Saturday, July 3, 2010

there's a paradox in every paradigm

I DVR The View. I know the show has it's problems. But I DVR this because it's frankly exciting that I can watch 4-5 women of different ages discuss current events as well as more trivial things. I frequently become disenchanted with the show, as one does with any opinion-show. But lately it seems like too much to keep bottled up. So here it is...

an open letter to The View

I DVR The View each day. But lately I've become disenchanted with what I can only assume is hypocrisy. It seems that "cheating spouses" has been a Hot Topic for ages, recently it's blown up with politicians, celebs and Tiger.

The View tries to have variety in the co hosts, to prompt good discussion, different viewpoints and for the audience to have "their own" co host to relate to. What makes me feel terrible as a woman is that in the midst of this "Hot Topic" it seems that the co hosts are quick to forgive men involved in infidelity but continue to roast the women involved.

Joy's comment about one of Tiger's mistresses (a little word-play with her last name) was funny however when you juxtapose it with the fact that not that many weeks later co hosts gather on the couch oohing and ahhing over Mike Tyson (a convicted rapist, and a man who admits the best punch he's ever landed was off of Robin Givens face).

Also the co hosts were unanimously disgusted (save Barbara, who hasn't been on every time Rielle's brought up) with Rielle Hunter's photo shoot ala Risky Business meets the Muppet's, as well as her involvement with a married man. But then Sherri Shepard (who seems to herself be hurt by infidelity) chooses to don a Kobe Bryant jersey the week of the NBA playoffs (clip).

I am not saying you can't preach against infidelity and cheer for the Lakers, but wearing Kobe's jersey on national TV may be a bit hypocritical.

What I am missing on The View is someone who is unabashedly pro-woman. I am not saying that women cannot ever be boneheads (Whoopi uses this term as an ungendered description of stupidity) but someone who might say to Sherri "What's up with the Kobe jersey?" Or someone who seems a little less enchanted with guests like Mike Tyson and Snoop Dogg (the man who's lyrics proclaim women as "bitches" and "hos" who calls himself a "pimp" and penned lyrics like: "Shootin' the breeze, with a cute Vietnamese/or was she Lebanese? I think she Chinese/It really don't matter cause they all on they knees": The Last Meal.

Unabashedly for women...another problem with this is that when 2 co hosts are out (Barbara for health reasons and Whoopi to make a movie) The View decides it will go "out on a limb" and invite male moderators?!? How I ask, is that controversial? Many of these men already have their own public forums. Plus you took a show that was about women's conversations and let the males moderate it?

C'mon The View, go out on a real limb and hire a woman for women. Help us have a show that shows our little girls that we are not our own worst enemy. (Sisterhood is powerful you know)

title courtesy of ani difranco: paradigm

1 comment:

kate said...

amen sister friend.