The other morning I found myself watching the pilot to a new show on ABC Family, titled "Kevin From Work." With a charming title and an awkward, doe-eyed frontman (hint: Kevin), I thought this show had promise.
Of course, I was proven wrong.
The plot is typical: an unrealistically cute, unlucky-in-love white guy named Kevin falls for an unrealistically perfect and gorgeous white girl named Audrey that he meets at work. But alas, unrealistically perfect and somehow-always-gorgeous white girl has a really awful boyfriend that treats her like a nuisance. Why, oh why couldn’t unrealistically perfect and somehow-always-gorgeous white girl realize that the love of her life is actually our protagonist, the unrealistically cute and somehow unlucky-in-love white guy?
While an entire article could be written concerning the absolute ridiculousness of this ever-present plot line in T.V. sitcoms, this article is concerning the secondary characters of, Kevin From Work, specifically the females. Why, in 2015, are female characters on television still depicted as one dimensional?
Throughout the course of this T.V. pilot we meet various female characters with the same ditzy personality. Each of these characters has the same punchline, the fact that they want sex, have sex, live for sex is a joke. Besides Audrey, of course, who is just as unrealistic as her feminine companions.
Audrey's character confuses me. Why would a character who is supposed to be as perfect and untouchable as Audrey choose to be with a boyfriend who treats her horribly? I have never understood why this is a stereotype of females in Hollywood. An actual, complex woman, especially someone as confident and personable as Audrey, does not need someone to hurt her and most likely would not stay with someone who is hurting her. Contrary to what T.V. sitcom writers believe, women do not need to be in a relationship to survive. Promoting an emotionally abusive relationship, especially as a comedic tactic, is just unhealthy.
Our other one-deminsional friends have traits just as horrifying. Julia is Kevin and Audrey's boss. She has achieved her place in the company through sex. She only wears tight-fitting dresses and constantly makes passes at the male employees. Because, you know, it is extremely unrealistic and definitely less funny when a women is able to rise in a company based on her skill rather than her body. We met Kevin's sister, Roxie, as she calls Kevin to tell him how she is so excited, like, so excited, to be in L.A. She exclaims how thrilled she is that Kevin will no longer be living in the apartment they were supposed to be sharing because now she can bring guys back. Roxie has to hang up the call though because she has to flash her boobs at a passing driver on the freeway to which she exclaims, "Hey, you! Can you tell your kids to cover their eyes?" (Kevin From Work, Ep. 1, S. 1). This is legitimately 3 minutes and 45 seconds into the episode. Lastly, we have Patti, Audrey's roommate. Kevin "accidentally" sleeps with Patti in an attempt to get a letter he wrote Audrey back. Patti is now unbelievably in love with Kevin and begins to stalk him. "Comedy" gold.
What makes the women of this show so appalling is that their male counterparts appear to be actual people, especially Kevin. And while it can be noted that Kevin is the main character of the show, it is no excuse. Granted, this particular show has only been on for two episodes, but Kevin From Work, I beg of you to give as much depth and personality to your females as you do to your males. Even if the show is supposed to be a "satire" of some sort, these recurring feminine stereotypes are only reflections of how some of society genuinely views women. Uninteresting and ridiculous stereotypes are not funny anymore. Frankly, they never have been.
