Hacks (an apt title)

[j swift]

I am not a fan of the show, and I struggle to understand the praise it has received.

The culture hardly needs two shows focused on the life and career of Joan Rivers. While The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel draws inspiration from Rivers' early career, Hacks seems to borrow from her later life. It's reminiscent of the redundancy in yet another Batman origin story.  Much like nobody asked for a fourth show about the downfall of Truman Capote, I think there are more interesting stories to be told.  This is coming from a long-time Joan Rivers fan, who enjoyed her work on *The Tonight Show*, her daytime talk show, QVC, and *Fashion Police*.

The episodes are highly repetitive. Deborah Vance (a stand-in for Rivers) does something insensitive, learns a lesson, everyone gets emotional, and the cycle repeats in the next episode. Given its platform on MAX and its target audience of boomers, the show also derives humor from a lesbian comic who is often too "woke". As well as, the overly capable gay assistants who are portrayed as lonely and easily distracted by sex. Moreover, Deborah’s on-stage performances are not funny. The jokes feel outdated, and her ignorance of modern culture makes her appear unintelligent.

The costumes and scenery are great.  But, it is not enough for me.  And as a longtime LA resident, I hate that they casually go from Downtown to the Westside in the same evening, which is only happens on TV.  If anyone can defend this, I am willing to listen.

Edited June 1, 2024 by j swift

[DaytimeFan]

I love the show and devoured this latest season. Look forward to season 4.

Very much enjoyed the cameo from Deidre Hall.