NAUGHTY SITCOM LINE OF THE WEEK

Until it went into syndication on NYC's Channel 11 a few months ago I never gave the CBS sitcom TWO AND A HALF MEN a chance, thanks to my long-standing prejudice against that network for being a bastion of wholesome programming adored by old farts (how else to explain the longevity of JAG?). But two things made me reconsider the show:

1. The realization that maybe CBS was capable of thinking outside the box, as evidenced by the generally excellent EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND, another show that I didn't give a chance until it hit syndication.

2. TWO AND A HALF MEN is a favorite of my pal Amanda, and our senses of humor are nearly identical (juvenile, tasteless, dirty, and morbid) so if she liked it as much as she did...

I checked out the show when it debuted in syndication and found that I'm in full agreement with Amanda. TWO AND A HALF MEN reminds me of the sitcom the two of us would write, although admittedly fettered by the FCC. I was amazed that the character study of Charlie, a drunken, womanizing songwriter (appropriately played by real-life gash-hound Charlie Sheen), Alan, Charlie's semi-queeny divorcee brother (John Cryer playing to type), and Jake, the divorcee's overweight, lazy asshole of an adolescent dim bulb son contained a steady dose of very sleazy humor for a CBS offering, at times even eclipsing the excesses of some FOX shows, and it wasn't just sleaze for sake of prurience. The shit was flat-out funny.

Anyway, tonight's rerun included a bit of dialogue that made me do a double-take at the same time that it appealed to me for bringing up what may be a network sitcom's first joke about one of my favorite hobbies. After returning from a sushi dinner, Alan bitches about his dislike of the cuisine:

Alan: You know what I hate about sushi? It's all fleshy, and flappy, and it tastes unnatural on my tongue.
Charlie: Alan, I think I know why your marriage didn't work out.

An honest to God cunnilingus joke. On a CBS sitcom.

Sweet.