Some of you may think that TV Squad is filled with cheerleaders, that we all love TV so much that we rarely pull out our swords and skewer a show. Well, this should change your mind. I tuned in to Cougar Town last night and, I have to say, I was appalled. I thought I had seen what is likely the worst sitcom of the season -- Accidentally on Purpose -- but Cougar Town has surpassed it in badness.Let me preface the rest of this criticism by saying that I was a loyal viewer of Friends. I liked Bruce Springsteen's video Dancing in the Dark. Scream was a hoot! I've been following Courteney Cox's career for years and I think she's terrific. She's funny and pretty and self-deprecating. I went into Cougar Town with high hopes. In other words, I have good will for Courteney Cox, like Jenna Elfman.
However, Cougar Town was an insult to comedy, not to mention women. Not that I'm going off on a femme-rant here, but the women on Cougar Town, at least in the pilot, were all obsessed with sex to the exclusion of anything else.
Um...no. That's not how we all think when there's so much else to worry about. Jules is a real estate agent in Florida in a market that's crashed. You would never know that in the pilot. But that's just details. As a woman, as a human being, where was Jules' self-confidence and self-worth. If the character is not better than that, I don't want to know her. Cox is better than this character. and so it Cox.
In Joel's review, he was willing to stick with Cougar Town for a few more episodes to see if Bill Lawrence could fix the flaws. I'm not so sure it's worth the bother.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
9-24-2009 @ 11:34AM
colleen said...
I have to agree with you - she is a good actress and this show really was bad. I want for her to be successful but god it was bad. I like the son though, he is good. I keep seeing Monica when she talks...
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9-25-2009 @ 7:04AM
swthompson said...
I could not disagree more. I laughed out loud throughout the show.
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9-24-2009 @ 11:49AM
Venus said...
I completely disagree. I laughed out load several times while watching this show. I thought it was hilarious
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9-24-2009 @ 11:59AM
Venus said...
Sorry I can't spell ... I laughed out "LOUD" :-)
9-24-2009 @ 11:49AM
Galley said...
Wait a minute; there are women in this world who like sex? Why wasn't I told?
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9-24-2009 @ 12:01PM
scott said...
I dunno, it wasn't perfect - neither were the first few episodes of scrubs - but it got me laughing a few times, and i never once wondered why a half hour sitcom about 'cougars' was heavy on the sex and light on the economic downturn.
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9-24-2009 @ 12:11PM
Key Rick said...
I don't think the main character's desire to be desired was obsessive. She'd evidently gone without sex since the divorce. I'd like to think it's as natural for a fictional female character to be wanton. The fictional male characters certainly shouldn't have all the fun and associated awkward moments that also occurred in last night's pilot. I'll hang with Cougartown over Accidentally On Purpose any night.
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9-24-2009 @ 12:18PM
Wii60 said...
I thought it was funny. Classic Bill Lawrence. In fact, Courtney Cox delivered that type of humor better than Zach Braff did.
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9-25-2009 @ 12:54AM
Jeff N. said...
My wife and I laughed quite a bit. So we will watch again next week.
Courtney Cox was very good in the role.
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9-24-2009 @ 1:17PM
Eludium-Q36 said...
Prude-much Allison ?! Ever heard of "Desperate Housewives" ? "Dirty Sexy Money" ? And you're complaining about a 1/2hr sitcom ?! Maybe a better title for the show would be "Desperate Divorcees" but isn't that what "Cougars" are anyway ?
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9-24-2009 @ 1:55PM
RT said...
I thought the show was very funny, and a lot better than the junk that fills the rest of the airwaves.
It's not an insult to anyone. It's comedy.
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9-24-2009 @ 2:21PM
Kristi said...
I thought it had some funny scenes, but by the end I was thinking, 'Why did I just watch that?' to see my reasons, read this.
http://www.orble.com/teevee-cougar-town-ep1/
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9-24-2009 @ 3:05PM
Christian H. said...
Watching it right now, halfway through and if it weren't for Courteney Cox in her underwear I would have quit already. Not funny at all and boring as hell. So it will be a huge success and win an Emmy next year.
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9-24-2009 @ 4:28PM
wulfn1 said...
Funny, all the shows I think are dumb seem to become "the most popular show" when they're on.
Guess I'll stick to watching history,or discovery channel.
Doesn't seem to be anyone out there who can write a comedy anymore.
9-24-2009 @ 4:34PM
Oneiroi said...
In the back of my head, I've been rooting for this show to fail based on the name alone.
I didn't realize till the interview here that it was a Bill Lawrence thing, and I love everything he does.
So now I have no idea what to think or feel!?
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9-24-2009 @ 7:29PM
Justin said...
It was the first episode. Pilots/first episodes rarely set the tone for a season or a show.
Besides, I liked Courtney Cox doing her best interpretation of Sarah Chalk's Elliott Reed in her 40s.
And when was being obsessed with sex a bad thing? This country has gotten too puritanical. It's got to stop.
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9-24-2009 @ 11:30PM
Amanda said...
I loved the show. I thought it was really funny. Courtney's comedic timing was awesome as always. Good show, I will definitely continue watching!
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9-24-2009 @ 11:39PM
Kai said...
I started watching thinking that the show was going to be rubbish and ended up liking it quite a lot (and I laughed several times - I'll definitely be watching it again)
Insulting to women? WTF? The show is about a woman in her late 30's (It was 30's wasn't it?) who's witty, smart and attractive. She's had enough of living by what society thinks is right for her (and being lonely) and decides to take things into her own hands and do what SHE wants.. In what universe is that insulting to women?
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9-28-2009 @ 11:27PM
Mary said...
I made the mistake of watching Cougar Town because, until her performance in Cougar Town, I enjoyed Courteney Cox. But this show is a pathetic attempt at humor by degrading women and promoting pedophilia. It's "entertainment" like this that perpetuates the downward spiral of morality in this country. Cougar Town should be cancelled and the writers, producers, and actors should be sent for psychological evaluations.
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9-27-2009 @ 8:48PM
marm said...
I have to say I respectfully disagree with you. I watched "Accidentally on Purpose" and "Cougartown" and very much enjoyed both of them. I will happily continue watching.
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