The popular Web series, We Need Girlfriends will undergo a generic transformation in hopes of becoming a sitcom on CBS. However, the "traditional sitcom rhythm" of We Need Girlfriends will make this overhaul less taxing than originally believed. The format of this show caters to members of the newly college graduate, "not-quite-youth culture" by the utilization of the "unhip" persona and its intentional references to Saved By The Bell.
We Need Girlfriends focuses on three early 20s men who are humorously awkward in their relationships with women. Being set in New York, these men have the stereotypical, fresh out of college apartment with Old Spice prominently displayed among a messy bureau, cheap dorm furniture, and of course, the horrendously disgusting sink. With their immediate environment setting up the genre of this show, We Need Girlfriends displays the on-going saga of three socially impaired men trying to date women "out of their league". A show that obviously utilizes the male gaze, the love interests of the show are "abstracted" and "hazily defined", while the male characters are clearly presented to the audience. For instance, Rod, "the coolest guy" of the group is quite sexist in a defensive, ignorant sense. Also, in hopes of adding more socially impaired moments to the show, Henry is the expected timid geek and Tom is presented as the hero through his tall stature and "straight man" personality.
In terms of genre, We Need Girlfriends is anti-Entourage in that it lacks the ambition, charm, and desirability of its cooler counterpart. With its apparent signs of juvenile behavior in consuming ice pops and PB& J sandwiches, We Need Girlfriends takes the generic humor of Superbad and meshes it with the format of a 20-something TV sitcom.
Article Link: http://www.slate.com/id/2184807/
1 comment:
Interested to see how this web show will fare after the failure of NBC's "Quarterlife"...
The whole "just-of-college, almost a real adult" theme that both these shows tap into seems like it would be ripe with great stories. But they both seem to fall short. I was reading a review of "Quarterlife" that said it was like modern youth filtered through a middle-age sensibility (I guess they were acting too old?) and "We Need Girlfriends" sounds like they're too juvenile. It's interesting how no show right now (I think) taps into this theme successfully...I was interested in "Quarterlife" since I'm about that age. When I was in my adolescence (heh, I sound old don't I?), I loved shows like "Boy Meets World" because while it was entertaining, it captured the essence of what it was like being a teenager. Wonder why it's so hard to capture what it's like to be a young 20-something in the real world.
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