Review: Karen Gillan And John Cho Take On Technology In 'Selfie'
Emily Theytaz ’17 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer
ABC’s Selfie, loosely based on Pygmalion and My Fair Lady, follows the life of Eliza Dooley (former Doctor Who companion Karen Gillan), a social media obsessed, “Instafamous” girl with no real friends outside her internet world who initiates the help of marketing genius Henry Higenbottam (Star Trek’s Sulu John Cho) to rebrand her to be more likable.
Here’s what worked and what didn’t:
Didn’t Work: Karen Gillan’s Accent
Scottish-born Karen Gillan attempts to put on a stereotypical “spoiled white girl” American accent that falls flat. Instead of coming across as funny, the accent makes the show painful on the ears. Her voice often gets annoying not only with the mere sound of it but what comes out of it as well. Most of Eliza’s quips are poorly written and are more cringe worthy than laugh worthy.
Worked: #blessed
We live in a world where people talk what they type. Selfie takes advantage of this by having John Cho blurt out “hash tag blessed,” “hash tag work flow,” “hash tag circle of life.” In a collegiate world, the acronym “lol” is tossed around frequently and recently has started being said out loud. Eliza said it at least twice in the pilot and it does make the show even more realistic in regards to how social media has affected our lives. The use of colloquial language such as “hella” is going to appeal to younger audiences, but it’s doubtful that it will score very well with the over 25-age group. I will admit that when Eliza and Henry’s boss said “tbd,” I did “lol.”
Worked: Music & Clothing Choices
As cheesy as it sounds, both the music selection and clothing choices for the pilot were on point. From using the oddly chart-topping song “#SELFIE” by the Chainsmokers as the theme song, to M.I.A’s always popular “Paper Planes,” the music choices were perfectly fitting.
Since most of the plot points for this show are either uninteresting or slightly cringe worthy, it’s always good to look at the little things. One of those little things are Eliza’s outfits, which were surprisingly all eye-catching in a good way. Besides the fact that there were a few instances where the fur became excessive, Eliza Dooley’s love for Celine bags and shirts could become a trendsetter.
Worked: Use of Technology
Selfie is all about how social media impacts one’s life, so it was great to see the post production team on this show become creative when showing Eliza sending a text or talking to Siri. We are in the 21st century after all, so we might as well have the cool graphics to show that. Besides, when the show gets boring, one can just ponder how exactly the producers of the show managed to get the rights to using Instagram’s interface on TV.
Didn’t Work: Re-Branding Lessons
The re-branding lessons were, as they would say on the show, dumb “tbh.” Re-branding Eliza is what the entire show is about, so if they can’t find ways to make this part interesting, it’s doubtful how long the show will last. The re-branding served to make a mockery of Eliza rather than helping her better herself. If the show manages to change this around, it could save it.
Didn’t Work & Doubtful It Will Ever Work: Henry & Eliza’s Relationship
If this show decides to follow what Pygmalion and My Fair Lady did and have Henry and Eliza fall in love, we may as we cancel the show right now. At this stage (which is still fairly early and I’ll give them credit for that), it’s hard to picture these two being in a relationship—let alone actually getting along. Who knows, maybe as the season progresses we’ll see some huge character development, but I will cross my fingers that they cancel the show before they have the chance to do so.
Will Never Work: Lady Gaga A Capella Ukulele Sing-along
Please. No.
Overall the pilot was disappointing and unless the next few episodes are any better, you might want to decide to “unfollow” this show from your fall TV schedule.
Selfie starts Tuesday September 30th at 8/7c on ABC.
Overall Grade: C+
“Lol”-Worthy Quips:
“When Siri is the only person who’s there for you, it kinda makes you realize, being friended is not the same thing as having friends.”
“The thing I’m most confused by is…?”
“Plus sized skinny jeans… it’s like… why?”
“All the girls I knew where either drunk or at SoulCycle.”
“You’re lucky make-unders are my everything.”
“No phones. No wedding selfies.”
“Did you Google me? Don’t you dare Google me!”