Bless the Harts, lasted for two seasons on Fox, features a Southern take on the animated sitcom family: single Mom Jenny, who works as a waitress at the Last Supper (get it?); her hip mother Betty; her sullen teenage daughter Violet; and her hunky boyfriend Wayne. Since it was designed to appeal to Southern audiences, I don't expect any gay representation, but look at that bicep! Surely the uber-hunky Wayne flexes his redneck muscles regularly. I watched a Season 2 episode about a heat wave, hoping that the heat would get the shirts off.
Scene 1: A newscaster reports on record heat and humidity scorching North Carolina. Pan out to the Last Supper, crowded with people searching for free air conditioning. Waitress Jenny tells them that they have to order something. She makes plans with another waitress to go to Slusheritos tonight for drinks. Hey, I thought she was fundamentalist -- no drinking, no dancing, no sex.
Scene 2: At home, the family stands in front of the refrigerator with a fan in it. Wayne plans to meet Travis at the movies, and asks if Grandma and Violet want to come.
Scene 3: The AC in his pickup truck isn't working, but Wayne cautions that it isn't her fault; "I know you're trying your best to run the AC, darlin'." I hate it when men treat genderless objects like women. It's the epitome of heteronormativity.
Scene 4: At the movies. Wayne sitting next to his buddy Travis (gay subtext?). The movie is about hauling a bomb into the desert before it explodes. Travis grabs Wayne: "Hey, they're using your truck!" Everyone is ecstatic.
Scene 5: At the Last Supper, even Jesus Christ is complaining about the heat (he goes to a diner named after the night before his death?). Jenny complains that fellow waitress Brenda borrowed her sweater and ruined it Jesus reminds her of the thoughtless and irresponsible things she has done over the years.
Scene 6: The movie is over. They go out to the parking lot to find everyone fawning over Wayne's famous truck. A swish Rich Kid wants to buy it; he may be gay, or just rich/affected. Violet insults him for using the word "anthropomorphic" and having a rich Dad. At first the family refuse to sell, but Rich Kid offers an obscene amount of money, so ok.
Scene 7: The Last Supper. The B Plot about Jenny and the thoughtless Brenda: "Apologize for ruining my sweater!" She refuses. They break up.
Scene 8: The Last Supper. Jenny and Brenda sniping at each other.
Scene 9: Travis and Wayne buying a new car. They buy a Dakota Thunder, a truck that is "strong enough to haul the Freedom Tower up Mount Denali." I don't know what the Freedom Tower is, but no doubt the intended audience does. But Wayne is worried about getting a new truck-girlfriend: "out of his league."
They take the truck to a lot where guys are spinning trucks in the dirt (a common Southern pursuit?). But Wayne doesn't want to get his new truck dirty.
Scene 10: At Slusheritos, a Hawaiian beach-themed bar. Jenny and her friend discuss the breakup with Brenda. Jenny talks trash: Brenda is always late, she steals food, and she slacks off work to nap in the boss's car. Looks like two guys flirting, or maybe it's a guy and a masculine girl. Otherwise it's all heterosexual couples at the bar.
The next day, her friend, who is apparently the boss, fires Brenda!
Scene 11: Night. Wayne and Jenny in bed (hey, I thought she was fundamentalist. No sex before marriage!). Wayne dreams that he's on a date with the truck, who nags him to order a salad instead of a steak, "and don't forget dinner at the Country Club tomorrow night." He looks over, and sees the rich kid on a date with his ex-truck-girlfriend. He tries to return to her, but Rich Kid turns the floor into lava.
Scene 12: Wayne asks Violet to help him get his ex-truck-girlfriend back. She reasons that Rich Kid is a poseur; he'll lose interest in the truck when the new hot item comes out.
Scene 13: Brenda being miserable without Jenny.
Scene 14: Violet visiting Rich Kid in the garage where he stores his famous cars. She offers a meet-and-greet with the star of the next truck-hauling movie, which happens to be Wayne's new truck! Or at least Wayne and company claim that it is. Rich Kid is happy to trade, plus $651 for a new air conditioner.
Scene 15: Wayne is happy to be back with his old truck-girlfriend, who likes to do fun things like mud-swirling.
Scene 16: Brenda and Jenny reconcile. You knew that was coming, right?
Scene 17: Rich Kid asks Violet out. Not gay. The end.
Beefcake: No. Wayne doesn't take his shirt off, and that's the whole reason I watched this show! But we see Brenda's shirt off twice.
Here he is from another episode. Not really impressive. I was expecting a little more definition.
Heterosexism: Wayne and Jenny don't appear together except in one scene, when they're asleep in bed. His main erotic interest seems to be lady trucks.
Gay Characters: No. Wayne-Travis have a gay-subtext relationship, but it's overwhelmed by Wayne's truck fetish. In another episode, Violet and David's one-shot gym teacher is revealed to be gay.
My Grade: D.