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Wednesday, Jan 3, 2007 9:31 PM UTC

Women on the verge

Say goodbye to the dumb blonde -- the New York Times reports that today's TV women have bigger obstacles to conquer.

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Topics: Broadsheet, Grey's Anatomy, Love and Sex,

Last May, Maureen Dowd lamented the feminization of prime-time television, offering the wild hypothesis that as the U.S. government has become “more hypermasculine and martial,” TV programming has become “more feminine and seductive.” In today’s New York Times, Alessandra Stanley picks up the thread, noting that “ABC is even more in touch with its feminine side [than the other networks]: ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ and ‘Ugly Betty’ are packed with romance and tightly tailored to female audiences.”

So, whither the macho programming? Fear not, Stanley says: “Tonight [ABC] is introducing two comedies that are oriented toward men.” Funnily enough, she notes that “‘The Knights of Prosperity’ and ‘In Case of Emergency’ have similar conceits: each revolves around a group of pitiable male losers and one very pretty woman who puts up with them.” (The piece’s title puts it even more bluntly: “Male Misery Loves Female Company.”) Stanley admits that the device is hardly new; prime-time TV is well stocked with hot women attached to schlumpy guys. Historically, Stanley writes, the attractiveness differential has often been explained by female foibles — often an attractive woman character is a dumb blonde, say — since “beautiful women require a leveling weakness to be tolerable. Stupid women are more accessible and also less likely to judge men too harshly.” She observes, “That quid pro quo is so ingrained that it is the entire premise of ‘Beauty and the Geek,’ a CW reality show that pairs pretty, dimwitted women with brainy, socially inept men, and begins its third season tonight.”

Ancient stereotypes aside, what’s interesting here is that Stanley sees brainless bimbosity being phased out in favor of “less misogynist handicaps, from immigration status to bad luck.” These days, it seems that improbably alluring women are falling in with less-than-fantastic guys because of citizenship worries or, as with “In Case of Emergency” character Kelly, because she has fallen on hard times and works in a massage parlor. I suppose freighting a female character with dismal (or at least challenging) circumstances rather than an IQ deficit qualifies as a step forward; it certainly speaks to current issues. But there’s also something dark about a sitcom character whose romantic handicap is a grim lack of options. In her review, Stanley recounts a scene in which an “Emergency” character is charmed by Kelly “as she prepares to give him an adult-rated massage. He persuades her to try to start a new life and let him be her friend. Luckily for him, Kelly has nowhere better to go.” Yikes.

Page Rockwell

Page Rockwell is Salon's editorial project manager. More Page Rockwell.

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Gripping photos: The people of the Turkey protests (slideshow)

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  • The protests take on a festive element as police forces move out of the park and square. Wearing a gas mask, this young man dances to traditional Turkish music in front of Taksim Square’s Ataturk Monument.

  • In Gezi Park since March 31st, this protester, originally caught off-guard by the Government’s teargas and water cannons, went out and bought a Russian army mask from WWII, preparing for what was to come.

  • This rambunctious boy seems to be enjoying the chaos. After taking this picture he threw a stone at the already destroyed building in the background.

  • Forming a line, the police face off directly with protesters in Taksim Square. After a while, they retreated and there was a general cheer – a back-and-forth dance that has been common since the beginning of this protest.

  • An elderly woman in Gezi Park reads the news. The tent community occupying the park was violently destroyed on June 16th.

  • Many different groups had set up booths to promote their cause in Taksim Square and Gezi Park. Standing in front of one, this man waves his flag while posing with conviction.

  • Many home-remedies are used to minimize the effects of tear gas. This woman has put a milky solution on her face, removing her mask after the tear gas dissipated. Before sunrise, the police came again for another round of teargasing.

  • People capitalize on the uprising -- selling flags, beer, gas masks, sky lanterns and spray paint to name just a few of the popular items.

  • On Monday morning, June 11, the police execute a strong offensive. Many plain-clothed police officers, like the ones seen here, clash with protesters in the side streets away from the main stand-off in Taksim.

  • The authorities seem to be most aggressive in the night, pushing protesters away from the square and park. After being teargassed this young woman catches her breath with other protesters on Siraselviler Street.

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