Women in Television
Hey there internet friends, sorry I haven’t been posting as regularly. The Roe v. Wade news hit pretty hard and put me into a rollercoaster of emotions. It’s been tough regaining my center thinking about the fact that women were the first group of people to lose rights in our nation. It didn’t sit right with me.
Instead of wallowing in self pity and a bottle of sauvignon blanc (well, after), I thought more about what my platform could potentially have the power to do if I stuck with it, rather than to just up and give up. I’m not giving up. And neither should you. Whatever way that works for you and your style to keep resisting, do it. I think this is mine. I hope you enjoy.
Women in television used to be a big, weird deal for people. Mary Tyler Moore was a trailblazer in 1970 as a single woman, living alone (gasp!) who also had an abortion(!). In 1988 Candice Bergen was an unmarried pregnant woman over 40, the triple threat of female taboo. Laura Dern needed a security detail for a year after playing a lesbian on television in 1997. How is it that more than 50 years after Mary Tyler Moore are we still having such a difficult time discussing female agency and topics on television? It’s been THE media to bring up tough topics for decades, starting with Star Trek in the 60s using an integrated cast and even daring to broadcast the very first interracial kiss on television. That was in 1966.
On the heels of the Roe v. Wade decision, it just feels so disheartening that women get such a bad rap for acting like human beings, both on and off the air. I’ve found some of the most interesting and admirable female characters are the ones that have been portrayed as flawed, overcoming suffering or adversity, or making tough choices that may be disagreeable to some. Anyway, I would love to share some favorites with you.
Amy Santiago — Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s finest and youngest police chief, Amy holds a special place in my heart for not sacrificing who she is, despite the flak she gets from other principle cast members for being a nerd. It’s tough to openly admit to liking arts and crafts as an adult, or Harry Potter, but Amy wears her passions on her sleeve. She’s also not afraid of tough conversations, like when she was sexually harassed after earning a promotion. She put a transfer into the Nine-Nine immediately afterwords, and the rest is history.
Anna Bates — Anna has a quiet but powerful role in Downton Abbey. She’s a perpetual advocate for Bates as he weathers the manipulation and pranks of Barrow and O’Brien. She marries Bates so she can still visit him in jail when he is wrongly accused of murder, and despite all that the writers of the show still thought to send some bullshit her way. Anna is brutally raped and beaten in Mrs. Hughes’s sitting room whilst the rest of the downstairs staff is listening to an Australian opera singer in the great hall. It was brutal, and enough to put you off the Abbey for good. But Anna perseveres, the perpetrator is brought to justice (at the hands of another victim) and Anna and Bates are free to live their lives in peace. She’s a small but mighty character.
Elliot Reid — An oldie but a goodie, I grew up wishing that I could be as cool as Dr. Reid on Scrubs when I was growing up. She had it all, a blossoming medical career, several attractive boyfriends, and a stable friend group. She’s cut off financially from her father when she finally stands up to him about being told what to do as an adult. It didn’t mean as much to me as a kid watching it, but when I started to have my own struggles with my parents on individuality and living the life I want, this scene had a lot more meaning to me. It’s not easy starting from scratch. I’ve done it twice now, and have no desire to do it again. But in every case it’s happened, and Dr. Reid included, it always turned out for the best. We all fall down, but what matters most is how we get back up.
June Osborne — The Handmaids Tale is hard to watch. I like that. It’s supposed to make us uncomfortable about the all too real project of living in a dystopian totalitarian patriarchal theocracy. June’s story from season 1 until now has been an emotional rollercoaster and one that you don’t see the endpoint of. I really appreciate the subtle details that Elisabeth Moss puts into June, my favorite being that you never see June exhale in the show, until the last episode of season 4 “The Wilderness”. And let me tell you, that exhale sends chills down my spine every time I watch it. It’s so cathartic, after years and years of brutal abuse, rape, torture, starvation, kidnapping, etc. June is finally free, and can finally breathe.
This is by no means a complete list, but a jumping off point to start thinking about other powerful female characters in television. Maybe they don’t try to overthrow a corrupt government or stand up to their fathers, but resist in other ways.
Who are some of your favorites? Drop me a line, and I would love to feature them.
Until next time!