NBC Brings More Raunch to Primetime with Launch of 'Chelsea'
From the network that brought you the failed show, "The Playboy Club," NBC is now offering more trashy television with the new primetime comedy, "Are You There, Chelsea?" based on the book by comedienne and host of "Chelsea Lately," Chelsea Handler. The sitcom, which premiered January 11, centers on the life of Chelsea Handler, a bartender who prays to Vodka, drinks heavily without regret and has a provocative and public sex life.
The previews promoting the season premiere show viewers that "Chelsea" will take them on an alcohol-infused adventure in which anything goes. One preview begins with Chelsea (Laura Prepon) getting pulled over for drunk driving, blowing into a breathalyzer and then thrown in jail. Judging by the accompanying laugh track, viewers are supposed to find the potentially fatal, law-breaking behavior funny.
As the preview continues, Prepon is picked on by a burly woman (Dot Jones) in her jail cell and in order to stave off an attack, Prepon plants a kiss on the woman hoping that the woman is a lesbian and will back off. After the woman promises to visit her bunk after lights out, Chelsea then prays to Vodka to get her out of jail.
In another preview, Chelsea begins looking for a new apartment closer to the bar where she works so she can avoid future DUIs. As the previews progress, her new roommate turns out to be a 26 year-old virgin and is the butt of several chastity jokes. It appears as though the roommate, Dee Dee, will be the counterpoint to Chelsea's wild character and her seemingly prudish life choices will be mocked endlessly.
NBC, no stranger to controversy, risked the network's ratings last fall with the inappropriate show "The Playboy Club" which was promptly cancelled due to the low ratings of the sleazy 60s-era drama. Based on the previews described above, "Chelsea" will likely fill their need for racy programming during "the family hour."
Handler isn't exactly a clean or politically-neutral comedian. In 2010, a sex tape of Handler turned up and when confronted about it, she wasn't ashamed in the least. "Thanks for ruining my surprise Christmas gift to my staff," she joked. "It was made as a joke. I put it on an audition tape for a comedy club because I'm a comedian… I've been showing it at birthday parties for f***ing years!"
Her jokes include telling audiences that at 15, she once called the cops and reported her father for child molesting. "He had never molested me, but I wanted to have a party that weekend and needed him out of the house."
Her book titles include, "My Horizontal Life: A Collection of One-Night Stands" "Are You There, Vodka? It's Me Chelsea" and "Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang."
And based on interviews, it is obvious Handler is not a fan of conservatives or their ideals. In March 2010, while a guest on the "Today" Show she called Sarah Palin "really stupid." She even spoke openly and proudly during a New York Times interview last year about her abortion at age 16 saying, "That's what I should have done."
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Comments
tokin comedian
Submitted by MidAmerica on Sat, 01/14/2012 - 10:49am.
Wanna know what's really funny about the Liberal mindset?
This free lovin' drunk is the center of 'comedy' where she lives a life of debauched excess. But I'm willing to bet she will never be shown smoking a cigarette. That is a line that just can't be crossed.
why is that?
Submitted by MidAmerica on Sat, 01/14/2012 - 11:33am.
Why are Liberals afraid of smoking but not drunken unprotected sex with strangers?
because
Submitted by MidAmerica on Sat, 01/14/2012 - 11:35am.
Because banning cigarettes is not a moral issue with most Christian Churches. It’s seen as a health issue not a moral issue. Therefore Liberals have no urge to protect their ‘rights’ against the religionists trying to impose their religion onto them. Just for laughs the Churches should come out against smoking as a moral issue and then watch 99% of Hollywood take up smoking.
Because liberals have to reproduce?
Submitted by UpNorth on Sat, 01/14/2012 - 12:17pm.
.
I have NO idea who she is;
Submitted by BBallleaper on Sat, 01/14/2012 - 11:56am.
I have NO interest in watching anything with her in it; and I find it hard to believe that anyone would be interested in such guttural trash. I assume MADD have been somehow emasculated at this point by TV moguls? Just one more example of the our ever deepening slide into Societal Entropy!
Chelsea Handler on primetime? Wonderful!
Submitted by KyWriter on Sat, 01/14/2012 - 11:59am.
Just what we need: someone who is as annoying as chronic jock itch and much less attractive.
Some of the things you've
Submitted by GreenTea on Sat, 01/14/2012 - 12:23pm.
Some of the things you've mentioned wasn't on target in this show..you should've watch the full episode before trying and failing to do a review about it based on a little preview...the Chelsea character actually took up for the virgin Dee Dee and called it a beautiful thing..btw, i thought this website was about reporting the media bias against conservatives and religion and not on non-political television shows? I guess since it was created or based on a book by Chelsea Handler and it airs on NBC, i guess it's fair game, eh? People before bashing this show based on somebody's review i think you should watch it too so that you can establish your own opinion like i did...the show will be a hit but i won't be watching it again, it's more tailored to women and drunks(there were lots of vodka and alcohol jokes..though in the first episode)..oh and probably potheads too based on the brownie joke :-/...I'm just keeping it honest folks...
So I guess we shouldn't pass judgement on poor Chelsea...
Submitted by DumbCanuck on Sat, 01/14/2012 - 12:31pm.
...but she can pass judgement on others... like Conservatives, Religionists, and Sarah Palin.
How is it possible that any show with this vermen in the lead be "apolitical"?
For one thing, she's being called out for her hate. For another, you don't have to watch the show to understand the premise, and the premise should be offensive to anyone who was victimized by drunk driving.
Don't care what your attitudes are towards libertine sex, but surely even a liberal's morals would be offended by that --- But maybe I'm wrong. One would have to have a conscience to react that way, but I suppose I'm setting too high a standard for liberals.
"There... Are... Four... Lights!"
Chelsea Handler calling Sarah Palin stupid???
Submitted by DumbCanuck on Sat, 01/14/2012 - 12:25pm.
There's my belly laugh for the day.
"There... Are... Four... Lights!"
On Sarah's TV show
Submitted by jpwcpa on Sun, 01/15/2012 - 12:55am.
On Sarah Palin's Alaska, Sarah played herself. Chelsea Handler, on the other hand, is having some actress portray her. Even though Sarah's show was on TLC and Chelsea's is on NBC, I don't think I like Chelsea's odds of getting better ratings.
Basically it sounds like another
Submitted by Radical1979 on Sat, 01/14/2012 - 12:35pm.
sex and the city retread. Women out looking for casual sex. Which is a stupid premise because I think women can find sex whenever they want it if they aren't picky. Boring, but a male fantasy (I assume) that there women out just looking for anonymous sex.
And it's ok to pray to vodka but not God? NBC is just helping BO destroy the country from another angle.
The money quote.
Submitted by drsamherman on Sat, 01/14/2012 - 12:38pm.
She even spoke openly and proudly during a New York Times interview last year about her abortion at age 16 saying, "That's what I should have done."
What if your mother had done that? Just asking.
I like Chelsea except for stupid political comments
Submitted by StarAZ on Sat, 01/14/2012 - 1:02pm.
But this show! Not funny--and plenty of shows have jail sequences which have been funny--but this was horrible! I lasted 10 mins. On her nightly show, I tape so I can fast foward through her predictable and uninformed political slaps at Newt, Palin, Romney, etc. She betrays her own kneejerk ignorance--but she can do it without me. Other than that--I laugh!
so wise in the ways of the world
Submitted by MidAmerica on Sat, 01/14/2012 - 1:33pm.
Liberals think we need their advice about life even when they issue statements while confined to a detox clinic.
Who cares....
Submitted by liberalsarefunny on Sat, 01/14/2012 - 2:07pm.
Just another piece of junk which I, and most people, will never see.......
zzzzz....
Really...
Submitted by packman on Sun, 01/15/2012 - 8:50am.
Chelsea Handler = raunch to the tenth power
"...Were we directed from Washington when to sow and when to reap, we should soon want bread..." ~Thomas Jefferson
Watched the first episode
Submitted by octavioj on Mon, 01/16/2012 - 11:25am.
And I have to say I did not like it. Not funny. But then again I liked "Free Agents" and it is already off the air... Will give it another shot this week but may remove from by DVR after it.