The new series Cashmere Mafia starts on November 27th. Much has been made of the competition between Cashmere Mafia and Lipstick Jungle. Both are shows centering on groups of fashion-conscious female frenemies in New York. Cashmere is produced by Darren Star, while Lipstick is written by Candace Bushnell. The two formerly worked together on Sex in the City.

It's very unlikely that both shows will have staying power. So which will hit it big? Cashmere Mafia has a leg up with an earlier start; Lipstick Jungle won't air until January. However, with this kind of show, I have a hunch that whichever show is bitchier will be the bigger hit. With that in mind, I have decided to do a very scientific comparison of the Potential Bitchiness Quotient, or PBQ. Don't try this at home! It's okay for me because I have the proper protective gear and a secret lab.

Creative Team:
Candace Bushnell is responsible for coming up with the character of Samantha Jones, which should rate her a high PBQ. But Darren Star has worked on several shows with high PBQs of their own, including Melrose Place and Beverly Hills, 98210. (Which means he worked with Shannon Doherty. Eek!) Plus, I read that he didn't tell Bushnell he was working on a similar show until she inquired as to why he hadn't congratulated her on her Lipstick Jungle getting picked up. That's pretty bitchy.
Score: Lipstick Jungle PBQ 3/10, Cashmere Mafia PBQ of 10/10.

Cast:
Lipstick Jungle stars Lindsay Price, Brooke Shields, and Kim Raver. Price is best known for playing Steve's baby momma on 98210. While that's a show with a high PBQ, her character was not particularly bitchy. Brooke Shields isn't really renowned for her bitchiness; she even seems to have made up with Tom Cruise. And Kim Raver was last seen alternating between catatonic and blubbery on 24. Cashmere Mafia, on the other hand, scored a true PBQ casting coup with Lucy Liu. That is one scary little Asian woman. The show also features Frances O'Connor, who contended with period bitchiness in Mansfield Park, Miranda Otto (The Starter Wife), and Bonnie Somerville (The OC, Kitchen Confidential).
Score: Lipstick Jungle PBQ 3/10, Cashmere Mafia PBQ of 8/10.

Name:
Both shows have names designed to invoke scary femininity (i.e., bitchiness). So, which is scarier? Well, cashmere is soft and cuddly, but also very expensive. Lipstick is generally less expensive, although these ladies probably wear Chanel. It doesn't have any comforting connotations at all. Frankly, finding a flattering shade of lipstick is one of the biggest challenges of womanhood (Clinique counter ladies can be pretty scary). The mafia and the jungle are both equally frightening. In one world there are guns. In the other, monkeys.
Score: Lipstick Jungle PBQ 6/10, Cashmere Mafia PBQ of 4/10.

Total scores: Lipstick Jungle: 12/30, Cashmere Mafia 22/30. Well, it looks like Cashmere Mafia is the hands-down winner in the bitchiness department. That being the case, I highly recommend that you tune in for the premiere on November 27.

* * *

Amy Kane spends as much quality time with her television as possible, when she's not busy at her day job as a cube dweller.

Recommend (0)

|  Comments (0)

|  Email

|  Share

Share  Facebook Digg del.icio.us