Welcome back to the CWR 2 Broke Girls Reviews, everyone! Did you miss the show? Did you miss me [writing about the show]? I’m going to say upfront that I appreciated the break like nothing else, and coming back was . . . difficult. Approaching a show from that angle is far from helpful, and I ended up analyzing every little thing, as I am wont to do regardless. But then the tone of the episode, and perhaps the rest of this season, became crystal clear.

2 Broke Girls is channeling the rom-com vibe like a successful séance. 

Fans of the show are well-aware that things are tense between Caroline and Chef Nicolas, what with him having an épouse back in France and all. On the snarkier, darker haired side of the coin, however, Max has not gotten a lot of action in the drama or bedroom departments. A little bit back with Johnny in Season 1, but since then it has been smooth sailing because her boat has not been rocking. The writers’ room has finally decided to amend that issue, but in a way that makes it feel like a Katherine Heigl movie.

Don’t Trust the B—- refugee Eric Andre has been more or less just playing a goofy dude as Deke, more friendly than flirty. This week he and Max bro a good amount, but also get their dough wet together [not a euphemism] as shown in the image up top. Not one to buck rom-com convention she must of course struggle with whether a potential relationship is worth ruining what they have going on right now. She’s not entirely against the idea, though ["I'm not bromophobic!"].

We’re sticking with the formula, so it stands to reason that Deke has another romantic strictly sexual prospect on the side, and that in her indecision Max tells him to go to her. Go to the titular Judy with the Booty [played by the, uh, endowed Estrella Nouri]. Well, Max doesn’t know her nearly that well, she meant “Judith with the Bootith”. She’s sad, as is typical of someone in her position.

Then finally, in the third act, he admits that him and Judy with the Booty never got to bumping uglies, and he kisses Max. In response to a line that really does feel cribbed from a movie called Misunderstandings Create Conflict Between Potential Lovers But Are Ultimately Resolved.

Then they kiss and it’s beautiful, I guess:

And so that’s what happened to Max, and I feel the need to reiterate it if only because the tone is just so darn strong. The other threads [I'll get to Caroline's in a sec] don’t exude it that strongly, but overall it really feels like a twenty-something minute rom-com. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, of course, but it’s not what 2 Broke Girls has been, even when the aforementioned Johnny was around. Kat Dennings is no Katherine Heigl, is what I’m saying. It remains to be seen how this season wraps up, but with so much emphasis placed on relationships that both female leads have with their respective love interests [I really am excited to get to Caroline] I’d be surprised if this didn’t keep up for at least a few more episodes.

As for Caroline she tries to be angry at Chef Nicolas about his cheating, and later breaks into his office with Max to steal exam info so that the latter can pass. This leads to a few lines that Beth Behrs delivers like, well . . . like it’s her job and she’s very, very good at it. I said it before and I said it again, her comedy game is on point in a big way:

“Max please hurry find the test and let’s get out of here because we shouldn’t be in here and it smells like him and I like it”

“Oh no, it’s Nicolas. I can smell him in the hall. And I like it”

“I’ve missed you. I’m in your office. That’s the only logical explanation I have for being in here”

“Now, kiss me again! But this time lay on top of me so your legs are out of the way. Now go!”

And lastly, before I get to the Stray Observations, I want to take this time to specially highlight that Earl refers to Han’s entrance from the winter-cursed outdoors by quipping “Still don’t know where Han is, but the new Bond villain just arrived.” I need to tell you all that Zao, from Die Another Day is one of my all-time favourite henchmen ever, Korean or otherwise. I mean, dude straight-up has diamonds in his face.

Current Total: $220.

New Total: $252.75 [still unsure of how they're making any money].

The Title Refers To: Judy with the Booty. I want to talk about how there is a big “but” regarding Deke and Max’s relationship, but that particular aspect of it is never really stressed at all. Sorry.

Stray Observations:

• Not only are they selling cupcakes and cocoa during a blizzard in the cold [haha] open, they’re selling them at night.
• Snow actually looked slightly more real than fake, too.
• Oleg has a chinchida hat. Made from the fur of the last one.
• Luis is around, and I really dig his “Who Would You Do” gameplay style.
• “I’m gonna go roll me a fatty; her name is Denise.”
• “Do you mind, Harry Pothead and I are trying to study-”
• Max’s impression of Chef Nicolas: “Hello, Caroline, I’m a man but I am pretty like a lady!”
• “You think she got that thing at a Kim Kardashian backyard sale?”

• “Move your big ass, we’re gonna burn!
• Max’s joke that made me feel legitimately uncomfortable: ”Like I said to my uncle in the middle of the night, ‘This better be good.’” Yeesh.
• 2 Broke Girls Cheesecake Menu:

The Hopefully One-Time Section in Which I Tell Professional Comedy Writers How I Would Better Do Their Jobs:

• Max tells Caroline about how Deke made her “bread wet, if you know what [she's] saying.” Caroline’s response is “Okay, thank you I’m finally off bread.” I personally think that joke would’ve been a lot stronger if she had made more explicit references to dieting, like “And I thought Atkins was going to be hard,” etc.
• Sophie talks about how Max and Caroline hooking up would ruin their friendship and “[her] opinion of Max.” When Caroline asks about Sophie’s opinion of her the Polish woman says “Oh, it’s already pretty low.” I would have had her admit that her respect for the blonde was raised, that her being able to land Max was an upgrade.
• Anyway, just my two cents.

After so many weeks where the focus of this show has been decidedly anything but what the title implies we have an episode that is all about the Benjamins. Last time we were with Max and Caroline the snarky one had found out that her boyfriend [yeah, things were getting serious] Deke was a rich kid. Cue the feeling of betrayal, brace yourselves for the emotional fallout.

Her decision is to break up by breaking into his dumpster house and taking back her toothbrush and her second favourite gnome, Gnomosexual, both clear signs to Caroline that this relationship might actually have a pretty decent foundation. Even though Deke catches her in the act and speaks to the heart of her actions ["you're too big a babypants to tell me you're breaking up with me"] her reason is unassailable: the rich and poor don’t mix. 

A rom-com-esque scheme to have the two reconcile backfires on Caroline, and leads to Max more firmly stating her beliefs [a correction of her friend's assessment] : similar to people of two different religions [Smurfs and witches, in this case], a rich person and a poor person have so little in common that a relationship between them could never, ever work out.

So Deke, who is a smart guy, decides to show her what the other side is like and deposits a cool million bucks into her bank account. That’s when we get some money talk, and reactions that are actually very true to form.

To begin with, Max is so proud of her status pre-million that she decides to really splurge and buy gifts for her pastry classmates, spending all of $143 and intending to return the remainder to Deke. After he refuses it’s put out of her mind, that is until the lovely customer on the right sits in her booth and behaves, albeit a little rudely, like a normal sane person who is receiving terrible service.

Max shows the woman her ATM receipt showing her riches, and when the woman asks her what she’s doing working in a diner she has an epiphany. Why is she working in diner? Why is she working at all? As her and Caroline get more and more excited Max reveals that she doesn’t need dreams when she has money, because what more could you need when you already have it all?

The 2005 Showtime documentary Reversal of Fortune follows a homeless man who was given $100,000 to do with what he liked. He began from working in a recycling plant to having more cash than he knew what to do with, and then what? This man didn’t have a plan, but he had money and the idea that working would no longer have to be an option for someone in his position.

All of which brings on a second, status quo returning epiphany: Max being rich means Max no longer being Max. She writes another cheque to Deke and, seeing where she’s coming from, he accepts it. 

Seeing as how similar the two of them are [something Caroline will not stop going on about this entire episode] there was definitely some conflict needed, and it’s nice that it turns out to be exactly what the first two seasons were devoted to attaining. Whenever compatibility ramps up like this, with romantic obstacles overcome in one to two episodes, you have to wonder where all of this is leading. Will Eric Andre become a regular? I highly doubt it, so it remains to be seen where he and Max, “the Romeo and Juliet of ball banter,” will end up.

Current Total: $560.

New Total: $1,000,560. Heh, psyche! It’s really just $560 because Max returned the money, and apparently they didn’t profit at all this week [maybe it was the $143 spent on gifts?].

The Title Refers To: The diner’s new ATM, which is apparently deserving of a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Key because it’s how Max discovers her newfound riches.

Stray Observations:

• Seeing as how I’m constantly checking out tumblr for 2BG gifs and things, the “ATM: Asian Transgender Male” joke stood out for me as being poorly chosen for that crowd. Then again, the site does have a pretty diverse crowd.
• Max pees standing up. Yes, this is possible.
• “Do you look at life as a game of “Set new lows for Caroline?”
• Occupy Wall Street joke just to stay relevant.
• In this world of easy jokes Caroline mentions Bing and no one says anything.
• Yes, we get it, Earl is old. ”I forgot because I’m a hundred and twenty.”
• Caroline’s breathy distraught voice slayed me.
• Deke’s alter-egos: The Monopoly Man, Deke McRichyMcNeverHadToWorkForAnything, Deke RichyRichPretendedHeWasPoorenstein
• This and last week’s episodes were directed by Phill Lewis, who you may know better as Mr. Moseby from The Suite Life of Zack & Cody.
• Caroline’s joke that made me feel legitimately uncomfortable: “Max, who is Uncle Pennypags? Is he one of the ones who touched you?”
• 2 Broke Girls Cheesecake Menu:

This isn’t the first time the topic of feminism has cropped up on this blog, and it certainly isn’t going to be the last. While much of what we’ve written about it in the past concerns female characters and how they’re portrayed in the media or the various ways actual real-life women are viewed in today’s culture, the truth is that the biggest hindrance feminists everywhere [myself included] face is a painfully simple one. Far too many people have no idea what feminism is.

If you wanted to explore this further without leaving the blog, Gordon’s post “Why I Do Need Feminism” straight-up nails it. It’s essentially a response to images similar to the one on the right, which feature teenage girls holding up signs which underscore the fundamental misunderstanding they have of what feminism really is. If only there was some sort of go-to website that could provide a fairly clear-cut explanation . . . maybe even one that had the express purpose of defining words . . .

Dictionary.com’s first two definitions are as follows:

That all sounds like something the average non-bigoted person could be down with. The above research literally took me less than ten seconds, which is why I find it unforgivable when people like comic book artist David Finch is quoted as saying, regarding Wonder Woman:

 “We want her to be a strong — I don’t want to say feminist, but a strong character. Beautiful, but strong.”

To provide a little context, David Finch and his wife Meredith Finch are going to be taking over the character’s self-titled book in November, with the latter covering writing duties. I want to focus as much as possible on his words here, and not his actual depictions of the character, an example of which you can see right above.There are a lot of different ways we could take the quote, the easiest of which being that to be feminist doesn’t equate to being strong. Another interpretation, and probably the more correct one, is that David Finch believes that to be a feminist means bearing the wrong kind of strength, or utilizing strength in a negative way.

Look, we’ve all heard, or at least read, the term “feminazi”. We can all conjure up that image of the woman who becomes livid the second a door is held open for her. As I said up above, a lot of people misunderstand the concept and those who support it. I’m not even going to lie about it either, these kind of people totally exist and they are not helping anyone, least of all themselves. My main issue is that David Finch is not a confused teenage girl or your average, run-of-the-mill person- David Finch is the man responsible for the portrayal of the feminist icon.

This isn’t to deride any contributions Meredith Finch will undoubtedly provide, being in charge of the narrative voice the book will take. She shared in that same interview a few of her own thoughts, sharing that:

“the thing that drew [Wonder Woman] to me the most was her integrity and the courage of her convictions. She may not always be right, but she’s going to follow through and do what she believes in, whether anyone else believes in it or not. I really love that she’s willing to take a flying leap and then deal with the consequences later.”

And-

“Being able to take on that quintessential female superhero who represents so much for myself and for millions of people out there — especially at a time where comics are coming more into the mainstream — I feel like it’s really special, and that’s really where I’m coming from when I’m writing this.”

That allows me to take some comfort in the creative team, and helps me to give her the benefit of a doubt in spite of her portfolio. Even still, I can’t help but feel troubled about David Finch’s opinions about “feminism” and “strength”, especially when the latter is absolutely essential for the existence of the former. There are no weak “true” feminists, anyone who strongly advocates for women on every level is sure to brush up against opposition sooner or later. Moreover, a Wonder Woman who doesn’t agree with “the doctrine advocating social, political, and all other rights of women equal to those of men” isn’t really one I want to read about.

I’m not one to judge a product without having experienced it, let alone with so many months yet to go before it’s even released. At the very least, this post exists to inform David Finch, and any others [who share his position of influence and otherwise] to think about how they choose to use the word. I wanted to end with that reminder for everyone.

Also with the following two images, presented without comment, Wonder Woman by both current artist Cliff Chiang and the upcoming David Finch.

UPDATE: David Finch has clarified his comments, saying:

Which of course brings up the issue that he somehow sees being a feminist and being human and fallible as somehow being mutually exclusive. Do with his apology what you will.

Readers, it’s the beautiful month of May, and you know what that means-

That’s right! It’s a seemingly unending salvo of rabidly Socialist-themed blog posts!

From me, anyways…

Now readers, normally I’d get right into the thick of things and engage in a lengthy tirade on the insidious-and-soul-crushing nature of the Capitalist system and the failure of the radical left to challenge that. But since this post is coming to you late, how about I talk about something a bit lighter than the minutiae of modern political-economy instead?

How about movies?

Everyone likes movies, and lord knows that these ones listed here have probably done more to inspire righteous radicalism in the common man than all of the cliff notes on Das Kapital put together. Whether you’re a dirty, seditious Commie or just a fan of the berets and impassioned speeches, here’s Culture War Reporter’s recommendations for your revolutionary viewing pleasure:

The Edukators (German Title: Die Fetten Jahre Sind Vorbei)

Now right off the bat, yes, that is Daniel Brühl, of Rush and Inglorious Basterds. Now that you’re done wondering “where the **** have I seen that guy?”, let’s get into it.

Our story opens with a cadre of disaffected youth, tired and disillusioned with capitalism but not sure exactly what to do with themselves. The characters find themselves drawn into a campaign of pranking the houses of the wealthy elite- harmlessly, at first, but building momentum and severity. Their well-intentioned social statements spiral wildly out of control when they accidentally kidnap the owners of one of the estates they vandalize. Don’t think this is some cheap action movie though- the quiet, contemplative tone packs just as much punch, if not more, than any thriller.

More than anything, The Edukators is an exploration- touching on the zealotry of youth, the realities of growing up, and idealism in a world where ideals just aren’t relevant. The Edukators raises more questions than it offers, and is sure to convict both revolutionary and reactionary alike.

The Motorcycle Diaries (Spanish Title: Diarios de Motocicleta)

Based on the journals of perhaps the most famous revolutionary (Communist or otherwise) to have ever lived, The Motorcycle Diaries is still more of a road-trip flick than a biography. As with The Edukators, action is dropped in favor of one hell of a slow-burn as we journey along with Ernesto and his best friend through vista after stunning vista across the South American continent. Motorcycle Diaries takes the more subtle route, showing the first flickers of Che Guevara’s transformation from happy-go-lucky scoundrel to revolutionary icon.

I did mention that it was about a young Che Guevara, right?

A Huey P. Newton Story

It’s tough to come by Socialist films in English where the dreaded Reds are being portrayed as borscht-slurping, vodka-guzzling villains. Still, with a little digging and some creativity, you can find ’em, and perhaps none stands out so much as Spike Lee’s lesser-known masterpiece, A Huey P. Newton Story. Almost more poetry than a movie, the audience is graced with a one-on-one discussion with the Black Panther Party founder Huey P. Newton, as he narrates the rise and fall of one of the most wrongfully maligned and misunderstood forces of black history.

In Time

2011’s In Time never quite got a fair shake. In spite of a star-studded cast and a decent box-office pull, the flick fizzled with critics and was swiftly forgotten by the public. Which is a shame, because it’s a really, really, really good movie.

Not perfect, mind- far from it, if we’re being honest. But it’s rare to see a truly independent science-fiction movie actually get some decent funding while still addressing the issue of classism and wealth inequality.

Set in a dystopian future where the hours of a person’s life have become currency, the rich luxuriate in lives of decadent (and potentially millennia spanning) boredom while the poor live, quite literally, from one day to the next, a young worker’s life is changed forever when a wealthy stranger donates over a century of life to him. Our protagonist is plunged into a lethal game of cat-and-mouse as he attempts to evade the dreaded time-keepers, the envy of his fellow workers, and the avarice of the rich.

The Wind That Shakes the Barley

It’s all too common for the Irish struggle for independence to get cast solely in the light of a tragic and pointless feud between Catholics and Protestants. Fortunately, The Wind That Shakes the Barley offers much needed balance to the story of the IRA, including it’s oft-forgotten roots as- surprise, surprise- a Socialist organization. While it would be unfair to classify the beautiful film as either a Marxist product or a film celebrating the left, the subtext of the struggle of the Irish working class and poor runs strong throughout the story, and The Wind That Shakes the Barley is well worth the watch for any pinko.

Marx in Soho

This isn’t the first time I’ve sung the praises of celebrated historian Howard Zinn’s Marx in Soho. Which should again reinforce how staggeringly good this play is, especially coming from a guy who hates the theater with an undying and fiery passion. This play (linked below and performed by the incomparable Brian Jones) takes you on a roller coaster, shifting flawlessly from the heights of triumph to the depths of despair. From the comedic to the sweeping arc of history to the man himself, in all his human flaws and failings. If there’s a link you click on this site, make it this one.

The Trotsky

No list would be complete without this one.

Perhaps my favorite movie of all time, The Trotsky is equal parts comedy, underdog story, and fist-pumping call to action. We follow the struggle of Leon Bronstein, Canadian high school student and- if he is to be believed- the reincarnation of Russian revolutionary leader Leon Trotsky. After a series of mishaps lands him in public school, Leon finds himself leading his friends into a heated battle for a (real) student union. If you have a shred of leftist sympathy in you- heck, even if you just know somebody who’s a Red- watch this movie.