series that revolves around this very concept?

Most people know that Tom Hanks got his big break in the movie Splash.  But did you know that prior to this role, he starred in a TV show called Bosom Buddies in 1980?  I came to this knowledge thanks to my mother and MeTV. She used to watch it and when she realized they were showing it on MeTV, she taped a couple episodes for me to see.  It was pretty awful.  I mean I laughed, but more so cause it was Tom Hanks, and the concept was so ridiculous.  The 2 guys are looking for a cheap apartment, and apparently the cheapest one is one that only allows women.  So naturally, they dress as women and stay there in order to save money.  You would think with the money they have to spend on women’s clothes, they could have afforded to stay at a coed apartment.

Why do I bring this up now?  Well, just over 30 years later, they’ve come out with a new show with a similar concept.  Work It.  When I hear this title, I automatically think of the Missy Elliot song, which has been in my head since I heard about this show.  Of course my mom would be the one to inform me of this show as well, and she would tape the pilot episode so that we could watch it while it lasts.  The concept of this one is that the 2 guys are unemployed due to the recession and unable to find work.  But as luck would have it, they find out that a pharmaceutical company is hiring.  But oh no, they’re only looking for women.  So naturally, they dress as women and work for that company.

The main guy in this show is married, and so it seems that he borrows his wife’s clothes and makeup for the job.  I don’t know how she wouldn’t notice her things are missing and out of place.  I watched the pilot with my mom today, and we did laugh.  But it was one of those things where you laugh just because you’re so bewildered by how stupid it is.  Afterwards my mom mentioned that she didn’t even know what she had laughed at.  Neither did I.  If I thought Bosom Buddies was awful, I’m not even sure what adjective I would use to describe this.  Maybe there isn’t one.

What upsets me most is that this sitcom is apparently replacing the show Man Up, which has been cancelled.  I actually liked Man Up and would so much rather watch that.  I guess they thought that it was struggling and that something better needed to be put in that time slot.  But really, THIS is what they came up with?  I don’t understand.

So even though I find it ridiculous, I think I will continue watching it.  Why?  Cause I like to be counterintuitive?  I like to waste my time with stupid things?  A lot of people waste their time with bad TV.  Probably because good TV is hard to come by, if not impossible at times.  Besides, I doubt this series will last.  I may as well watch the rest of the episodes that they air.  All two of them, I’m guessing?