'Whitney' - The G Word (S1E20)

Most people are aware by now that Whitney, the sitcom starring Whitney Cummings as a version of herself navigating an incredibly stable long-term relationship she shares with a man named Alex, is not very good television. It purports itself to be a comedy, but very few laughs can be found in any given episode of the show. It also had the misfortune of being a terrible show being kept on the air while Internet darling Community was kept off the schedule for reasons still unknown, even though Community eventually returned to NBC. Whitney is a thoroughly terrible show, but it is subject to a vitriol usually reserved for shows like Toddlers and Tiaras, and, frankly, Whitney doesn't quite deserve that vitriol. It may be one of the shrillest, least funny comedies produced in the past five years, but it does not actively offend in the way, say, Glee is apt to do, and, every once in a while, can make a cogent point about something in a unique way.

'The G Word' is an episode that actually impressed me. No, it was not funny. That is nothing that we can expect from the show at this point in time. However, 'The G Word' tackles issues surrounding homosexuality with an understanding and grace that hasn't been seen on network television recently. It's an admirable effort, honestly. Because it was an episode of Whitney, I was unaware of 'The G Word''s existence until a friend of mine posted it on the shared Facebook wall for our acting troupe. We're doing a show about homophobia, and she said it had a very accepting, good portrayal of homosexuality in it. I was skeptical, but I watched it.

In the framework of the plot - bear with me, I have no idea who any of these characters really are - Whitney's friends Lily and Neal have just broken off an engagement, and Lily is despondent. Lily assumes that Neal must be going on dates with other women, and entrusts Whitney to find the truth. Since Whitney is that famous sitcom archetype - super-nosy protagonist - she dives into her task with gusto, taking along henpecked Alex with her (it should be noted that Alex really doesn't care) for a surprise visit to Neal's apartment. It turns out Neal is having a date... just with another man.

At this point is where you'd expect a sitcom as shoddily put together as Whitney to go completely off the rails, throwing in every stereotypical gay joke known to man and otherwise humiliating Neal as a character. Or, in true sitcom fashion, to have it be a huge wacky misunderstanding - Steven, the other man on the 'date', is just a coworker! They were having a business meeting! It was exactly as Neal told Alex and Whitney when they entered the apartment! Cue audience laughter! Oddly enough, and much to my eternal surprise, it didn't go like that. Neal rushes over to Whitney's apartment and shares that he doesn't really know what to do, because he did love Lily when they were engaged, but obviously has feelings for Steven. Whitney tells Neal that he should just try and open up to their friends, because hiding from them is going to get him nowhere.

And in terms of acceptance from friends, the episode serves as a pretty good primer on what you should and should not do when a friend comes out to you. Alex has probably the best reaction out of everyone else in the episode - simply saying 'cool' and offering Neal a beer. Alex consistently treats Neal like a person throughout the entire episode, respectful of his privacy and acting as if there is nothing different about his friend. (Whitney thinks he underreacted, but she is a shrill harridan that should never be trusted.) Lily comes in a close second - though she uses the term 'fluid' to describe Neal's sexuality, a word that I think is a bit of a cop-out to avoid saying that someone might be bisexual, she accepts Neal's sexuality with grace, and does not attack him for leaving her at all. Color me impressed that, on a show as terribly written as Whitney, Lily didn't blame Neal or Steven for leaving her in the dark, and actually took the time to listen to his issues.

Of course, this being a sitcom, there are some 'wacky hijinks' elements to this. A male peripheral character I didn't catch the name of was immediately offended that Neal was never attracted to him, then spent much of the rest of the episode in the background trying to impress him. Thankfully, we got no follow-up on this, as it was unfunny and stupid. Also, a blonde female peripheral character seems to exist to get drunk and make double entendres that weren't funny. Her reaction was pretty blase to the whole sexual identity thing, mostly because she needed to plow ahead with her double entendres. Also, since this is a 'sitcom', there were apparently things called 'jokes' that didn't quite work out. The ending in particular was jarring - after an episode of lovely stereotype-defying speech, the tag involves Lily thinking of maybe hitting up the bartender who sent her a drink in the beginning of the episode, only for Neal to inform her that particular bartender is definitely gay. Lily then declares that she obviously has a type. Way to erase everything you just did, episode.

But in any case, I feel like we should tip our hats to 'The G Word' for even maintaining that dignity and respect for... 21 minutes. Given that Whitney is a crass, poorly-written exercise on its best days, managing to provide a respectful tone in dealing with an individual's sexuality, even sandwiched between horrible jokes, is almost miraculous, especially considering the nonsense that shows like Glee have been foisting on LGBT cast members and viewers. Never thought I'd say this, but good job at something, Whitney. You have one episode to be proud of.