I was rather surprised at the fairly low average user rating that The Mighty B! has received. Some of the negative reviews I read are generally wrapped around the show's resemblance to Nick's older cartoons, perceived clichés, Bessie's speech impediment, her high amount of energy, and the occasional gross-out humor that is used. To me these sound like opinions of someone who has seen just one or two episodes, because even I wasn't quite sure what to think after seeing it for the first time. I had to give it an honest effort (just like a few other shows such as Invader Zim, Foster's Home or Billy & Mandy), which really led me to like it a lot as I continued to watch it.
So one point of contention seems to be the crude humor. To me, this show is a bit rough around the edges, but is not hard to handle compared to Family Guy, later episodes of Billy & Mandy and some earlier Nick toons I've seen. Only a little scene in one episode (not saying which one) made me grimace when I saw it, while many parts of Family Guy and Billy & Mandy made me change the channel. So the crudeness is unnecessary, but not by any means overbearing.
And why do some viewers seem to think this show is unoriginal, unless that is their attempt to support their negative opinions? In the case of Gwen and Portia, respectively a stereotypical hipster and valley girl, I believe they fill a role that places Bessie in her proper place, as they continually try to degrade her without a glimpse of success, adding a lot to the humor put forth by Bessie's antics. As far as Penny's stereotype is concerned, the only other character she could even relate to is Patrick Star, but their personalities are still much different and Penny is hilarious. The air-headed blonde girl Millie also cracks me up.
Even in spite of characters like Portia & Gwen, this is Bessie's show. Unlike any other female cartoon character I've seen, she is so full of energy, completely oblivious to her own popularity & appearance, and quite sharp-minded. Every other cartoon I've seen on Nick that's worth watching involves male comical characters, and any females that hold a primary role are usually not at all funny or antagonistic, since they are restrained to cynicism or being "miss perfect." I love how Bessie steps far outside this area; she's hilarious and adorable in every respect, including her silly lisp, which only adds to her personality.
