A Mix of Everything!

March 20, 2007 sunshine33

As soon as I saw the first article “The Portrayal of Women on Television” and read the first lines the television show Ugly Betty came to mind. Ugly Betty is a vital and timely show. It brings forth a complex assortment of women’s issues, gender, ethnicity, race, class and, of course, dominant beauty norms we all face.  In the show Betty has been labeled as ugly, fat, and suffers numerous humiliations at work, something we can all relate to.  Betty does not seem concerned about her weigh.  She is an intelligent woman and wants to succeed at her job.  In the article it states, “Yet women are typically seen less often than men on television and much less frequently in central dramatic roles.”  I think this show proves this 100% wrong.  Think about this, “the average adult spends one and a half years of his or her life watching television adverts” well what about Betty someone who works at a magazine with the “fashion elite”? She is exposed to advertisements day in and day out.  In her acceptance speech for her Golden Globe win America Ferrera said “This role lets everyone see that beauty is deeper than what we see” and “Thank you for recognizing a character who is truly bringing a new face to television.”  This is a television show that I feel has made and will make a greater impact in the portrayal of women in television. 

 

Now onto the article “What kind of male friendship? A case study of Joey and Chandler in Friends”.  If this were the other way around, say someone was looking at the friendship between any two females there would not be so much debate over it.  If I was to give a female friend of mine a bracelet similar to what Joey gave Chandler there would be no one there to read into it and figure out what the hidden meaning is.  Good friends, best friends do that sort of stuff.  I really don’t  know what to say about this article…. 

So Survivor…well I used to be a fan in the good old days when reality television was first becoming popular and well now I can’t really stand to watch it. It just seems to be the same thing, same prize, same competitions (sorta) and its just not as exciting for me after I saw it the first 3 seasons.  So of course CBS had to come up with something new and exciting to reel in the viewers so why not separate tribes into Whites, Blacks, Asians and Hispanics.  How can Mark Burnett state the tribes “separate but equal”???? Are we going back into time here or what?? Have we not got passed the whole discrimination thing yet??? And of course Probst had nothing but praise for the new concept.  What is he gonna do say he hates it and possibly lose his job??? Umm I think not!  He has to make his millions somehow.   

hunky dory…

Entry Filed under: SOC3390, Uncategorized

3 Comments Add your own

  • 1. butterflyxo&hellip  | 

    You raise an excellent point about the show Ugly Betty. Perhaps the reason I see why you vision is so truthful is because I watched her give that very speech on television one night. Another women that has made headways in the television and film industry is Queen Latifah. However, I think these women portray that portray the truth of real life body image are few and far in between in the media at the moment. Unfortunately, I think there is still the view that women should be thin and tall. It’s hard for one to imagine such bias being completely removed.

  • 2. butterflyxo&hellip  | 

    Oh, and truly brilliant post. I loved it.

  • 3. bananaramma&hellip  | 

    I have never really watched ugly Betty but it sounds like a good show. We just need more of it.
    I watchted that whole season of survivor with the race thing and I got really into it. Mostly because it was a social thing that I did with my friends. When I first heard that they were seperating it by race I thought how ridiculous, who let that idea leave the boardroom.
    But after watching the whole season it showed how race has little to do with personality or who you will bond with and I think overall that is a good message to send. Furthermore because it was a reality show we could see real people of different ethnicities, rather than predictiple stereotypes often utilized on TV.
    Good post!

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