Slate Slashes "Notes from the Underbelly" and the Hipster Babblers It Represents

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 18:23:00 GMT

Slate is joining the Notes from the Underbelly pile-on that began a few days ago here at Babble. As predicted by Babble's Lynn Harris, reviewers of the new married! with! children! television show won't be able to pass up yet another hipster parenting bashing opportunity, particularly not those "curmudgeonly newspaper columnists looking for yet another reason to complain about affluent, angsty, thirty-something parents." Slate curmudgeonly? Oh yes. Younger and prettier than David Brooks, but stodgy nonetheless. Watch out, folks, there's a brand-new alphabet in town Did you hear?

"A is for Alterndad. B is for Babble."

Yup that's right. Babble is part of the world represented by "Notes." Nevermind that we skewered the show several days ago.

Apparently, Slate concurs with James Poniewozik's analysis that most Gen X parents (especially those who write about their experiences) are narcissists.

Snark aside, Babble and Slate both find the show ultimately unable to deliver anything but trite, superficial commentaries on the wealthy and privileged few. As if everyone has the ability to choose whether or not to work once their baby is born, or whether to buy a Bugaboo or MacLaren stroller, or bigger car. As if that is what parenting boils down to these days.

Babble Talk: Notes from the Underbelly Review

Stefania Pomponi Butler (CityMama) — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 14:02:00 GMT

So. Are you going to watch Notes From the Underbelly? Come on! You gotta, you hipster parent, you! It's the sitcom aimed at YOU. I mean, if there were any target audience more appropriate for a show about an "irreverent" and "honest" take on parenting, it has to Strollerderby readers, right?

Well, before you tune those DVRs you might want to read Lynn Harris' review of the show. She advises us all to "expect the worst." According to Harris, there's no humor in delivery room goings-on or about "sight gags humiliating to women" (women with legs raised in the air after sex) on a show that's supposed to be women-friendly. And she's right on the money.

I saw the same screener episodes that Harris saw but had a slightly different reaction: I was prepared to hate it, but thought the show had glimmers of funniness. It has potential if you focus on the couple and not on their stereotypical and annoying-as-all-get-out passel of friends.

We will be re-capping it in our own special way here on Strollerderby for as long as it's on (Harris and I agree that the show doesn't have long life potential). Join us, won't you?

[photo credit: ABC]

Strollerderby : notes from the underbelly

Slate Slashes "Notes from the Underbelly" and the Hipster Babblers It Represents

Babble Talk: Notes from the Underbelly Review