‘2 Broke Girls’ Fans Forget The Show Was Heavily Criticized For This Serious Reason
From 2011 until 2017, there were millions of people who tuned in to watch 2 Broke Girls regularly. As a result, the show’s main star, Kat Dennings, became even more popular which is saying something considering her role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Additionally, Beth Behrs rose to fame because she landed one of 2 Broke Girls’ lead roles. On top of all that, the show wound up being nominated for twelve Emmy Awards, one of which it won, and that is the kind of thing that most TV shows would love to achieve.
Due to all of the ways 2 Broke Girls succeeded, fans of the show look back on its legacy with rose-colored glasses. Sadly, the reality of the situation is that throughout its time on television, 2 Broke Girls had its fair share of detractors. In fact, there have been some people who have extremely serious issues with 2 Broke Girls for extremely valid reasons.
Critic Call Out Racism On 2 Broke Girls
Even though 2 Broke Girls was an award-winning show with a loyal following, the truth of the matter is the sitcom never was a critical darling by any means. Still, most of the reviewers who took 2 Broke Girls to task didn’t go much deeper than tackling the series’ style of comedy and storylines. Still, one reviewer was extremely frank about her biggest problem with 2 Broke Girls.
In 2011, a New Yorker reviewer named Emily Nussbaum wrote about 2 Broke Girls at great length. As a part of her article, Nussbaum made it clear that she felt the show had loads of potential for several reasons. “A deep female friendship, raw humor about class, and a show that puts young women’s sexuality dead center, rather than using it as visual spice, as in some cable series about bad-boy antiheroes.” On the other hand, Nussbaum wrote about the racial stereotypes exhibited on 2 Broke Girls with great eloquence.
“There’s plenty to dislike about ‘2 Broke Girls,’ especially the ensemble, which is conceived in terms so racist it is less offensive than baffling. The girls’ Korean boss, Han (Bryce) Lee, talks funny, is short and sexless, and wants to be hip; the black cashier is played by Garrett Morris, who should sue for the limp gags he’s fed; and the horny Eastern European cook has punch lines such as ‘Once you go Ukraine, you will scream with s* x-pain.’”
Later in his article about the aforementioned event, Alan Sepinwall quoted 2 Broke Girls co-creator Michael Patrick King’s response to being confronted about the show’s stereotypes. “If you talk about stereotypes, every character, when it’s born, is a stereotype: A blonde and a brunette, which has certain stigmas as well, which we’ve tried to defuse and grow.” From there, King went on to ask the reporters in attendance to judge the show’s arguably stereotypical characters “in five years” because by then, he would have the time to make them more nuanced.
At that point in the aforementioned event, 2 Broke Girls co-creator Michael Patrick King defended the show in a much more full-throated way. “I personally am thrilled with everything we’re doing.” That comment wasn’t enough to put an end to the conversation and eventually, King explained his perspective on the situation based on his own sexuality. “I’m gay! I’m putting in gay stereotypes every week! I don’t find it offensive, any of this. I find it comic to take everybody down, which is what we are doing.”
Ultimately, throughout the press event, 2 Broke Girls co-creator Michael Patrick King continued to be pressed on the show’s portrayal of race. Based on Uproxx writer Alan Sepinwall’s description of his responses, King got extremely defensive and he praised the show at great length. For example, King stated, “every conversation we’ve had about edge of ‘2 Broke Girls’ is based on extreme wit”. King also said things like “This show is so much fun for the audience I’m surprised the questions are not about fun”.
