Has all the howling about negative stereotypes and clueless geography made you more or less likely to clue in to tonight's Oxygen network premiere of the "Jersey Shore" knockoff "Brooklyn 11223" set in Bay Ridge. A lot of critics are beginning to regret their early outrage, realizing that Oxygen never could have bought as much publicity as that afforded by people calling for the show's ouster before it ever made it to air. One longtime Bay Ridge resident, Bina Valenzano, admitted to WNYC that perhaps it would've been better to keep quiet about the show, but that even her morbid outraged curiosity was piqued. She's not the only one who's angry about "11223" before tonight's premiere. Let's check out the worst things being said about the show today.
Two words: WHO CARES? Aside from the groups of girls that each of the stars surround themselves with, I cannot dream of anyone truly giving a crap about who did or didn't fellate a faceless mcguffin. Unlike, say, The Jersey Shore, there's only one conflict so far: whether or not there was a deceitful blow job. It barely carries an episode, let alone a series. Let's hope there's more.
Let me save you some time: They're 24 years old and have no idea of what loyalty is yet. Their friendships are based on talking crap behind each other's backs. Their identities? Mind-numbingly naive train wrecks. So in that sense, he's right: any depth and complexity in future episodes really will be a surprise.
—Nikki Jo Grossman, Brokelyn.com
"It's as messy and squalid as you'd imagine."
—David Hinckley in a thumbs-up review from the Daily News
"If you’ve been on a sidewalk in the meatpacking district in Manhattan at 2 or 3 in the morning, though, you’ve probably seen something a lot like "Brooklyn 11223": the stagger toward the cab, the yelling match across Ninth Avenue. It’s pretty much the same performance."
—Mike Hale in the NYTimes
"I definitely think they're misrepresenting the neighborhood," she said. "And in ways that it's now become such a melting pot as opposed to just one particular culture, Italian American."
—Inna Trinidad, quoted at WNYC
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