Tuesday, February 06, 2007

CBS' "Rules of Engagement" is both bad comedy and bad commentary

CBS previewed their new comedy, Rules of Engagement, and based on the Superbowl previews I thought it might be funny. Lots of humorous material can be found in the relationships between singles, engaged and married couples. Numerous other comedies on being single and being married have entertained TV audiences for years. NBC successes like Friends and Mad About You prove there's plenty that's humorous in both those situations--enough for 396 episodes over 10 years.

Perhaps Rules isn't meant to be a comedy, but a horror serial. Showing first how insensitive and impossible domesticate men are and second how stupid women are to consider relationships with them in the first place.


The only thing scarier than the show might be its success. Sure, people are supposed to understand sitcoms are fictional, but how can the same adults that think Wiley E. Coyote encourages violence in youngsters not believe Rules might sour the appeal of civilized societies' greatest building block--marriage? They can't have it both ways.


For Rules, its pilot episode was one too many. CBS should keep looking for something to follow
Two and a Half Men.