When Is Television Too Personal?
Coarse 'Starved' Pushes Limits In Exposing Characters' Demons
By Joe Flint
Wall Street Journal
August 3, 2005
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB112299828256102666,00.html?mod=home_us_inside_today
Cable television has emerged as a leading source of successful dramatic
series, with FX, TNT and USA racking up on one groundbreaking show after
another. But when it comes to comedy, cable has yet to make much of an impact.
News Corp.'s FX is hoping to change that. This week, the network is
launching two high-profile comedies -- "Starved," about four friends who
suffer from eating disorders as well as other personality quirks, and "It's
Always Sunny in Philadelphia," about four slacker friends who run a bar.
As with its dramas "Rescue Me," "Nip/Tuck" and "The Shield," FX's comedies
are on the dark side. But "Starved," with its perverse humor and churlish
characters, is both stranger and more abrasive than those shows.
In the first episode, the lead character fixates on a British woman he sees
in a racy snack commercial. He attempts to remake a woman he is dating in
the ad's image, buying her similar shoes and persuading her to speak in a
British accent while they engage in foreplay. Another character uses his
job as a police officer to shake down Chinese food deliverymen. And as soon
as he is done wolfing down his free meal, he forces himself to vomit. In
another episode, one of the characters visits a dominatrix. His fantasy: To
watch a football game in peace without his wife harassing him.
Created by Eric Schaeffer, who also stars in the show, "Starved" is an
unflinching look at addictive as well as narcissistic behavior. Mr.
Schaeffer knows his material. A recovering alcoholic and drug addict, he
has also struggled with food, which he says is a much greater challenge.
"You can eliminate alcohol and drugs and live happily; food you have to
have to live," he said in an interview. While it might have been tempting
to focus on substance abuse, Mr. Schaeffer thought that theme already had
been mined extensively on television. Food issues have been given far less
attention, yet, he said, many more people can relate to the anxiety.
"Most people in this country have some kind of challenge with body image,"
he said. He notes that when he was younger, he used to look at women when
he went to parties. Now that he is over 40, he says, "it's men's bellies
and hairlines" that draw his attention. His current obsession is his neck.
"My neck gives away my age, where my face doesn't," he says.
In "Starved," Mr. Schaeffer is laying out all of his personal demons. While
many creative talents in television use their work to express their vision
of the world (HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm" comes to mind), few are as grim
and self-absorbed as Mr. Schaeffer, who says he "celebrates all sorts of
aspects of [his] humanity." A veteran of independent films and theater,
"Starved" is his third shot at a television series.
In a culture obsessed with appearance, Mr. Schaeffer's show is sure to
strike a chord. But "Starved" is about more than food. Mr. Schaeffer's
character of Sam is also every woman's dating nightmare, constantly
tormenting his companions but ultimately doing more harm to himself. The
lone female lead in the ensemble, played by Laura Benanti, struggles with
her mercurial gay father, who belittles her recovery from bulimia. That
strain leads her to a drinking problem and an inability to commit in
relationships.
"Starved," which premieres this Thursday at 10 p.m., has already won praise
from many critics. Time Magazine called it "crudely brilliant," while
People, a magazine that has devoted considerable ink itself to eating
disorders, awarded the show four stars. The Wall Street Journal's Dorothy
Rabinowitz gave "Starved" a mixed review, but called Mr. Schaeffer's
performance "distinctly compelling." But Variety, the entertainment
industry's leading trade publication, panned the show. Borrowing from Steve
Martin's famous line about comedy not being pretty, Variety's Brian Lowry
wrote that "it's hard to remember one being a whole lot uglier."
Some viewers are likely to have a similar reaction. Already, the National
Eating Disorders Association has come out against the show, calling it
"appalling and reprehensible," and lacking empathy for people with eating
disorders.
The president of FX, John Landgraf, concedes that the network is taking a
risk with the show. "'Starved' is going to be very polarizing
but that is
the nature of our network -- we're not trying to make a show that is
palatable to everyone."
In anticipation of protests, Mr. Schaeffer said he expected that some
people "will lash out, quite honestly because that is what some people do
when they are frightened or misunderstand." In Mr. Landgraf's view, the
comedy genre has become stale, mostly because it suffers from "a failure of
courage." He isn't sure whether the trepidation reflects excessive caution
within the television industry, or whether audiences are reluctant to watch
tough material.
In all likelihood, the pressure originates both inside and outside the
industry. Facing nervous advertisers worried about boycotts, media
activists ready to pounce on material they deem offensive and regulators
increasingly willing to levy indecency fines, programmers are becoming more
reluctant to challenge the status quo.
Of course, being controversial or vulgar sometimes can be an end in itself.
"Starved" contains touches of brilliances, but sometimes it feels as if Mr.
Schaeffer is pushing boundaries simply because he can. That can be fun for
an episode or two, but Mr. Schaeffer will have to delve deeper into the
demons that torment the characters to keep viewers coming back. He clearly
has the potential to do that, if he can resist the urge to get too caught
up in celebrating all the aspects of his humanity.
================================
George Antunes, Political Science Dept
University of Houston; Houston, TX 77204
Voice: 713-743-3923 Fax: 713-743-3927
antunes at uh dot edu
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