Things You Never Noticed In 2 Broke Girls
"2 Broke Girls" aired on CBS for six seasons between 2011 and 2017 and starred Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs. The show follows two unlikely friends, Max Black (Dennings) and Caroline Channing (Behrs), who tackle the world together as poverty-stricken, 20-something waitresses living in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. The two get into crazy schemes, date a few guys, and grow their friendship as they work towards their dream of owning a cupcake business together.
With the slapstick humor, the relatable broke-girl moments, and the sexual innuendos, it was difficult to not enjoy "2 Broke Girls" — especially if you're like us and enjoy a good "that's what she said" joke from time to time (we're all secretly 12-year-olds at heart, right?). Despite some negative reviews, the show was nominated for 12 Academy Awards and won one for Outstanding Art Direction for a Multi-Camera Series.
While the show was not everyone's cup of tea (which was evident when "2 Broke Girls" was canceled in 2017 due to a steady decrease in ratings), it's difficult not to enjoy Dennings as Max Black and her friendship with the whiny-yet-resilient ex-socialite Caroline. Still, there were some odd things about "2 Broke Girls." From seemingly odd fashion choices to behind-the-scene truths, these are some of the things you didn't notice about "2 Broke Girls."
The actor who plays Han Lee isn't even Korean
Matthew Moy portrayed diner boss Han Lee on "2 Broke Girls" for all six seasons of the show. He was born in San Francisco, California, his family is from China, and he is not Korean like his character is. But on the show, he uses a Korean accent and broken English that many have found offensive.
Moy's character has been criticized as a racist portrayal of a Korean man. According to The Los Angeles Times, Moy responded to such criticisms in 2012, saying, "I know that a lot of people had concerns about Han and the accent ... But the comedy on '2 Broke Girls' always comes from a place of love — it's never mean. We're a comedy, and we often go right to the edge. It doesn't bother me. I've encountered this all my life. I've been made fun of all my life."
Responding to Han's lack of understanding of American culture and broken English in the first season of the show, Moy explained, "A realistic accent would be more incomprehensible and unintelligible ... I work hard and I'm responsible. But it has to be funny."
Max and Caroline always wear high heels when working at the diner
Viewers of the show have also criticized the fact that Max and Caroline are always wearing high-heeled shoes while working at the Williamsburg Diner. According to The Hollywood Reporter, one fan even commented that, while the show is "great," servers "don't wear heels to work" no matter how sassy they are.
When it comes to the character Caroline, one could argue that her insistence on wearing fancy heels is merely symbolic of her desperately holding onto the person she felt like she was before she lost her fortune (when she wore designer brands like Louboutin and expensive jewelry). In fact, Caroline is so desperate to hold onto her past that she is nearly always seen wearing her elaborate pearl necklace and beige seven-inch Louboutin heels for the entirety of the show — although they must be painfully out of season (pun intended). And when it comes to Max, one could argue that her insistence on always wearing high-heeled boots is part of her "tough girl" persona. No pain, no gain, right?
Still, Beth Behrs, who plays Caroline, admitted the pain was real when she posted a photo in an Instagram post in 2014 featuring various forms of pain-relief products. In the caption, she wrote, "7-inch Louboutins + physical comedy + episode 21= lotsa this. And lotsa [Epsom] salt baths — which I will not post photos of."
Some of the jokes on 2 Broke Girls were racist
Not only was the character Han Lee criticized for being racially offensive, but dialogue the show's writers wrote for him received backlash — specifically a remark about Aboriginal women. According to the BBC on an episode of "2 Broke Girls" in 2015, the character Han makes the comment, "I'm in a casual flirtation with a woman in Australia. She's part Aboriginal but has a great personality."
Unsurprisingly, this upset a lot of Australian viewers. One viewer commented in a since-deleted Facebook post, "Way to go '2 Broke Girls' — how to denigrate the First Nations People of Australia — as if we didn't have enough from White fellas as it was."
This, however, was in line with the show's reputation for racially insensitive jokes based on stereotypes. For example, in an earlier episode of the show, Beth Behrs' character, Caroline, comments, "Sophie is the loudest person we know. Even Black people at the movies tell Sophie to be quiet." Yikes.
How much schooling does Max really have?
For those that have only tuned into "2 Broke Girls" periodically and may be unaware of the specifics of the show, we'll clue you into one of the show's whoopsie-daisies. In Season 3, Caroline helps Max get her high school diploma since Max didn't graduate high school after learning that she just needed to pass one exam. However, in Episode 5 of Season 1, Caroline and Max are raising money to ... pay off Max's student loans? "You can't run away from this bill," Caroline scolded Max, holding proof that Max went to college. Um, that's odd. How can Max have student loan debt from going to college without having ever graduated from high school? Whoopsie.
Later in the show, Max attends the Manhattan School of Pastry, which apparently didn't require a high school diploma to enroll, as this was before Caroline helped her graduate.
Caroline's nanny was ... who?!
Unsurprisingly given the life of a socialite, in "2 Broke Girls," it is revealed that Caroline, like a lot of the stereotypical rich kids, was largely raised by nannies ... or maybe one specific nanny?
In yet another "2 Broke Girls" inconsistency, in the first season, Caroline tells Max about how she was raised by "Estella from '89 to '96 and then Dominica from '97 until she went back to Guatemala and then nobody." But, in Season 3, Max accompanies a very upset Caroline to her nanny Antonia's memorial. Caroline is seen in deep mourning in this episode and is quite emotional because Antonia took care of her as a kid.
With this inconsistency in mind — and the fact that Caroline's mother was said to be "forced" out of the family after being unfaithful to her workaholic father– fans are left wondering just who actually raised Caroline.
The best friend chemistry was real
Much like their characters, Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs also became best friends in real life as the series progressed. In 2013, Dennings credited her friendship with Behrs for the show's success. At PaleyFest in 2013, she explained (via ET), "Beth and I genuinely love each other and are best friends in real life and that probably reads." Behrs seems to agree, as she has said, "Kat and I are really great friends and I think you can see that chemistry onscreen." We love that the chemistry between Dennings and Behrs wasn't just acting.
The two appear to still be friends today. According to Pop Culture, when asked if she talked to Dennings in 2021, Behrs enthusiastically responded, "Of course!" She went on to explain, "Because of the pandemic, we haven't actually gotten to celebrate [Dennings' engagement] in person yet. [But] I'm so happy, and I mean this pandemic, man, it just shows you what's really important in life. Love and family and all the things, so I'm so happy for her."
Kat Dennings was really frosting cupcakes on the show
While some may think that Kat Dennings was just holding the frosting spoon or the frosting bag on "2 Broke Girls" for the sake of specific baking scenes, the reality is that she actually learned how to properly frost cupcakes to make certain scenes more realistic. Dennings told Glamour in 2012 that she was taught how to properly frost the cupcakes by the woman who bakes them for the show, Amber. Dennings said, "Anytime you see me piping a cupcake, I'm doing it. Amber taught me!"
We can also all rest assured knowing that the cupcakes on the show aren't just made to be props. According to Dennings, the treats taste good too. She shared, "They're actually really good!" But when it comes to real-life bakeries, Dennings recommends Sprinkles for your cupcake fix since, unfortunately, Max's Homemade Cupcakes isn't a real place.
The spark between Kat Dennings and Nick Zano was real
Nick Zano played Max's love interest, Johnny, on "2 Broke Girls." Johnny is a funny, attractive artist and bartender with whom Max was just friends, but she falls for him and, of course, drama ensues. The two then have an on-again, off-again relationship for the first two seasons of the show. Like their on-again, off-again characters, Nick Zano and Kat Dennings were really dating for a period. This was confirmed by Dennings in 2012 when she was asked by Glamour if the rumors were true about them being an item and she replied, "Yes! I have nothing to hide! It's the truth! He's the best!"
When asked how she feels about Max and Johnny's hot-and-cold relationship, Dennings replied, "It's hard because now I'm like, 'Yes, yes, Max and Johnny should get married!' ... [but] if I separate my own feelings from it, I actually do think there is a story there, because he is the only man that has gotten that kind of response from Max. I think if he doesn't come into her life again, he'll be that one that always breaks her heart. So I hope something happens, but either way, I've got him [in real life]."