Maybe it’s because I’m a father that I notice these things more than I used to, but I was shocked, shocked I tell you, by the incredible number of sexual references last night on NBC’s two-hour comedy block. I mean, wow, it was actually unbelievable. My Name is Earl had a sex doll, The Office was about a flasher and had a plotline about Michael’s sexual activities with Jan, and Scrubs focused virtually all its energy on the notion of elderly folks having sex and JD trying to get with Melody (Keri Russell).
Thankfully, my child is not yet at the age where I have to worry about her being awake at that hour or her watching television in general, but I would have been distinctly uncomfortable watching the shows with her. Trying to explain the sex doll Joy got for Darnell on Earl would have been difficult, particularly when Joy explains to Darnell that it’ll be more lifelike if he puts it in a hot tub for 20 minutes or that the head is detachable. And, that’s the 8 PM show.
The Office was less explicit, but continued the theme. The numerous jokes about the flasher and the flashed bits, and Michael’s issues in bed with Jan (she insists on taping them and then playing it back with her therapist), while more serious than Earl’s doll (except for the bit where Michael pretended to be a flasher, putting his hand in his pants, lowering the zipper, and then sticking a finger out of the fly), continued the whole theme long enough for Scrubs to take the ball and run with it.
And, run with the ball Scrubs did. Carla and Elliot spent much of their time trying to figure out what was wrong with their elderly patients while JD did his best to get his hands (literally) on Melody, Elliot’s sorority sister. It eventually became clear that due to sexual enhancement drugs, the elderly folks had been successfully sleeping around and both contracted syphilis. Numerous jokes were made by and about Bob Kelso and his abilities in this area due to drugs as well.
Article comments
1 - Webbster
Scrubs and the others are TV 14 rating (I think) so why are you watching with your under age daughter ?
If you don't like it, don't watch it. Switch over to
Pax or whatever they are called this week...
2 - TV and Film Guy
Actually, I'm not watching them with my child, as noted in the article.
3 - greenliving07
The foul language on "Scrubs" was even worse than the sexual innuendos. And the normally funny "Office" made me feel simply uncomfortable. It may be sweeps month, but shame on NBC!