He’s black; she’s white. He’s a barber; she’s a party girl.
His working-class father built an inner-city Baltimore barbershop into a family business. Her wealthy father bought it just as neighborhood real estate prices began to rise.
Now this odd couple is managing a new enterprise, which he envisions as a “barbershop and sports bar with plasma TVs” and she sees as a high-end day spa.
Multiculturalism, mousse, manicures and gender warfare are the elements at play in UPN’s new sitcom “Cuts.” And they come together to make one of the more promising comedic explorations of race and class on weekly network television.
With four series airing featuring primarily African-American casts, Monday night on UPN has become one of the most racially defined territories on the prime-time landscape. While some analysts have praised the network for showcasing African-American characters (at a time when the medium is still remarkably white), others have criticized it for creating a Monday night “ghetto.” The criticism includes the claim that such programming divides the nation along color lines rather than bringing different demographic groups together to share the viewing experience.
“Cuts” slices through that argument in premise, execution and acting. The sitcom should appeal as much to young white viewers as it does to people of color. Much of the credit for that goes to Shannon Elizabeth (“American Pie”), who plays Tiffany Sherwood, the white half of the mismatched management team.
Sitcoms that feature predominantly African-American casts often include one or two cartoonish white characters–who are stupid or mean. Tiffany is no brain surgeon–in fact, there’s a lot of Paris Hilton in her–but she’s not an idiot either. She’s sensitive to issues of diversity, and she respects others. By the end of the pilot, one comes to believe she can work with Kevin Barnes (Marques Houston) to make a go of their salon.
Elizabeth has something else going for her: She’s hot. The camera lovingly follows Elizabeth’s character as she moves in and out of tight sweaters, slinky dresses and short skirts.
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Edited by Cara DiPasquale (cdipasquale@tribune.com) and Victoria Rodriguez (vrodriguez@tribune.com)
