'Work It' Canceled: Shark-Jumping Show About Guys Who Dress up as Girls to Get Jobs

By Dennis Romero Mon., Jan. 16 2012 at 12:17 PM

ABC

'Work It' boyfriends.

Two hairy bros can't get jobs. So they dress up as women to get their high heels in the door.

Hilarious. Lets green-light that, said the professional shark jumpers at ABC. Not so fast, said such LBGT groups the Human Rights Campaign and and GLAAD. It's offensive to gay and transgender people (not to mention women, who don't actually have an easy time getting jobs -- unless they're 1 percenters like Kim Kardashian).

The website Gawker mounted a campaign against Work It, calling it ...

... the worst show in history.

A bit of hyperbole, if you ask us: To be the worst show in history you'd actually have to last like, at least a season.

In the case of Work It, ABC pulled the plug quietly over the weekend after just two episodes.

We love this ABC "press release," billed as a scheduling "correction/update" in which the next three episodes of Work It are deleted out of existence.

ABC entertainment honcho Paul Lee compared Work It to the Dustin Hoffman movie Tootsie and said he didn't get the outrage. This how ABC billed the program:

From "Friends" producers Andrew Reich & Ted Cohen comes "Work It," a high-concept comedy about two unrepentant guy's guys, Lee and Angel, who are unable to find work in a tough economy and dress as women to get jobs. Not only do they pull it off, but learn that to be a better man may mean having to be a better woman.

(Again, we're surprised more women's groups weren't pissed as well).

HRC and GLAAD leaders Joe Solmonese and Mike Thompson wrote in the Huffington Post:

The premise of this show is repulsive, and ABC -- a network that routinely scores highly in GLAAD's annual TV reports and whose parent company, Disney, receives a perfect 100-percent score from HRC's Corporate Equality Index -- should know better than to air it.

The group took out a full-page in Variety urging the network to clip this particularly offensive appendage.

Victory.

Today GLAAD rejoiced, via statement by Herndon Graddick, senior communicator:

As a result of this campaign, an important dialogue has been started in Hollywood and mainstream media about the real discrimination faced by transgender people today.

[@dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]

Tags:

ABC, comedy, cross dresser, GLAAD, jump the shark, LGBT, prime time, television, transgender

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Just Wrong

They went to far. I wish it was on HBO,Showtime.. it would have stayed.. I hope another network picks it up. It was funny as !@#$. I agree with those organizations causes.. some times.. but not this time.. too far. They even threatened ABC, just look at their response. Just wrong....

Liz

I loved the it was funny; people need to calm down it's just a T.V show no need to get your panties in a bunch. :)

Krncmrn

Ridiculous that this was cancelled. Seriously people, get some thicker skin. I'm heavy but am not offended by shows like Mike and Molly. Pretty soon we'll be back to cartoons. We can all be different colours, cross gender, tall, fat, skinny, short (little people, is that right) OMG, this is censorship and it is ridiculous. It's a shame we can't laugh at ourselves or tv programs as it might offend someone. If you look for problems, you will find them anywhere you look. Keep looking, keep whining, stomp your feet and you'll eventually get your way. ABC, find your backbone. This was a great show, unlike the new "It's me Vodka........now ther'es a disapointment. Surprised it's not cancelled by supporters of AA as it's promoting drinking???

Xandra

This show is awesome! it's very funny, it's not discriminating at all, It's pure fun.

Xandra

I bet the people who canceled the show are the same ones who exploded when Adan Lambert kissed his band mate during his performance on ABC.

Xandra

Adam Lambert*

Darcy

I actually am disappoint the show is cancelled I'm a woman and I like it very funny.

Rargran

Controversy aside, this show was bad with weak ratings. Cancellation was inevitable. That being said GLAAD and the HRC have wasted valuable creditability targeting an obvious loser like Work It. I don't recall reading about their outrage in 2007 when Tom Hanks' Bosom Buddies was successfully released on DVD. Donors to GLAAD and the HRC should be ashamed of that poor performance.

China

I feel the show was hilarious, n not offensive at all.... I am a female. i loved this show..

Thedf

I agree, I have been looking for the show, wondering where it went. I usually don't like the 1/2 hour shows but this one was great and so much fun to watch. Hopefully they will bring it back.

Work_It_SHOULD AIR

I do too! We should petition for it to air!!! What about SNL and all the shows listed by Christopher Neal above? Those shows are offensive too. But they are funny!!! We should have some laughs in our lives. I'm a female and I can't stop rewatching the show everytime it airs!!!

Christopher Neal

Yet another example of "political correctness" gone too far. This plot was fine in the 80s with Tom Hanks' TV show where him & his roommate lived in a woman's building, exact same plot. How 'bout the movie White Chicks? People should get the F over it.