Why Women and TV Don’t Mix

Three entries in one day?! I think I must have gone INSANE!

Okay I think my rant is about to come to fruition. Also my diary now looks ULTRA COOL, check out the selvage denim texture, yeeeeahhh! What I don’t understand is what was up with my old colour scheme, white, green and pink. Why did I choose that?! It’s like, the ugliest combination of colours ever (well, apart from those diaries that give you a migraine) but still. I have no idea why I kept it like that for so long.

So, onto my topic, as I’ve been thinking about this for a while.

I watch a lot of TV, because in general it is awesome. Mostly I watch series, because you can’t beat a good cliffhanger every single week. My problem is, why are 90% of female characters so damn unlikeable in these things? I’m not saying that ALL male characters are therefore likeable, but it’s really hard to find a female character that is genuinely likeable and/or relateable. Let me break it down a little more.

Lost

I love Lost. It is the second best TV show of all time, regardless of the fact it barely bothered to answer half of the questions it raised. But let’s think about the female characters here. First, we have kate, probably one of the most dickish characters in TV history. So she’s some badass criminal who only commits crimes out of LOVE. On the island, all she does is try to get in on other people’s expeditions and when she does, she usually messes it up for them by getting kidnapped, and injured or insulting someone. She also insists on flirting with Jack and Sawyer and pretty much playing them off against each other for the entire show. So far, so unlikeable.

Check me and my un-matching underwear! I’m proving the writers KNOW women.

Then you have Claire, who is whiny and insufferable, whose only two phrases appear to be "Chaaaalie" or "the bayyyyybeee". All she does is get moody and storm around, being useless and pathetic.

"Chaaaalie! Moy Bayyybeeee, waaaah!"

Shannon (who thankfully dies early on) is probably meant to be unlikeable. A self-centred spoilt brat who sunbathes whilst everyone else is trying to get their shit together and like… survive.

"I don’t know how to shoot this gun! All I know is sunbathing!"

Sun is someone I don’t mind so much, but that being said, I don’t particularly like her either, she’s pretty meh either way.

Beige = meh.

Ana Lucia is one of the worst, some badass ex cop who must be constantly thinking "how can I be more badass?". She reminds me of one of those girls who say they don’t like other girls and they always get along better with boys which is secret code for "I’m a bitch who will try to steal your boyfriend, probably."

"I am incapable of making smart fashion choices."

I could go on but with Lost, my point is made. And it isn’t just the hot guys who are likeable (eg, Sawyer, Desmond). Ben and hurley are both great too, as they actually have interesting personalities. The women all suck.

 

Heroes

So who’ve we got in here? Claire, "the cheerleader", whose only purpose is to be a "hot" cheerleader for all the nerds watching and again, attempts badassery but just ends up looking like a twat.

"I only have one pose."

You also have the girl with electric powers ( I forget her name) who is the spoilt, whiny brat one.

"Where’s that puppy you promised me?!"

Nikki, the typical mum with a stripper side job as if she’s in some sort of City High song reenactment. It’s not that I hate her, but she is such a boring stereotype, and her personality isn’t likeable. She just exists, and occasionally kicks ass in a reasonably cool way.

Angela Patrelli is the hardcore republican tightass whose elitist behaviour is always "for the greater good" but actually she just comes across as a dick.

The Greater Good.

 

House

The women doctors in this are so terrible, and House comes across as something clever and thought out. They spend so much time on character development you’d think they actually wanted you to understand that their characters have depth. Apart from the women.

There’s 13, the sexy bisexual who always has something cutting to say non-chalantly whilst pouting her lips in that Olivia Wilde manner. But would I want to be friends with her? No. I mean, you can just imagine the writers sat there thinking "Hmmmm, we’ve cast Olivia Wilde, let’s make her bi so she will be TWICE as hot, ’cause that’s all that matters with women on TV right?"

13 – unlucky for some.

There’s Masters, the meek and squeaky intern thing that always wants to do "the right thing" but only if it involves her sneaking off and telling the boss/patient how awful everyone else is.

"If I stand like this, maybe no one will notice how shit I am."

There’s also Cameron, who thankfully disappeared, who was just a… no one. She was just sort of moody and ugly, always sloping around scowling and attempting beauty but never really attaining it.

"My lab coat says I’m a doctor, but my eyebrows tell a different story."

<p>And don’t even get me started on Cuddy.

No really, don’t.

 

Desperate Housewives

Where to begin?! Would you actually want to be friends with any of these women in real life?

Susan – whiny, scowly, whingey, desperate, meek.

"What?! Superman doesn’t live on Wisteria Lane?!"

Bree – anally retentive, hardcore republican, thinks keeping a gun in the house is a good idea, snobby.

"I have baked these cookies. Then I will shoot you."

Lynette – controlling, bossy, always being a bitch to her husband, no compassion, likes to butt in to other people’s business.

"But Tom, if I don’t keep a tight hold on your balls, I will have nothing to
hold onto except my inflated sense of self!"

Gabi – spoiled, self centred, materialisti, vain.

"If you don’t buy me the matching shoes, I’ll burn your face."

Though I am sad that Edie died. The reason I loved her is because she was such a dick to the four main characters, it made me feel better that someone else would at least attempt to knock those women down a peg or two.

 

I could go on, there are so many female characters that are either so extremely stereotypical that they come across as awful, or the writers just don’t bother to develop their characters and so they just become sex objects. I’m starting to sound like a feminist here and I’m really not. I mean, yeah equal rights = good, sexism = bad and all that, but this stems from watching so much TV and realising I hate pretty much all women on TV.

To be fair though, I’d like to point out a couple of exceptions:

 

Six Feet Under

My number one show, in the world, ever. Nothing will ever beat the beauty and magnificence that is SFU. And here, we have some fantastivc female characters. Ruth, the mother of the family is wonderful. The way she is written and the acting both do wonders to convince you that she is a real person. She’s very worrisome and timid, but once in a while she gets so tired of treading on herself that she breaks out and goes wild in her own way, maybe with a determined hike where she imagines shooting all her ex boyfriends, or maybe with a gutsy job flower arranging, Ruth never fails to make you smile and think "That’s so her.".

Another great character is Brenda, a woman who is very intelligent, but very aware of her intelligence, and so can stumble over her own hidden pride to find she’s been outsmarted by someone she considered to be less enlightened than her. She falls into traps of addiction in such believable ways that only someone like her could, and she develops new life theories so she can feel her life is on track, when inside she feels out of control. Her character is so intriguing, she’s fantastic, but she has very human, very believable flaws.

<img alt="" src="data:image/jpg;base64,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” />

 

The Big Bang Theory

Yeah, okay, at first, the only girl was Penny, a dumb ditsy blonde who was contstantly being out-brained by the physicists, but in the latest series, the writers have brought in some outstandingly unique female characters that are so original, I have a renewed love for TBBT. Along with Penny, there is now Bernadette, the shy yet clever, meek yet bitchy girl.

There’s Amy, the intensely nerdy scientist who is so socially inept she makes everything amusingly awkward for everyone. I love her, she acts so androgynously, so unaware of social protocols, and then occasionally she’ll do something she thinks is girly, like formally propose a pillow fight in pyjamas. Wonderful.

 

And that’s me done for the day. Hope you enjoyed it!

XxX