Hi kids. Do you like racism? Do you like diarrhea jokes? Most of all, do you like not laughing? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then NBC’s new sitcom Outsourced might be the show for you.
Outsourced is about a hateful white man who moves to India and begins a new career where his sole duty is to relentlessly mock a culture and religion that he doesn’t understand. Okay, maybe that’s not quite what the writers intended. They would probably say that it’s a show about globalization; a fish-out-of-water tale about two different cultures learning from each other and sharing a few laughs along the way. They would be lying if they said that, though.
From its opening scene, Outsourced is a sloppy, lazy, brutally unfunny and shockingly racist mess. The sets looked cheap (and certainly nothing like India). The actors looked like they were happy to be on television but ashamed to be participating in such a racist endeavor. The writing was sub-par. Actually, check that. To call it sub-par would be an undeserved compliment.
Outsourced aired at 9:30 E.T., following the season premiere of The Office (which itself was preceded by the premieres of Community and 30 Rock). Hmmm… one of these things does not belong. Community is entering its prime (and had a brilliant premiere) and, while their glory years may be behind them, 30 Rock and The Office can still deliver some solid laughs. Outsourced is a comedy vacuum. It sucks up the funny and makes you wonder whether you’ll ever be able to laugh again. It’s a black mark on NBC’s otherwise outstanding Thursday lineup.
Don’t believe me? See if you can make it through this clip:
Want more punishment? Here’s another:
Perhaps the most disappointing thing about Outsourced is that it’s the main reason Parks and Rec, perhaps the funniest show on television, didn’t premiere last night. Instead, Parks and Rec has been relegated to the position of midseason replacement. It will be back, but not until another show gets cancelled. Thankfully, it shouldn’t be long before Outsourced is off the air for good.
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