And the truth is...I've said for a long time that we would have a black President before a woman President made it into office. Racial discrimination is still a serious, dangerous, ever-present threat to our society. But so are the rampant social perceptions of a gender that currently outnumbers men in this country and yet still only maintain 16% of the Senate and 16% of the House.
And this stuff? It ain't helping the cause. With that, I give you the worst that American pop culture has to offer. Every one of these things puts us "in our place." It's a very bad place. We don't think for ourselves here. We're judged on how we look instead of our brains. We have to beat the crap out of each other because of a guy. Repeatedly. And then come back and do it again in a year. We only want to be liked, but not respected. We talk the talk but we don't act on our ideals.
And we're not putting up much of a fight against any of it.
Reality TV
Why? Take your pic from the big Five, MTV, VH1 and E! Our personal favorites in the Backwards Steps category: any show that sends 12-15 half-naked women scrambling through the world's most degrading challenges over 1 dude who you would avoid at all costs if he approached you in a bar. Even you, Bret Michaels. I would flirt with you for maybe a minute and then go discuss with my friends how awesome that was and why you can't embrace the fact that you're bald. I would not subject myself to scrounging in a dumpster for your guitar pick. Don't get me started on Flavor of Love. I love Public Enemy as much as the next person but let's be honest- Flav is basically a homeless guy who can tell time.
The makers of pretty much every new network television show for the last five years
Why? A few weeks ago, Entertainment Weekly dedicated an article to why networks are having such a difficult time finding the next "Sex and the City," why shows like Lipstick Jungle and Cashmere Mafia are tanking. Gee, I wonder. Let's put aside the fact that Movies and TVs' biggest prevailing problem is that they believe people will swallow a shitty script if the production values are high enough and you get Pat Fielding in your corner. But let's ignore that. Maybe it's because we don't RECOGNIZE these women. Am to believe that some 5'11 former model turned movie exec/mommy/married to hot hubby is anyone I know? How do I relate to her? Why do you want me to care? Let's even ignore the Insanely Beautiful Hollywood Woman versus the Rest of Us theory and just say once and for all what women want to see. It's simple and shocking- it's exactly what men want to see too: Multi-dimensional characters facing realistic, interesting issues and situations. Most disturbing is that these series are supposedly written by women. You've been in LA too long, ladies.
The Katherine Heigl box set (Knocked Up and 27 Dresses)
Why? Full disclaimer- I loved Knocked Up. What I hated was hearing star Katherine Heigl's comments in the press afterword about how demeaning the movie, all of Judd Apatow's work really, is to women. “It was hard for me to love the movie” because it’s “a little sexist…it paints the women as shrews, as humorless and uptight, and it paints the men as goofy, fun-loving guys.” She then proceeds to shill 27 Dresses, about a women's obsession with getting married. And how she's been a bridesmaid 27 times. Which means all of the other women in her life are also obsessed with getting married. Marriage is fine. It's a beautiful institution. But is this premise really what we need? Is this Doris Day reverb? On the grand scale of all we can accomplish as human beings, this is all we can find to talk about?
Marie Claire
Why? I realize I could've taken the easy way out and just stuck Glamour and Cosmo here but Marie Claire really infuriates me. At least Glamour and Cosmo are exactly what they claim to be- they focus on sex and looks. They pretty much haven't changed since I was a teenager- the bar is low. And sex matters, so does the multi-billion beauty industry. Marie Claire is worse because it claims to be more. It insists on including World pieces, the intention of which I applaud. But the pieces themselves? Ugh. The last one I read, had this byline: Teenage girls are grabbing guns and joining the outlawed New People’s Army in the Philippines. Here, a rare glimpse at their secret lives. Fascinating, right? Yeah, well. It was two pages long. Mostly pictures. And pretty much the only copy focused on how these women couldn't have sex or had to keep their boyfriends secret. "Every aspect of NPA life is regulated, including romance; premarital sex is forbidden." It's one thing to truly believe that all women are whores. It's another to know they're not and treat them like that anyway.
The Biggest Loser (what's in a name?)
Why? It's hard to discredit The Biggest Loser on NBC. The show is moving in its intention to get the morbidly obese back to fighting shape, in most cases saving these people's lives and giving them back to their families. Not to meant inspiring the fattest country on the planet. The focus is on exercise and healthy eating over dangerous plastic surgery. Cheers, yay, go for it! But...did we have to call it The Biggest Loser? I'm sure some network honcho patted himself on the back for that one. Truly, the best titles encompass two or more meanings. And here the meanings are... The winner of the show loses the most weight. The biggest loser of weight. And the second? Fat people are losers. One of these people is the biggest loser. It makes both the men and the women look bad. It's needlessly cruel. In my opinion, NBC is the biggest loser here, when it comes to that whole karma thing (See what I did there? NBC? My name is Earl? Karma?)
2 comments:
Heigl didn't say it was demeaning at all get your fact rights. She was badly misquoted and has clarified her statements numerous times. She said she thought the movie was a little bit sexist and the women were painted as being a bit uptight. She said she loved the movie and it was the best filming experiencing of her career. She also added she understood the women and all the characters needed to be like this and exagggerated as it was part of the humour.
I included her words this time and deleted the aside which was, in retrospect, a little bit harsh. But I'm sticking to my opinion on her then turning around and giving us 27 Dresses. Hope it helps!
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