10 Things I Hate About You (1.9) "Fight for Your Right"

I'd be afraid to look at Joey without my pants on, too.

So dad goes out of town for a medical conference, leaving Kat in charge. Bianca invites friends over for a party. They acknowledge it’s cliché, and it happens anyhow with the whole football team showing up, cheerleaders, etc.

Pretty Joey is back, and fighting with queen bee Chastity, who’s flirting with college boys. Sadly, this is the good part:

Joey: You're flirting with a college dude right in front of my face.

Chastity: Well maybe I wanted to have a conversation that didn't start with 'Um, do I look fat in this?'

Joey: As a model, I have to be the boss of my body, and that's a full time job. Do you think it's easy for me to sit next to you at the movies while you're grubbing on Red Vines and popcorn and gummy worms?

Chastity: In an effort to support your 'modeling career' I'm going to let you practice your stupid little runway walk all the way home.

I bring this conversation to your attention because this type of writing was what originally hooked us on this show - clever exploitation of generic tropes. Here it's gender. Alas, the show's been getting away from that and falling victim to modular writing.

Kat gets trashed after she fights with Patrick, and abdicates responsibility for the party, leading to a weird Risky Business dance in a men’s dress shirt done to Paula Abdul’s Straight Up.

Is Paula Abdul really the replacement for Bob Seger?

Meanwhile Cam, who’s thinking he’s being a good boy by snacking on watermelon, gets told he’s drunk, since the watermelon is spiked. His liquid courage lets him come out as straight to Bianca. I had such high hopes for this conversation.

Bianca: Stay out of my life.

Cam: I can't. I'm in love with you.

Bianca: No, you're not.

Cam: Yes I am.

Bianca: But you're gay.

Cam: I'm not gay. At all. In fact you're gayer than I am because you kissed a girl.

Bianca: That was just for money.

Cam: See, I could never kiss a guy for money. Except for Johnny Depp.

My high hopes for the conversation are dashed on the rocks of lazy writing. They built this moment for six episodes, and that's the best they can do? A flat, drunken delivery of facts?

Of course Bianca spurns him, and he slinks away, never to speak to her again. Until next week, I'm guessing.