Gimme More Sugar
by Latoya Peterson
So after Joanna posted her article on Gimme Sugar I decided to check out some of the episodes On Demand. Since On Demand was horrifically slow with adding new episodes, I found the rest on Logo’s site.
After watching the first few episodes, I was charmed. I generally liked the show, the women cast, and while there were a few things I had some questions on, the show was entertaining enough for me to look forward to the new episodes.
However, checking out the reaction to the show online was a bit of a shock.
The show was panned by AfterEllen’s She Made Me Watch It segment. I mean, damn. The vloggers and I came away from the show with two completely different impressions. The AE crew also seemed upset at the whole concept of vapid twenty somethings and the idea of reality TV in general.*
From where I sit, the show is looking very different from the usual reality show fare due to the strong business focus and the portrayal of women of color in the GLBT community.
The Business Dynamic
I was ready to dance around my apartment when I realized the Sugar crew was actually serious about starting this club. Unlike other reality shows that show a few seconds of entrepreneurial instinct or the elaborately funded lifestyles of the young and jobless, Gimme Sugar is actually displaying what it takes to start a business from the ground up.
The numbers are staggering. The Sugar crew thought that holding a car wash would be enough to raise the money without realizing that setting up a club night has heavy costs associated. They raised $300 from the car wash – the club they are looking to book costs requires a $2,000 deposit, a $6,000 guaranteed bar tab, and pays a 10% return on liquor sales after they meet the guarantee. Charlene sagely points out that they will make less than their initial investment, which Alex waves away as the cost of doing business. The Sugars also incurred costs related to the photo shoot, make up artists on the photo shoot, and cost of flyer printing and design, which were not discussed. I am also interested to see when exactly they are going to deal with things like insurance and liability – half of Alex’s drive to start a club night stemmed from her being refused entry at her favorite hangout spot for being underage. However, there are stiff penalties associated if a minor manages to get alcohol or if someone is injured during a club night. It appears that the series is going to allow the girls to figure out their own steep learning curve, but it will be interesting to see how the women deal with the realities of promoting a club night.
Gimme Sugar also shows the downside of working with your friends, which isn’t often explored in reality show world. Trying to start a business is expensive, frustrating, time consuming and risky – and that tends to manifest in stress. The Sugar girls are often seen fighting over the basics of the business, everything from the name to costs associated to creative direction. Their friendships are under a great deal of strain, but this is something important to see – that businesses are often started with the best intentions but quickly become serious when money is on the line.
The Friendship Dynamic
The show is centered around Charlene, who often narrates transitional events or adds her own commentary. However, I am not so sure about the other girls. While there is definitely some affection and camaraderie, it seems a bit more like a bunch of girls who are all friends with Charlene who happen to hang out with each other.
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