Susan Douglas' wonderful reflection and analysis of the media's representation of women struck me as a powerfully enlightening argument. Douglas' examples led me to question my favorite go-to shows: the obvious problems with the girls on MTV's Jersey Shore, America's Next Top Model, etc. But I thought that my favorite network, the Food Network, couldn't possibly be doing the same.
Unfortunately, after thinking a little harder about some of my favorite Food Network programs, I found a trend which could have easily found its way into Douglas' argument. After reading the introduction to "Enlightened Sexism" I noticed that there are generally two types of shows on the Food Network: the first, a male chef throwing meat on the grill and using bold flavors which go great with a tall glass of beer, and the second: a doting female who uses delicate, refined flavors cooking in-home meals ready to serve to the family. It was very interesting to look a little further into this issue: not only were the types of food women and men cooking different, but the women chef's sets were also representative of this problem. While Giada DeLaurentis, Ina Garten, Rachel Ray, and Paula Deen all cook on sets which look straight out of a country-house kitchen, Bobby Flay, Guy Fieri, and Michael Symon all cook in restaraunt-style or outdoor grill settings. This is a clear commentary that women are to cook in the home for her family, while the boys are able to cook professionally and in a masculine, industrial environment.
Another element which struck me while examining some of my favorite shows is how often the women, particularly Ina Garten and Giada DeLaurentis, cook food specifically to dote on their husbands who anxiously await their food to be placed in front of them. For the women's shows who dont actually pick their husband's favorites to cook on their show often times will still talk about good dished or how to alter flavors which appeal to their husbands. "Game-day" snacks for a husband and his buddies are often featured on Rachel Ray's program, which highlight her domestic role to cater to her husband and his friends.
While there are infinitely more examples to expose, the above were some of the most interesting to me. Douglas' has opened my eyes to the various ways in which women can be objectified on TV. I am excited to continued reading to learn more about the ways modern sexism had become rampant and often times subconscious.
Despite our lengthy conversation today in class about how we as women buy into the enlightened sexism concept through our actions of watching reality television, I am guilty of continuing to watch the fan favorite "Jersey Shore" tonight. I will, however, take Douglas' argument into account and watch the episode with a more critical eye.
ReplyDeleteOn another note stemming from Hillary's post referencing the food network, Zoe and I watched the Top Chef episode from last night where right from the beginning it showed an interview with a female contestant who was thrilled to be one of the last three women standing and at the end of her commentary said, "Ya, GIRL POWER!" I thought it was interesting since this was a very blatant connection to what we had discussed in class earlier.