You're Cut Off (entry one)

Oh my goodness. VH1 has a new show that definitely is in the running for one of the shows that perpetuates the most negative stereotypes of any show ever. It's called "You're Cut Off." I've only been able to stomach watching a few minutes, and my brain is still processing the layers and layers disgustingness, so these are just my first thoughts. The premise, as with ever so many reality shows, involves lots of women living in too close quarters with too much alcohol. As far as I can gather all of the women are very rich, but none independently. I thought the cut off bit was just that they were made to go with their ridiculous amount of money for a bit, but I think supposedly their "benefactors," as the host called them, pretty creepily, cut them off, and only the winner gets to be taken back into the folds of wealth. Maybe? I can't really be bothered to figure it out, and it's not like anyone cares.

There's a bit of a (yes, I do remember this entire show name) Flavor of Love Girls Charm School Starring Mo'nique quality about it, as there's a woman host, the model of lady like behavior, who is there to teach these out of control women to be lady like. As with Mo'nique's show, the audience and host watch in horror, horror!, as the contestants behave "badly," with a capital B, if you know what I mean. The explicit purpose of both shows is for these women to be put in their place. In reality show's amazing capacity to get lower when you thought they were at the bottom, there is an explicit purpose to their training, other than being functional members of society, which is to be properly demure and grateful to their "benefactors" (I'm assuming mostly meaning boyfriends, husbands, and fathers). Can you see what I'm talking about people? The levels of sexism are just unending! The women in this show act so horrendously mean, spoiled, and generally unappealing that it is practically impossible not to be drawn into the premise and very badly want them all to be knocked down a peg.

As always though, it's not just the premise that's a problem. Just in these few minutes I got to see enacted not only pretty much every negative stereotype of women in general (backstabbing, overly sensitive, nosy, etc. etc.), but also black women (the black women are particularly vicious). I also was treated to a discussion of old versus new money, a Jewish woman wearing some shirt involving being proud to be a JAP (jewish american princess), and a van full of women being terrified of being driven to a spa that is in a neighborhood that has, *gasp*, barbed wire. Then they enter the Asian spa where all of the Asian staff is standing waiting for them, and of course the show plays some of that stereotypical Asian music that seems to be legally required for most shows to play when any Asians appear on screen.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, was all in one segment between commercial breaks. I'm assuming I'll have more to write about this, but it's just possible that it's beyond even my limits and I'll never, ever, see or write about it again.