# "Work It" (ABC sitcom) - WTF? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 29, 2011, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/work-it-abc-sitcom-wtf/607702 "2011-12-29T05:27:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2011, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/work-it-abc-sitcom-wtf/607702/21 "2011-12-29T18:10:30Z")
Once in a while you see ads for a show whose existence is absolutely bewildering on every level, and this is one of them. I guess the premise is not any more absurd today than it was the other times it was done, but you do wonder why anybody thought it was a good idea to disinter it once again. The “hook,” or whatever, is supposed to be that they’re in drag because men just can’t get a job in this recession. My understanding is that that claim is debatable at best and downright false at worst, so you can add that to the show’s list of fault: dubious arguments and self-pity. I’ve found myself hoping that the show doesn’t offend too many people so it can die the quick death it deserves rather than becoming the subject of widespread controversy. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2011, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/work-it-abc-sitcom-wtf/607702/22 "2011-12-29T18:25:22Z")
Because men dressing as women is intrinsically hilarious. To the sheltered twelve-year-olds who seem to be the main demographic of network sticoms. ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2011, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/work-it-abc-sitcom-wtf/607702/23 "2011-12-29T18:29:53Z")
I imagine the basic premise of men not finding work when women can was probably inspired by the headlines a couple years about about the gender gap in unemployment statistics (I think it was a couple points higher for men than for women). Not that this would translate into the premise that seems to be used in the show. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2011, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/work-it-abc-sitcom-wtf/607702/24 "2011-12-29T18:54:31Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > I don’t think she was hired for her breathing ability. I disagree: I imagine the director saying, “now, _inhale_, Donna–_more_.” ---
**Author:** ![Borborygmi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/borborygmi/32/217_2.png) [@Borborygmi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Borborygmi)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2011, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/work-it-abc-sitcom-wtf/607702/25 "2011-12-29T18:58:50Z")
Just to offer a bit a perspective that I don’t see represented in the thread so far… “Work It” is taking the ABC timeslot vacated by “Man Up!” Yes, “Work It” will actually be even worse, but if there were an objective way of measuring these things the difference would fall within the margin of error. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2011, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/work-it-abc-sitcom-wtf/607702/26 "2011-12-29T19:56:47Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > I disagree: I imagine the director saying, “now, _inhale_, Donna–_more_.” Shall I just follow you from thread to thread and feed you straight lines, then? ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2011, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/work-it-abc-sitcom-wtf/607702/27 "2011-12-29T20:05:43Z")
The sad thing is that a funny, smart, well produced comedy with a main character that cross dresses for the _real_ reasons men cross dress could be really good. Well maybe on HBO. The big four networks would ruin it. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2011, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/work-it-abc-sitcom-wtf/607702/28 "2011-12-29T20:08:58Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Shall I just follow you from thread to thread and feed you straight lines, then? It’s a dirty job, but somebody’s got to do it. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2011, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/work-it-abc-sitcom-wtf/607702/29 "2011-12-30T04:03:48Z")
ABC is obviously suffering from some sort of bipolar mentality. On the one hand, they have Modern Family. On the other hand, they bring back Tim Allen from the 1990’s, and now they’re bringing back Bosom Buddies from the 1980’s. Clearly next season will include both Even More Modern Family as well as bringing back Three’s Company. ---
**Author:** ![BeaMyra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/2bfe46/32.png) [@BeaMyra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeaMyra)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2011, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/work-it-abc-sitcom-wtf/607702/30 "2011-12-30T06:46:03Z")
Yes, Wendie Jo rocked, she even made “[Babes](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ssgOyL0JLM)” (on Fox) watchable ---
**Author:** ![JKilez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e5b9ba/32.png) [@JKilez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKilez)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2011, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/work-it-abc-sitcom-wtf/607702/31 "2011-12-30T15:56:16Z")
> [@obfusciatrist](#): > > I imagine the basic premise of men not finding work when women can was probably inspired by the headlines a couple years about about the gender gap in unemployment statistics (I think it was a couple points higher for men than for women). Riffing off of that… If you had a show about two black females who dressed up as white men to get jobs and apartments in New York, it would be comedy gold! What is funnier than a black man in whiteface? I black \*\*woman \*\*in whiteface _and_ drag. GOLD, I tell ya! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2011, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/work-it-abc-sitcom-wtf/607702/32 "2011-12-30T16:29:48Z")
> [@JKilez](#): > > Riffing off of that… If you had a show about two black females who dressed up as white men to get jobs and apartments in New York, it would be comedy gold! What is funnier than a black man in whiteface? I black \*\*woman \*\*in whiteface _and_ drag. GOLD, I tell ya! 😃 [Already been done…](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Associate) ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2011, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/work-it-abc-sitcom-wtf/607702/33 "2011-12-30T16:37:12Z")
> [@woodstockbirdybird](#): > > America, you continue to astound me. I could see this getting greenlighted (greenlit?) in France or something (which, according to an informal survey conducted on my travels, just slightly beats out Mexico for the most inane programs on TV), but seriously, how does shit like this make it onto a major network in the 21st century? I just look forward to it being cancelled after 1 episode so I never have to see a commercial for it ever again. > > [Work It](http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/work-it) They don’t care what you say anymore. This is their life. Go ahead with your own life, leave them alone. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2011, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/work-it-abc-sitcom-wtf/607702/34 "2011-12-30T19:49:14Z")
Is it me or does ABC have season after season the worst sitcoms on TV? They kept 8 Simple Rules chugging along to capitalize on Ritter’s death, they had that Jim Belushi show on forever, they had Cavemen the adaptation of the insurance commercial :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2011, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/work-it-abc-sitcom-wtf/607702/35 "2011-12-31T00:43:40Z")
> [@grude](#): > > Is it me or does ABC have season after season the worst sitcoms on TV? They kept 8 Simple Rules chugging along to capitalize on Ritter’s death, they had that Jim Belushi show on forever, they had Cavemen the adaptation of the insurance commercial :rolleyes: As mentioned upthread they somehow managed to get _Modern Family_, the best sitcom on TV at the moment, IMHO. I’m rewatching the second season on DVD and it’s funnier the second time through. You’re right though, I can’t think of any others on ABC that are near as good as _MF_. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2011, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/work-it-abc-sitcom-wtf/607702/36 "2011-12-31T00:52:03Z")
Commercials for this make it look so bad that I think I’ll have to watch it once just to say I watched one of the worst shows of all time. And is that Sucre from Prison Break as one of the guys in drag? Wow, just wow. ---
**Author:** ![42fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/b487fb/32.png) [@42fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/42fish)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2011, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/work-it-abc-sitcom-wtf/607702/37 "2011-12-31T05:03:43Z")
> [@River\_Hippie](#): > > As mentioned upthread they somehow managed to get _Modern Family_, the best sitcom on TV at the moment, IMHO. Maybe the producers screwed up their pitch so ABC’s execs thought it would fit with the rest of the schedule and by the time the network realized the show was actually good it was too damn late to do anything about it. ---
**Author:** ![slm2955](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c6cbf5/32.png) [@slm2955](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slm2955)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2011, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/work-it-abc-sitcom-wtf/607702/38 "2011-12-31T15:20:29Z")
That show actually looks funny, but I don’t think it’s gonna last long because somebody is gonna catch on to their cross-dressing scheme. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2011, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/work-it-abc-sitcom-wtf/607702/39 "2011-12-31T16:50:41Z")
> [@slm2955](#): > > That show actually looks funny, but I don’t think it’s gonna last long because somebody is gonna catch on to their cross-dressing scheme. You misspelled “everybody”. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2011, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/work-it-abc-sitcom-wtf/607702/40 "2011-12-31T16:59:39Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > You misspelled “everybody”. One way this could be kind of funny is if _everybody_ did realize they were crossdressing men but didn’t say anything out of politeness or political correctness and the guys truly believed they were fooling everyone. Maybe the company hired them because they were transgendered not because they were genuinely thought to be women. If the show expects us to believe the two guys are fooling anyone it would just be too silly. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/work-it-abc-sitcom-wtf/607702.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/work-it-abc-sitcom-wtf/607702.md?page=3)