Monday, January 7, 2008

Adventures in Wifeswapping: Update!!

I e-mailed a link to my last post to Angie (the 'ultra feminist'). I was glad to hear back from her because she cleared up a few things for me. Teaching Alicia to cook and be a waitress were apparently the only things Angie was allowed by the show to do during the portion where the wives are allowed to change the other family's rules. Actually, I'll just post some of what she said and let her words speak for themselves.

"Another major sticking points [sic] I had was that they only ways I could get Ralph to approve of changing was to allow her to serve and cook- while I enjoy cooking, I certainly would have preferred anything to traditional stereotypical roles- but then again, you saw what I had to work with.

What I really wanted was to take off her make up and let her see what was really underneath and to see what she was so scared of. But she was forbidden by her parents to appear on camera without her full face on..."

I also would have loved to see this child without so much make up. It is really sad that Angie was unable to do anything that might have affected real change in their lives AND in the lives of viewers who have no experience with feminism.

The biggest accomplishment of Alicia (in her own estimation) by the end of the program was that she, a freshman, was going to the junior prom. So we can already see how important male approval is to this poor child.

Another lesson here: 'reality TV' is far from being real. It is, in actuality, whatever will be most profitable to ABC.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

i really enjoyed your series on the wifeswap show, as i don't watch a lot of television, but was, almost morbidly, curious about that particular episode (i may watch it online to satisfy that curiosity). it's sad the way feminism is painted to the world...it is reassuring to see that there are people like yourself who stick to their guns and set the record straight...

first time to your blog...and even though you are in green bay i think i can look past it ;)

thanks again!

Cortney said...

I am really glad you enjoy the blog. And you can rest assured, I have safely returned to Chicago, though this might mean less posts due to less boredom.

I love my family but why they choose to live in a suburb of Green Bay is beyond me.

Radical Reminders said...

I am so glad that you wrote to her! what an awesome idea! Unfortunately i'm watching wifeswap as we speak... this episode is crazy, one of the husbands is SO rude to the "wife"