Drop Dead Diva is a fairly new show on Lifetime. Here's how IMDB describes the show: "A vapid aspiring model killed in a car crash gets brought back to life as an intelligent, overweight lawyer, hoping to find the meaning of inner beauty." Now, I have mixed feelings about the Lifetime channel in general. That will be reserved for another post. Let's refocus. Drop Dead Diva's premise is this: Beautiful girl dies in a car accident and wakes up in fat, smart girl's body. OH MY GOD. She is horrified. How can she possibly live her life. She probably should have just died. Right? Wrong.
I find it problematic to even address preference or type here. But the fact remains that I personally find the intelligent lawyer Jane (plain Jane some may say)much more desirable (intellectually, personally and physically) than the stereotypically beautiful Stacy.
Now, it isn't all negative. The show seeks to reveal that inner beauty and intelligence shine through to create some bizarre notion on true beauty. But Lifetime, come on. Is this supposed to be some trite learning lesson: Don't judge a book by its cover? Intelligence can be pretty? Brunettes (sometimes) can be as attractive as blondes? I mean I can go on. And really? Is this what overweight is? Don't even get me started on that.
If there can be a "good thing" that television networks do, it is tap in to what the general population (the portion that watches their channel) thinks is the norm. They don't always do it right. However, I think it is a tendency for the well educated, well traveled and well read to give the general population of our country too much credit for being able to think for themselves. Did you know that the Double Quarter Pounder at McDonalds came about because people thought the 1/2 Pounder was less than the 1/4 Pounder because of the denominator?!
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with the assessment that this should go without saying. People should just realize that this is not the way society should look at women (or men for that matter). However I think it is important to look at the approving demographics of the Lifetime Channel. My thoughts are that we would find, a large percentage of people who might fall into that Double Quarter Pounder category–the viewers that actually think that is food to begin with.
In summary, I feel like they've got to start somewhere. Juvenile as it may seem, I think the Lifetime Channel speaks to a large proportion of the population that doesn't think for themselves. And as much as I want it to be different, as much as I want people just to understand the issues. They don't, can't and won't without a mass media foundation.
PS. Great assessment. I could be wrong. I haven't looked at the demographics. But I too have seen the Lifetime Channel and their programming and probably feel exactly the same way you do on the quality of their programming. In the end, it's not for me but it is for someone.
After reading this post, I decided that in order to comment on the show, I'd have to watch it first. Three episodes later, I'm still not quite sure what to think. What I can say now though is that, as the last poster wrote, perhaps this show is providing something substantive and inspiring to the regular Lifetime viewing demographic. And, in all honesty, the show isn't that terrible - based on the premise, I was prepared to be generally disgusted at the inevitable stereotypes, etc.
ReplyDeleteDon't get me wrong, the show is peppered with (I would argue negative) stereotypes about women - what it means to be fat (Jane constantly eating doughnuts, danish and chocolate) and thin (the vapid model, Stacy, whose IQ is undoubtedly - perhaps generously - bordering the 70's, is beyond shallow), traditionally beautiful and not, etc. But at the same time, these notions are challenged, albeit without going too far beyond the surface.
Having said that, I have a not-so-good feeling the arc of the show is headed toward change (and not the kind we, as feminists, would hope for). I fear Jane, via Stacy's influence and willpower, will become thinner (read: more desirable), and more consumed with the things women should worry about (her looks, fashion, men, etc.). I imagine the male lead will fall in love with Jane, in spite of her weight because, she is Stacy on the inside after all. And what would that mean? The real Jane, sans the inner model, is not worth loving?
But these are mere speculations. I suppose the show will have to speak for itself. I guess I'll have to keep watching...