Cheers & Jeers: Last Man Standing's Woman Problem
Tim Allen
Jeers to Last Man Standing for wasting talented actresses in throwaway roles.
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Tim Allen's freshman ABC sitcom surrounds the Home Improvement vet with females — then doesn't give them anything remotely funny to do. At this point, Nancy Travis could play the impossibly patient wife role in her sleep, and each of her three TV daughters (who this week teamed up to film a music video touting the tastiness of one's "Pie Rack") is given a single personality trait each. That's especially shameful in the case of Kaitlyn Dever, who showed such range as a strong-willed orphan on Justified.
The latest episode also brought in a pair of distaff guest stars, Andrea Bendewald and The New Adventures of Old Christine's hysterical Emily Rutherfurd, and stereotype-cast them as the butch and femme halves of a lesbian couple who move in next door. But, in Last Man's limited view, all women are alike; even Bendewald's motorcycle-riding, football-loving Charlie is insulted when Allen makes a crack about the size of her butt. That's not the only big ass on Last Man Standing.
What do you think of Last Man Standing's treatment of women?
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