NetflixS “Dudes” Draws Criticism for Crass Humor and Questionable Premise
LONDON – Netflix‘s new German comedy series, ”Dudes,” is facing sharp criticism for its perceived lack of humor, reliance on crude scenarios, and a storyline involving a teenage girl aggressively managing her father’s dating life that has sparked concern.A review published today highlights the show’s repetitive nature and lack of insightful commentary.
The series follows four middle-aged men navigating personal and professional crises.Ulf,played by Christoph Maria Herbst,struggles with unemployment and a stagnant marriage,despite his wife Silke (Franziska Machens) wanting to revitalize their intimacy. Erik (David Rott) contemplates engagement while facing a request to open his relationship, a conflict played out with a comedic sequence involving a hidden engagement ring and its subsequent, unfortunate retrieval. Cem (Serkan Kaya) finds his life upended by his teenage daughter, who takes control of his dating profile and pushes him to pursue numerous sexual encounters – a plot point the reviewer questions as unrealistic and boundary-violating, asking, “Maybe there really are swathes of teenage girls out there telling their fathers they need to ‘fuck at least 10 women properly otherwise you’ll never move on’, but if so there shouldn’t be.”
The review details further plot points,including Silke’s drunken outbursts,a therapist’s inattentiveness,and a series of professional setbacks for Ulf. It also points to scenes involving a butt plug and its discovery by children as examples of the show’s reliance on shock value.
The critic concludes that “Dudes” is “dull, crass…has no insight, no subtlety, no grace, no jokes – it has things that sound like jokes, are formatted like jokes and are delivered like jokes, yet are not jokes,” and expresses concern for the actors involved. The review questions whether the show reflects German television tastes,but ultimately suggests the quality is simply low.
“Dudes” is currently available on Netflix.
