What's it about?
Lee Standish is a quick-witted and likable family man. His best friend, Angel Ortiz, is a hotheaded ladies' man with no filter. The two of them worked at Pontiac -- Lee as a top salesman and Angel as head mechanic -- until the company went out of business. Out of work for a year, their job prospects don't look too bright. They've learned the hard way that the current recession is more of a "man-cession" and their skills aren't in high demand. Then the almost-broke Lee finds out that Coreco Pharmaceuticals is looking to hire sales reps -- female sales reps. He takes a chance and goes into the interview dressed in heels, a skirt and make-up. The transformed Lee gets hired -- as a woman. (Angel also gets hired as a woman, blah blah blah...) Lee and Angel quickly realize how much they have to learn to get by in their new environment. It's not just how to walk in heels and tighten up with Spanx. For the first time, they're really listening to the women in their lives and opening themselves up to a whole new realm of experiences. In the process, they're learning that to be a better man may mean having to be a better woman.
So, how was it?
If you couldn't surmise by reading the above synopsis that the show is horrifically bad, not to mention incredibly offensive, then this show was made for you! If, however, you took one look at that poster and felt your gag reflex kick in, then congratulations -- you are a human being.
Yes, this show is as bad as it seems. In the space of half an hour it manages to set a record for number of offensive jokes. It offends women, who are supposedly too stupid to notice that their two new coworkers are actually men. It offends men, who supposedly can't get jobs without having breasts. It offends transgenders, who are a very real group of people who are still struggling to gain recognition and acceptance, and this show only serves to make their issue even more of a joke than some people already think it is. In short, this is the most offensive and damaging show to premiere since ABC's other doozy, LAST MAN STANDING. (You can see how I felt about that show here.) Supposedly, by the end of the pilot, Lee has learned enough from his new female coworkers to realize that he has been neglecting his wife. (Men can't understand women's feelings on their own? Offensive stereotyping, check!) We're meant to feel all warm and fuzzy inside when he finally listens to her needs...and apparently we're also meant to simply gloss over the fact that he's completely lying to her about his job. Has he really learned anything? Does he really think he's going to get away with this charade? The character's utter stupidity makes it impossible to connect with him.
What happened to ABC this year? Neither of these new sitcoms belong anywhere near the open-hearted, progressive MODERN FAMILY; or the hyper-smart and sarcastic HAPPY ENDINGS; or the spot-on parody of SUBURGATORY. In an ideal world, WORK IT wouldn't be anywhere on our airwaves, but if it has to be aired, it should be on CBS, with its canned laughter and lowest-common-denominator humor.
I must say, the one thing that this show does have going for it is its cast. The two leads (Benjamin Koldyke & Amaury Nolasco) commit to their ridiculous roles with complete abandon. Whether or not they realize how offensive their show is, they decided to just go for it. Kudos. The supporting cast is populated by largely likable actors, from Lee's wife (Beth Lacke) to his boss (Rochelle Aytes) to his coworker (Rebecca Mader...who I was sorry to see in this mess as a fan of her on LOST). Whatever faults this show has (and they are many), they do not lie with its actors, who truly give it their all with the awful material. It keeps the show from being a truly horrific experience, and instead makes it something you have pity for instead of abject horror.
Rating:
* Atrocious. I will never watch this show again. Ever.
If you couldn't tell, I didn't find much to enjoy in this show. And apparently neither did most of America. It was down 17% percent from the show it's supposed to be replacing, the now-cancelled MAN UP! The premiere only drew 6.1 million viewers for a 2.0 rating, compared to the 2.4 that MAN UP! was averaging. With those numbers, I will be shocked if this show doesn't beat NBC's THE PLAYBOY CLUB or CBS' HOW TO BE A GENTLEMAN for fastest cancellation of the season.
What about your, Fellow Addicts? Did any of you even bother to tune in? If you did, did you find anything to like? Vote in the poll below and then hit the comments!
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