2008 Woodie Awards
The Stereotypes of Reality TV
Sarah Flocken
Issue date: 4/28/08 Section: Outside the Bubble
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These are the female stereotypes of so-called "reality" TV that we love to hate, and the shows that promote them. The shows may come and go like the weather, but the types of women that frequent them have been around since the advent of reality television. Producers have found a formula for casting women on these shows that gets ratings, and are not straying from it anytime soon. They know that high-drama and tried-and-true character types are what make a show the most addictive to an audience. More often than not, this involves pigeonholing the women into roles that will give the show just the right amount of tension to keep audiences tuning in for more. Here, I'll examine a few of the most common stereotypes portrayed on network TV and take a look at why they're being upheld.
"The Gold-Digger."
Seen on most shows that focus on marriage, love, and/or finding a mate for a financially successful (and gorgeous) man. Look for them on "Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire," "Joe Millionaire," "The Bachelor," and "For Love or Money." They claim to be looking for love, a concept that is hard to swallow for many reasons. For one thing, most of these women are housed together in a fabulous palatial mansion; for another, the outings are often extremely expensive for "get to know you" dates. And finally, of course, they are competing for the affections of a man who just happens to have a lot of money. In the case of "Joe Millionaire," they are made to look especially ridiculous-the joke's on them! He's not really a millionaire! He's actually just a really good-looking construction worker. Imagine their disappointment, which they try so desperately to hide (or flaunt) for the cameras. Romance and cash are often directly associated in "reality" TV, a pairing that has existed for thousands of years (dowries and arranged marriages, anyone?) These shows, which are hallmarks of our modern age, enforce ancient gender roles and views of love.
"The Power-Hungry Bitch."
Seen on shows that pit women against men in a competition for money, fame, or connections. Some excellent examples are seen on "The Apprentice" and "Survivor." Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth is their unofficial queen.
Historically, most societies have been wary of women in power. Powerful women, like Queen Elizabeth I, had to prove themselves in order to gain the people's trust. Thus, women competing for a position of power in reality TV feel the need to compensate for this. They are often loud, aggressive, overly assertive, and will do almost anything to get what they want. These qualities are not part of the historical ideal of femininity, which is why men, and often other women, will criticize these women and label them "power hungry bitches." They may even say that they are trying to act "like a man." There is an ancient mistrust of women in power, which often drives the women seeking power to overcompensate in decidedly unfeminine ways, drawing criticism. American audiences love a character they can criticize, and "the power hungry bitch" gives them just that.
"The Dumb Slut/Insecure Attention Whore."
Seen on most unscripted TV. There's always at least one, if not several, per show. Cameras and audiences follow them obsessively, because their drunken antics draw ratings, ratings, and more ratings. Find them on "Big Brother," "The Real World," "Flavor of Love," "Rock of Love," and many more.
"Dumb sluts." If our society is more sexually liberated than past generations, why do we even still use this phrase? Can't a girl have a good time the way she sees fit, even if we don't exactly agree with her sexual practices? Not so much. America, ever Puritanical under the surface, still embraces very conservative ideas of sexual activity for women. Hence, those who don't agree with that get a lot of extra, mostly negative attention. But it's still attention, and that's the key. People tend to enjoy watching a good train wreck, thinking to themselves "at least I'm not that bad." These women act drunk, stupid, and/or slutty because they know it gets attention. American viewers give them attention, and feel better about themselves while doing so-it's an endless cycle. Yes, defecating on the rug, having a drunken threesome, or getting into a vicious chick fight over an aging rock star may not be the pinnacle of classiness, and not exactly what most self-respecting women would like America to see of them. But as long as humans enjoy watching other humans putting themselves down, and the cultural sexual standards stay the way they are, the "Dumb Slut/Insecure Attention Whore" is not leaving reality TV anytime soon.
"The Ugly Duckling."
In reality TV, the women are never unattractive, unless they're being made over. Then, of course, they're gorgeous and grateful, sobbing about how much this is going to help their horrible self-esteem. They are found on shows like "Extreme Makeover" and "The Swan." Everyone loves a Cinderella story, and that's why these shows exist. They cater to the notion that a woman's life can be changed completely once her outside appearance is changed. The typical "Extreme Makeover" or "Swan" participant is an insecure wallflower with a less-than-stellar self-image. And, of course, they're usually female. On media portrayals and often in real life, women's self-esteem tends to be far more affected by their looks than men.
It's normal for a person's self-esteem to be connected to their personal appearance. This tendency has some deep cultural and historical roots-back in the day, conventional beauty meant catching a husband, which was often a woman's only option for leaving home while maintaining her social status. As far as we have progressed, this sort of thinking is still instilled in women. Reality TV producers caught onto this, hence the disproportionate amount of shows dedicating to "making over" women.
If you love to watch "Extreme Makeover" once in a while, like I do, think about why you like it so much. Personally, I have an odd and morbid interest in seeing what sort of new surgical advances have been made to change the human body, and I just love seeing somebody made happy. Sadly, I've realized, they are happy because they are finally conforming to conventional standards of beauty, which might enable them to catch a decent man and therefore change their life forever.
I'm not saying reality TV is an absolute evil abyss of corruption (though many in the Writers Guild of America would beg to differ). I am simply observing the different, recurring types that appear on some of the most popular unscripted series of our time. Reality shows can be a fun and addictive source of entertainment-just be sure to think before you watch.
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