I have been a long time fan of Kevin Smith, but his recent foray into TV has left me slightly unnerved. Comic Book Men on AMC is a six part reality series that features Kevin Smith’s New Jersey comic book store Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash. The cast includes employees (Walt, Mike, Ming, & Bryan), fans, customers, and Smith, himself.
Unfortunately, Smith does not appear to be part of the daily activities in the store. Instead, he is part of a podcast featuring himself and the employees. Obviously, this is a tactic to connect his famous name to a show that networks might otherwise shy away from. But, the cutting back and forth between the taping of the podcast and the action in the store makes it confusing and disjointed. Something would happen in the store, then they would describe it and reflect, and then it would cut back to the action in the store, and then back to the podcast. There were other locations as well, making it difficult to identify the focus of the show. Is it the podcast? The store? Or this strange flea market?
As a self-proclaimed female nerd, my second problem with the show is the title. While pointing out the obvious that they are in fact all men, this title demonstrates an enormous assumption on their part that women do not read comic books or are not geeks or nerds as well. In episode one, the only female featured was a customer with a Chucky doll that she was trying to sell, and in “good old boy” fashion, she was the only customer they proceeded to point their fingers and outright say that the world needed to be ridded of such crazies. Never mind the fact that they were drooling over a Million Dollar Man doll earlier in the show.
I enjoy reality TV, but not when it comes across as scripted. The line delivery and interactions came across as over-planned and forced. For example, Ming, the store’s technical help, is used as comic relief and is even described on the AMC website as the ”go-to whipping boy.” Yet, it was like watching people who think they are hilarious, not realizing that they suck. By the end of the show, I had no interest in seeing what new discoveries these reality characters will find in future episodes. I will probably give this show one more chance, but only because The Walking Dead proceeds it. The second episode airs 2/19/12. Perhaps, Kevin Smith will redeem himself, and this will not turn into another Jersey Girl.