Roseanne Reboot Already Receiving Criticism Over Gender Fluid Character; Who Cares!?

Written Laughing at The Folks Who Missed the Evolution Bus by Bridger Cunningham


The last month of sexually laden headlines surrounding the entertainment industry has soured several fans and viewers' opinions of actors and the productions they are involved with.  Actors, producers and writers have fallen from grace amidst allegations of sexual misconduct, dating back decades.  And now the Roseanne reboot is in the headlines again as well.  Not because one of its cast or production members is involved in such scarring publicity.  But rather, it is loosely reported that Roseanne Barr and her writers have the gall to incorporate a gender fluid character in the form of one of Roseanne's grandchildren.  How dare they.

Per the Huffington Post, One Million Moms (1MM), a division of the American Family Association, is facilitating a boycott of the reboot, citing the development is part of the "Transgender Agenda" and "child exploitation agenda at its worst."  One would venture to speculate this group is like the Kardashians on the controvery realm attempting to position themselves for a cameo or mention on Roseanne's new production.  It is saddening coming close to 2018 to see people vocalizing these defamatory views, as television and entertainment has evolved to incorporate developments and social issues via well-developed characters and entertaining tales.  Majority of society could care less and is more inclined to criticize characters for being poorly developed vs. from a minority demographic.  Frankly, most people don't give a shit!

Earlier this year, a casting call was placed for Mark Healy (the 9-year old nephew of the deceased original character) and specified the character would be "gender creative."  The casting call further outlined the character as "sensitive and effeminate" and displays traits of both "young female and male traits."  Sounds like a younger version of his father, David Healy (Johnny Galecki), a sensitive artist who still identified as straight.  And a well-developed character, considering he is named after a chauvinistic meathead uncle (the late Glenn Quinn), and is the son of a kind father and a crass, sardonic and socially aware mother, Darlene (Sara Gilbert).  1MM is trolling on the speculated casting call, boldly stating “ABC is glorifying gender dysphoria, also known as gender identity disorder, and using a child to promote this mental disorder.”

Looking Back at How Roseanne Pushed the Controversy Envelope in Lieu of the LGBT Community

And who better to insult a group of this caliber than the queen of insults herself, Roseanne!?  During the series' 1988-97 run, Barr introduced a plethora of LGBT characters from frenemy business foil Leon (Martin Mull), his delightful counterpart spouse Scott (Fred Willard), narcissist bisexual friend Nancy (Sandra Bernhard), her slew of charming and beautiful lesbian lovers (welcome cameos by Morgan Fairchild and Mariel Hemingway), and even her starchy mother Beverly (Estelle Parsons) declaring herself a lesbian late in life.  The latter was considered a plot misfire which jumped the shark, but the remains were welcome additions to the ever-evolving ensemble.  Barr's philosophy behind integrating LGBT characters was two of her own siblings identified in this category, and she wanted the American public to be able to experience getting to know folks who identified in this category.

Back in the 1990's, characters being gay or bisexual on television was a pioneering territory, and the characters often were peripheral or easily dispensed.  Roseanne's 4th season disclosed the title character's loathed boss, Leon Carp, happened to be gay, and Roseanne still hated him.  Not because of this development, as it softened her disdain of Leon.  Rather, she detested his stiff, arrogant, upper-middle-class demeanor and he became the butt of his jokes.  Mull never achieved contract status, but the character endured to the end, becoming Roseanne's love-to-hate business partner in her Landford Lunchbox.  The fourth owner, Nancy Bartlett, was introduced in the 4th season as well as Arnie Thomas' wife.  The following season, Arnie and Nancy split, and Nancy came out as bisexual.  

Characters such  as Leon, Nancy, Scott and later Beverly held plenty of stereotypical traits, yet their problems and humor resembled those of their straight counterparts.  Friendship spats, dating woes, and even Leon and Scott's gaudy gay wedding in 1995, a first for network television.  The focus of the episode was not of the first gay marriage, but rather Leon's mother (a delightful cameo from June Lockhart) still processing the thought of her son taking a husband vs. a wife. Leave it to Roseanne to sell her enemy on the union:

Roseanne: "At least you're getting a wonderful addition to your family" (points to Mark, lighting his hand on fire) "That's my son-in-law."
Leon's Mother: (sincerely compassionate) "I'm so sorry".

And of course, Roseanne managed to push the controversy envelope in 1994 as the principle character receives a kiss from guest star Mariel Hemingway.  The network threatened to pull the episode, and Barr held her course.  After all, this was not the first time two ladies made out on the show, as Nancy and Marla (Bernhardt, Fairchild) crossed this line kissing under the mistletoe in Season 5.  But the thought of a marquee star engaged in the same compromise?  The network boldly placed a "Discretion is Advised" label on the episode.  In 2017, two people of the same sex locking lips is just called Thursday night!


Do Boycotts Work?

People believe everyone needs to be heard on their soapbox.  When people stand in opposition, much like 1MM is doing, they think calling boycotts or signing petitions will make things go their way.  The sad fact is these movements seldom work.  The 1977 launch of sitcom Soap was allegedly so racy, several affiliates refused to air the episode.  The results?  More people tuned into Soap to see what the buzz was about.  And of course, Michigan housewife Terry Rakolta worked to disrobe an already shameless Married... With Children on then-unknown FOX.  Rakolta indeed earned her share of publicity on news outlets, but her efforts backfired.  The ratings more than doubled, and FOX gained affiliates, cementing its place in network television.  And a few cartons of egg on Rakolta's face.

Of course, the controversy spans back decades into the soap world.  In 1968, new ABC soap One Life to Live debuted a fair-skinned African-American character, Carla Grey (Ellen Holly).  A young professional attempting to pass for white, Carla was involved in a love triangle between a white and black man as she lived a dual life.  The story developments again prompted several affiliates not to air the new soap, which gained notice due to the controversial matter.  Holly enjoyed a landmark role until 1985, and One Life to Live enjoyed a sturdy run until 2012.  And as for an interracial couple locking lips on screen?  Let's hope these folks have

Evidence points to boycotts and attention-grabbing headlines having a counter effect for folks seeking to start a "movement."  Frankly, if 1MM wants to harm Roseanne's return, they should cease and be quiet.  The series will likely land on the network's tepid Tuesday lineup, which sees The Middle bidding adieu after 9 seasons and freshman The Mayor registering network sitcom lows.  ABC is gambling at Roseanne may have the same attraction power NBC revival Will and Grace had, a large gamble indeed.  Boycotts only stir headlines, leading to shows' thriving success as it perks an audience's curiosity.  And if anyone is resistant to controversy, it is the queen of crass herself, Roseanne!

2017-18 Week 4 Sitcom Scorecard -- The Goldbergs' 100th Episode Holds Permed Against Unilateral Drops

Written With To Much Explanation by Bridger Cunningham

As expected, the 2017-18 roster presents a lower Nielsen yield than previous seasons.  However, the bar has dropped for Leading The Pack to a record-lenient 1.35 Delta to enter the range.  And the Middle of the Pack is back to last season's bar with a 1.10, expected as the ranges become uneven or bottom-heavy.  And who hasn't noticed this article series' greatest blunder down below?  Everyone knows Dynasty is not intended as a sitcom, but has become a source of laughs which the show-runners should be honored to be roasted with.  That joke of a range is a placeholder as one regular show is edging dangerously low for an Anemic ranged show and will instigate the return of "The Abyss" when their average drops below 0.60.  Again, the Anemic classification is more lenient this season as lower yields are expected.  Speaking of 80's jokes, happy 100th episode, Goldbergs!  This week's episode gave us iconic visuals as Beverly sported a trend solid to the era without the mullet mocking.

Sunday, October 15 delivered an expected drop for FOX's non-inflated roster, surprisingly with decent results.  The Simpsons dropped nine-tenths to a 1.3 with plenty of room for movement.  Ghosted's 3rd episode delivered its true weight with a 1.0, again a hair above its 2016 fall predecessor  Son of Zorn, yet within a greater range of retention to its neighbors.  Family Guy dropped a mere two-tenths to a 1.2, as did Last Man On Earth with a 0.8.  Both shows are down from last year, yet the Sunday roster is boasting stable performance.

The same cannot be said for CBS Mondays.  October 16's The Big Bang Theory ticked down a tenth to a 2.8.  Down indeed from last year, yet TBBT was the 2nd highest-scripted show of the week!  9JLK dropped two-tenths to a 1.2, sadly setting a record-low post TBBT retention of 42%.  Last year's casualty The Great Indoors bottomed at 50% (1.4 out of 2.8), and 2014 failure The Millers held the previous low of 46% (2.1 our of a 4.5).  9JKL's ding-dong-ditch from the Nielsen ferry shaved another tenth off of Kevin Can Wait with a disappointing 1.1, and timeslot-troubled Me, Myself & I held sadly steady with a 0.9.

Tuesday, October 17 presented another round of general lows, with only Fresh off the Boat (1.1) and The Mick (0.8) holding steady.  The Middle ticked down to a 1.3, as did Brooklyn 99 with its series low 0.6.  Blackish (1.1) and the Mayor (0.8) hit series lows following a two-tenth drop.  Happily, Wednesday, October 18 presented a sturdy delivery with The Goldbergs' 100th episode (1.5), Speechless (1.1) and American Housewife (1.4) all holding their previous week's deliveries, while Modern Family ticked down a tenth (1.7)

And Must-See TV found NBC's trimming girth off its belt line.  Superstore held steady with a 1.1, and The Good Place reduced its weight to match that same measure.  The Will & Grace revival is still losing inches of its Nielsen fat, but the losses appear to be plateauing as this weeks 1.7 was only down one-tenth.  Sadly, Great News is NBC's Biggest Loser this week, having dropped two-tenths of its already light ratings to a 0.8

PERCENTAGE CHANGES

Only one show downgraded this week, as The Mayor slid from 55% odds of renewal to 45%.  So why is this Freshman series the target of a premature downgrade?  The Mayor, while sophisticated in quality and perhaps fitting with NBC's pallet, is cursed with a poor timeslot indeed.  However, it has hemorrhaged at an alarming rate, losing 27% of its already-weakened lead-in Black-ish' 1.1 rating.  ABC has three sitcoms (Alex, Inc, Roseanne and Splitting Up Together) on the bench looking to bat.  Upgrades are still a possibility, but it appears The Mayor's fate appears to be sealed.

Other shows stand poised for changes in status.  So who is eyeing a promotion?  Three more episodes of performance are needed to upgrade The Good Place and American Housewife to 90%, and the same benchmark will cement Superstore's and Family Guy's fates at 100%.  TGP and AH are enriching their network's rosters, yet they need 43-52 episodes beyond May 2018 to hit the syndication mark.  Superstore, however, needs 33 episodes and has three seasons coupled with an excellent use of leading timeslot in its favor.  And FG has passed syndication ages ago and stands as FOX's 2nd-highest rated sitcom.

The opposite trajectory awaits CBS freshmans 9JKL and Me, Myself & I, who already rest sadly at 45% renewal odds.  Unless 9JKL dips fractional out of its prime TBBT-lead-out, or MM&I sinks to a 0.7, these shows' fates will change in Week 7's Scorecard, due November 10.  This card will expose the shows' true weight minus TBBT in two showings.

Shows forecast for changes further into the season are Bob's Burgers, Ghosted, Last Man On Earth, Kevin Can Wait, Black-ish, The Mick, Speechless and Great News.  So why do they receive more ground before changes are warranted?  Let's examine their performance:

Bob's Burgers -- The durable FOX performer sits in the week's least-desirable timeslot on Sundays at 7:30.  And thus far, BB is performing above average early in the season.  However, a motion picture is planned for 2020, and FOX would be foolish to ax the show prior.  What else can handle this dreadful show-killing timeslot?

Ghosted -- Factors working in favor of this FOX freshman is it performs slightly above Son of Zorn, its surrounding sitcoms are down.  Factors working against are it has not plateaued, and the ratings are not "breathtaking".  Retention/Lead-Up to Simpsons and Family Guy will factor in over 8 episodes.

Last Man On Earth -- FOX's last Sunday picture show is down slightly, yet LMOE will reach 67 episodes by the season's close.  It is till straddling close to its series low (0.7).  But like BB, what else would FOX schedule on this evening?

Kevin Can Wait -- The Sophomore Sitcom could receive an upgrade in three weeks' time.  However, it continues to drop and has not plateaued.  Its odds of renewal run high as its competition is performing pitifully, and a precise gauge of performance will play out after the show's November 6 performance.

Black-ish -- The 4th season critical darling is an in-house ABC production, and it has proven resilient against NBC juggernaut This is Us.  It needs to hit its plateau to upgrade to 90%.  ABC would be foolish to cut Black-ish with The Middle exiting in 2018 and Speechless and The Mayor now the weakest links in the network's comedy roster.

The Mick -- Season 2 has disappointed and regularly taken 4th place in its timeslot.  However, surrounds Lethal Weapon and Brooklyn 99 are also fractional, so the premise has some salvaging leverage.  If the show delves deeper into fractional territory, it could downgrade.

Speechless -- Like Black-ish, Speechless is an in-house production and as of late registers 1.1 demos. It appears it has plateaued.  However, its lead-in and lead-out perform between 1.5-1.9 regularly, a stark difference which leaves disappointing egg on Speechless' face.  The show currently sits at a 70% renewal prediction and could change in November.

Great News -- Last year's lowest-rated renewal was given the prime Will and Grace lead-in to develop.  Out of that, it has performed between 0.8-1.3 out of W&G's 1.7-3.0 range.  The show has performed decently compared to past performance of failed NBC sitcoms in the 2010's despite this week's fractional drop.  W&G will only produce 16 episodes, so NBC needs sitcoms to paste in the roster between now and May.  If Great News can continue to perform closer to Superstore and The Good Place, it may see 2019.  If it continues belting out fractions, it's forked!

The Sitcom Explained Part II: The Dawn of Crass-Com

Written by Bridger Cunningham


Do you notice several sitcoms are taking on the grimy elements of life? Taking on unsavory characters, higher reference to sexual innuendo and substance use. And topped with crude, coarse language and dialogue as the icing. It is the dawn of the "Crass-Com", or Crass Situational Comedy. We are beginning to see this rising trend, and not all in this genre aim to offend or push the "appropriate" line accepted on television with toilet humor. Since 2011, 2 Broke Girls has been crudely offending CBS viewers so shamelessly with an overdose of sexual references, ethnic jokes and blunt awareness of poverty. Two years later, CBS released "Mom", a topical sitcom aimed to tackle social issues stemming from substance abuse, from rehab following a reality-TV bender/addiction. It contains just as much sexual innuendo, yet avoids mocking ethnic groups and showcasing gritty addicts attempting to assimilate into society.


Enter 2017, and FOX is delivering its signature tacky helping of dysfunctionality with "The Mick", showcasing a dysfunctional family with no holds bar to substance use, discipline, irresponsible sex and bodily functions, save for sexual innuendo. It may seem as though our sitcoms are turning to trash, but they are merely showcasing people exhibiting trashy behavior so shamelessly. FOX was ahead of its time when it used "Married With Children" to launch its network, aimed at being "Not the Cosbys". After a few racy and suggestive episodes in 1989, Michigan housewife/activist Terry Rakolta launched a campaign to end the crude show from airing. Her efforts created a counter effect, as the show's ratings soared, and the fledgling FOX gained attention, press coverage and additional affiliates. Sorry to say for Rakolta, but she unleashed the audience's guilty desire to live vicariously through vile characters and premises.


MWC would enjoy a decently rated 11-season run and would pave the way for other "crude" shows across genres such as The Simpsons, In-Living Color (a sketch show famously ethnic-heavy), and Melrose Place (which pushed the scandal and sexuality bar albeit a soap opera). After MWC parted in 1997, other crude shows thrived. That 70's Show openly profiled drug use after being launched in 1998. Malcolm in the Middle debuted in 2000, showcasing a less than upstanding family and displaying realistic, coarse and superb dialogue from its younger cast members. And most offensively, Family Guy launched in 1999 and met an untimely cancellation in 2003. However, a subculture resurrected the series, and it has been belching out filth happily since 2005 as a mainstay. And the short-lived Raising Hope endured 4 seasons from 2010-14 showcasing a lower-middle-class dysfunctional family living well below the poverty level. And as a throughline, the Simpsons prevails, albeit it is no longer the racy, edgy black sheep of TV during its early notoriety. FOX pioneered the elements necessary for crass sitcoms and seems invested to take the risk at offending its audience 30 years later.


Outside of FOX, other networks have attempted to offer up Crass-Coms through the years. NBC's lone foray, My Name Is Earl, had a brief run from 2005-09, yet gained critical acclaim for shamelessly displaying the poor behaviors of the lower class, roach motel/trailer park inhabitants. ABC let out its belt from 1988-97 with heavy-hitter Roseanne from 1988-97, depicting the struggles of a working class family. CBS displayed the same shameless behavior with an upper-middle-class sitcom, Two and a Half Men, in 2003. Usually wholesome and topical, CBS drew ire for this show's display of sex lives through the point of view of the male. Having lasted 12 years, viewers spoke that they enjoyed the premise through the ratings soaring through the roof. Come the 2010's, CBS took bolder risks with new sitcoms, allowing crass references to percolate through censors. Mike and Molly had its share of sexual and stereotypical humor while guarding its approach showcasing two plus-sized leads. The following year, 2 Broke Girls took a modern approach to Laverne and Shirley in the guise of displaying anti-hero characters exploring poverty and sexual shamelessness. The trend continued in 2013 with a detox of addiction on Mom. And of course, cable has too many honorable (more appropriately, unhonorable) mentions.


The characteristics of "Crass-Coms", as defined below, meet several of these criteria:

1. Brash, offensive, obscene, coarse and crude dialogue.
2. Often depicting classes, more so of the lower reaches.
3. An open and adept exploration of sexuality. Does not have to include sex scenes, but suggestive dialogue, situations and references.
4. Substance use and abuse are a normal mainstay in this genre.
5. Topical issues often are explored. Whether skewed toward awareness or keeping up with current affairs, these shows explore issues of major and trivial issues such as sexuality, substance use, disciplining children, illness, etc...
6. Youthful characters associated with these productions often exhibit poor and gritty behavior.
7. Characters who are often "not the beauties" can enjoy a front and center part of the story.
8. Frequently pushing the envelope with censors, mainly through explicit words and expressions.
9. Escapism is rarely explored in favor of realism. Sets are often bleak, dirty and undesirable places for the audience to imagine existing.
10. In general, these shows are shameless in their approach to entertainment.


The shows mentioned up to this point can register a fit to more than half of the categories, if not all. Are we experiencing a new trend and surge with "Crass-Coms"? Only a foolish audience member would rue this concept. A viewer offended by overt sexual dialogue and situations would never accuse My Name is Earl, Raising Hope or Malcolm in the Middle of offending this category. Viewers who wish not to sit through a preachy "Public Service Announcement" will never feel this burn from Married with Children, 2 Broke Girls, The Mick, Raising Hope, My Name is Earl, or The Family Guy. The promise, this new sub-genre of sitcoms demonstrates sitcoms are still durable and able to reinvent the premise. We already have family shows, work comedies and hangout premises. Now, we have shows which allow us to let our hair down and embrace crass behaviors in favor of restricted social graces.


New eras form and create sub-genres. The 50's were about enjoying a simpler life following the tragedies of World War II and the great Depression. The 60's moved the action from urban to rural-themed shows with zany leads. The 70's painted the black and white silliness with surreal color in an effort to explore social issues. The late 70's/early 80's reverted back to escapism and allow people to forget their troubles against the economic troubles. The mid-80's to early 90's invested heavily in The Family Era, targeting younger viewers and their parents who fit the demographics. The mid-90's-mid 2000's introduced a level of sophistication known to cater to upscale professionals in said demographics. And the remainder of the 2000's created an "Independent Era" of comedy, attempting to break the generic mold and complete with a proliferation of reality TV. This era would continue well into the 2010's, until 2013 gave birth to multiple eras.


During this 2013 renaissance, each of the four networks funneled their own eras. CBS launched the "I Cannot Believe That!" era, featuring racier, envelope-pushing concepts which honed the Crass-Coms, as well as allowing less family-friendly fares to cover their schedule. NBC, once the sitcom maven for 20 years, faded quiet during this time and is finding a new footing with "The Reinvention Era". ABC successfully cemented their place as the next "Family Friendly" era, thanks to Modern Family, The Middle and The Goldbergs launching entertaining three-dimensional families. And FOX, once proudly boasting the 2000's Animation Domination Sundays, has reverted to its mixture of tacky, thrifty sitcoms which it built its network. This has become FOX's "Eclectic Era." They fave families, raunchy, workplace, hangout and fantasy/animation, all of which are sleepers at best. Having a complex, divisive group of four networks sounds messy, yet has given the mid-2010's the "Scripted Renaissance" title to encompass these four offerings.


The mid-2010's has it all, as networks realize scripted fares had to justify their value against an aggressive trend of cheaper sitcoms. Adding to the obstacles are the prominence of cable and internet platforms. So where will Crass-Coms fit best? The cards are stacked in favor of CBS, FOX, cable and alternative platforms. All possess a potential space for Crass-Coms, but would have to mold with ABC and NBC to survive. In order to be viable in the large ABC ranch, a Crass-Com would need to rely heavily on a family with children. On NBC, the crassness would have to be met with equal doses of sophistication in crisp writing to relive the mild success of My Name is Earl. Crass-Coms have lay dormant for 30 years throughout the landscape and appear to be the next trend.


The Mick has flaunted a teenage girl's sexual escapades throughout the house, smoking cigarettes like a 50's cocktail lounge singer, and slapping the referenced tart repeatedly in another episode which bordered on child abuse. This is a departure from gentle discipline and exploring youth issues with sensitivity from wholesome fares like Full House or The Cosbys. This speaks to the legions of demo-appropriate parents who have likely had their patience tested by unruly children coming of age. CBS mainstay 'Mom' handled teenage pregnancy thrice over, as well as a 12-year old principle smoking and drinking. And at least one episode featured the principles from 2 Broke Girls needing to make a run to the free clinic after an STD scare. These demonstrations from Crass-Coms speak to viewers who had setbacks in their wild heydays before they held full-time jobs and drove SUVS and minivans.


Thankfully, Crass-Coms will never proliferate our TV landscape. Too many would protest and call for said shows to be removed. They are to be handled in responsible doses, and 2017 seems to be the ideal time to shine a spotlight on such poor behavior. The last 10 years have been a bummer, and no political party held complete responsibility as it was the era which our country was in the dumps. After years of reality, recessions and deplorable politicians consumed our existence, we need a laugh! And who better to be the butt of these jokes than the despicable? Let's embrace these Crass-Com's, as society needs to lighten up in 2017. So what shows are foreseen as being the next Crass-Coms? Let's not speculate or jump the shark, but rather enjoy the vile ride. Instead of mourning the Tire Fire that was 2016, let's celebrate it with marshmallows and graham crackers and let these vile characters absorb life's unpleasantness for us and watch with glee.