'Whitney' Premiere: What's With The Boozy Divorcee?

Within the first five minutes of "Whitney," the show's M.O. asserted itself and would not go away: relationships, love, sex and the lack thereof in this terrible modern purgatory we call singlehood. The real Whitney worries about this stuff and so too it seems will her fictional pawns. The standout victim so far in a cast of plenty is Whitney's friend Roxy (played by Rhea Seehorn), who pops up for one reason only -- to act as boozy and divorced as possible.

Sad and acid-tongued, Roxy wanders from scene to scene, dropping pearls of divorced-woman wisdom and chugging wine by the glass or better yet straight from the bottle.

"Whitney" fully embraces this and all other stereotypes -- just like that other Whitney Cummings original from this week, "2 Broke Girls" -- to the point you have to wonder if the real Whitney has ever actually met a divorced woman, or if her research ended at watching a lot of Lifetime.

But it's too early to write the whole thing off. New shows often try to endear their characters to a suspicious public by exaggerating their "lovable" personality tics in the first episode (remember the weirdly ditzy Leslie Knope of "Parks and Rec" season one?). A little market research later, and the character's got a whole new set of lovable tics. With that in mind, we want to extend a hand to Roxy. She may be over the top, but who knows how long it'll last? Maybe she'll find an alligator-wrestler who sweeps her off her sad sarcastic feet with a well-timed dance routine that's not at all unmanly, and that'll be that. Goodbye single lady, hello ratings week! Maybe! In the meantime, we've compiled a compendium of her greatest hits from last night. Soak it in, guys. Nothing inexplicably angry can stay.

Video edited by Samuel Wilkes

Check out more from "Whitney" below:

Comments

[Colorado Taxes]

12:03 AM on 10/04/2011

I wanted to like Whitney. She is attractive, charming, and yet the comedy wasn't appealing.

[Rita Foster]

11:22 AM on 09/26/2011

I laughed, I cried, I loved it.

[clero1]

08:04 AM on 09/26/2011

Whitney tried way too hard for laughs and mostly failed. 10 to 12 year olds would find the show funny if their parents allowed them to watch it. The time slot was wasted - Whitney should be cleaned up and put on as an after-school program.

[euromarkusx]

11:28 PM on 09/25/2011

Best line in the show "get off my balls!"

[Mauimom]

04:24 PM on 09/25/2011

***But it's too early to write the whole thing off.***

I disagree. I thought this show was HORRIBLE. Completely unfunny. Stupid, stupid laugh track.

Why did NBC put it in the middle of its winning Thursday night line-up? Why didn't they put "Up All Night" in that slot and let the awful "Whitney" die?

[pastapuff]

07:01 PM on 09/25/2011

I loved the show but I will address your ability to be critical with the use of CAPITAL letters. You seem to enjoy offering suggestions so i will be like you and suggest for you to get a waxing. Your photo is ok but it still looks like your unsocial ability has resulted in a total lack of personnel grooming. YIKES!!!! (you must love my use of caps) sister...you need help in so many areas.

[Vivicca Whitsett]

02:20 PM on 09/26/2011

Hey Pastapuff -- is that you Whitney or one of the producer(s)/ writer(s)? You're defending this pilot a bit too vigorously and personally to be just John/Joan Q Public. Read them for what they are and, if need be, go back to the writers room and tweek the show. Get rid of the laugh tracks -- too obvious and nothing sounds better than a live audience.

[driverstest]

03:23 PM on 09/25/2011

TV = vast wasteland.

[pastapuff]

06:53 PM on 09/25/2011

let me ask you a simple question. Why do you spend time speaking about a subject that is such a wasteland. By your own admission you walk in the pool of poop that you seem to distain. I do not know what your issues are but it seems hypocritical to me if you were in fact so disgusted then you would not even be on this site making amazing insights.

[Vivicca Whitsett]

02:30 PM on 09/26/2011

Ok Whitney - no need to get personal.

[PuertoRicanprincess]

01:57 PM on 09/25/2011

it was funny, she was trying to be all sexy for her boyfriend, and look what happened, hahaha

[GoodNews]

08:44 AM on 09/25/2011

...laugh tracks are so annoying...as are shows that use them...

[David Zucca]

05:00 PM on 09/24/2011

I think this show could be good if given a few episodes. Whitney is a funny girl but not an actress. Maybe she can settle in and get her delivery down a bit, actually they all need to work on that. Take the "live audience" out of it or at least tell them to shut up. If anyone has ever watched Scrubs and seen the episode "My Life In Four Cameras" they mock sitcoms like this with the obvious punch lines and fake laughter. That is all I could think of during this. With some good tweekings and open ears maybe they could turn this show into what it could/should be.

[MexiChick67]

01:54 PM on 09/24/2011

I had an older friend who survived two bitter divorces and she had the same attitude as the divorcee in Whitney, plus the booze. She was funny, too. Then she did therapy and it all went away. Oh well.

[Mickey Ellis]

01:39 PM on 09/24/2011

Two Broke Girls, really funny. This one, um, not so much.

[pastapuff]

12:54 AM on 09/24/2011

Thank you for posting that clip from the Whitney how. I love Roxy. She has the right timing and talent that adds the smart type of comedy to this type of show.
I'm a huge fan of Whitney and how they are developing this show is something that I look forward to because I just wanna laugh and that Roxy and Whitney make me laugh. It's just that simple. Please post more clips guys...thanks!

[mygiza]

10:44 PM on 09/23/2011

As for female comedians, Whitney Cummings is easier on the eyes and ears

than Joan Rivers or Rosie O'Donnell ----yet lacks the delivery and control

of Sarah Silverman or Judy Tenuta.

[tall coolone]

08:55 PM on 09/23/2011

She does stand up too...not much better

[inthedesert]

07:52 PM on 09/23/2011

So..........rather than a best friend who is gay....she has a best friend who drinks? Okay.