Geeks logo

Will and Grace Defended Roseanne

Two iconic sitcoms have a loveliest going on with their revivals.

By Edward AndersonPublished 6 years ago 4 min read
Like

"Oh honey, you're over analyzing this. Sit down and have a martini." That's what I imagine Karen Walker would say when (if) she read this essay of mine. Nobody puts more thought into what sitcoms are trying to say than me, especially since I want to write a whole book about what Will and Grace is actually about. That's a whole different topic than what is going to be discussed here. This time around, I want to talk about an episode they did that I am pretty sure is a defense of the Trump supporting Roseanne revival.

In "The beefcake and The Cake Beef" Karen is trying to have a 'MAGA' cake made for her good friend, Donald Trump. The baker initially refuses. We cut to Tony telling Grace about the situation and Grace initially being angry about it, then she finds out what Karen wanted and decides that her friend shouldn't get that cake made after all. After her Junior designer points out how hypocritical that is, and reminds Grace that the bakery gives out free cookie samples, she heads down there. Our heroine pleads the case for Karen, and everyone thinks that she is a monster. The baker eventually concedes and makes the cake, and picks up more business from Trump supporters. After hitting on a cute guy, he reveals that he'll see her at the upcoming gathering. Grace snarks, "Why are the hot ones always gay or nazis?" Which is a thinly veiled reference to the pictures that resurfaced of Roseanne Barr in Nazi clothing.

There is so much symbolism in this episode that it's not even funny. Ok, it is literally funny, but that's not what the phrase means here. Let's take a look at just a few of the Easter Eggs that they put in for the fans to digest. The first one is the cake itself. On the surface, it could be mocking the bakeries who didn't want to bake cakes for gay couples. However, if you look deeper, it's about welcoming people who have different views from you. Nobody in the Will and Grace fandom hates Karen Walker, even if she embodies everything about rich people that they can't stand. She's abrasive, tactless (when it comes to bragging about her money), and has no perception that what she's doing effects other negatively. It's written and played by Megan Mullally beautifully as satire. Of course, she would be throwing a feast for Trump (who in this case I really believe is symbolic of the current reboot/revival craze). Everybody should be able to come to the party and enjoy themselves.

The cake in question would be whether or not we should check out the Roseanne revival. Many people were conflicted about it because of Roseanne's, both the character and the actress, support of this divisive administration. The answer comes via Grace's passionate plea for the baker to make the cake. Even though she disagrees with everything about it, everyone is entitled to be entertained by a show. Roseanne fits the bill almost perfectly. And will hopefully make Trump supporters shut up about the cancellation of Last Man Standing, which was canceled because it was expensive and not because Tim Allen supports Trump. Sorry for the mini-rant. Many people told Grace that they were upset with her stance, one calling her worse than Karen because at least Karen owns that she is awful. When the titular character goes to protest, Karen tells her to learn to accept compliments.

In the end, the baker does make the cake but does it her own way. The same way that Roseanne came back to television in her own style. There are some that argue that Roseanne is the most liberal show on TV, but I think that crown still belongs to Will and Grace. In one episode they exuded all of the principles that the left claims to hold dear. A point was made that it's ok to disagree with someone, but not to deny them because of their beliefs.

Neither sitcom has been negative to anyone except for Trump himself. Both shows started with a hot political episode that segued into funnier episodes that have helped both take their rightful places in the pop culture lexicon. Shouldn't we all be happy to have these beloved sitcoms back?

tv
Like

About the Creator

Edward Anderson

Edward has written hundreds of acclaimed true crime articles and has won numerous awards for his short stories.

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.