Gender in the Media on Thursday:
Ever notice those comedy shows on TV? You know the ones. There’s a funny guy, a comedian, a guy’s guy. And he’s so funny that they give him his own show. But…he’s not much to look at; he’s pudgy, short, and not so hot, but he sure is funny. So how can they give him a show and get people to watch him? I mean, who the heck wants to watch an unattractive guy, albeit funny, on TV? If you give him a hot wife, everyone will watch. But which demographic is the hot wife intended for? Not the women. I suppose it’s the men. They want to watch the funny guy and laugh at his punchlines, but they need a hot woman to gaze at and fantasize about while they are laughing. Enter hot wife with funny punchlines. The wife has to be funny, too, but she also has to be very attractive. Want some examples?
The King of Queens starring Kevin James and Leah Remini:
According to Jim starring James Belushi and Courtney Thorne-Smith:
Everybody Loves Raymond starring Ray Romano and Patricia Heaton:
George Lopez starring George Lopez and Constance Marie:
The objective in pointing this out: how these shows use female sexuality to seduce the viewers to watch men who are funny, but not good looking. In other words, female actresses are being used to give ratings to the funny fat guys. They’re the eye candy, the bait, and they provide the sexual tension the men who watch these shows need. They’re mere sexual props in spite of the fact that they are brilliant and funny women. They’re like the cheerleaders at a football game: they provide the sexual component of the game. Without the women and their sexual presence, why would men turn on the TV every week and watch a fat funny guy run off his mouth? It’s not a very empowering place to be for these women. At least not from where I stand…
Can you think of any other shows that portray similar representations of femininity?
Copyright© 2010 by Marina DelVecchio. All Rights Reserved.
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Although it’s a cartoon, “Family Guy” works the same way. Peter is the fat funny husband and Lois is the hottie wife. In real life, the voice actors are the opposite – Seth MacFarlane is a good looking guy, and Alex Borstein is the short, fat funny girl.
It’s sad, though. Alex Borstein is so good at what she does, she’s always involved in front of and behind the camera on her shows; she’s paved the way for other comedian/actress/writer types like Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, and yet she participates in one of the most misogynistic shows on TV.
She had a good run on “Mad TV” in the ’90s and early ’00s, and even though she’s definitely not a conventionally attractive woman, she was successful because she’s talented.
Great Post as always. The new show Mike and Molly is really great. It shows a side of what many people face. They are both large and have the smae issues that others do.
Cant help but comment on this one… I dont really like sitcoms but I Love, Love , Love King of Queens, could be bc i am from queens but i dont think so. Beauty is the eye of the beholder. I think Kevin James is hot. I love him. Maybe its his funny that makes him so cute, and you will probably be able to analyze this for me… but I love him, and I love Leah Remini. I think shes cute and I guess at times hot. I dont think that Rosannes show woulda been any better is the husband had been a hot guy. It was funny in its time. In my eyes funny is funny and funny is hot and cute and i love it. I know i know you will tell me the world has jaded my site of hotness but hey hotness is in my world not judged by a six pack… well maybe, a six pack of beer in Kevin James hands ususally brings on the funny, with a side of cute Leah Remini…. OK shoot me down now. lol
As for the other shows, well, i have no interest in them at all not because there are no hot guys or the girls are exploited, but because they just are NOT funny. Thats how i roll. Funny = Hot and cute, male or female. Example, i do not find the red headed girl in “How i met your mother” hot but because she is so funny, her hot factor goes up. so shes adorable and cute and i am sure hot to guys. I guess because i like funny people it makes them attractive to me, I think thats how alot of people feel bc they may say they want a hot wife.. blah blah blah, but i see plenty of just normal everyday people get married everyday in real life and they usually say the reason they are attracted to their mate is bc they make and keep them laughing. : )
Helaine, the guys are cute, and I too love funny men. My husband is hysterical, and one of the many reasons I fell for him was because he made me laugh. My point is not with the guys, though. They’re cute and chubby and funny and deserve to get their shows. My point is that they have to have “hot wives” to get viewers to watch. Even with “How I Met Your Mother,” the girl is adorable and cute, but last night I had to watch her breasts flop around – so the cute ones are sexed up as well. Patricia Heaton had breast implants and lost weight and had a face lift towards the latter episodes of “Everybody Loves Raymond.” I’m commenting on the sexism that is evident in sitcoms/TV, not whether or not chubby funny guys can get the hot girls. Ya know? TV is not normal real life — it’s all done for demographics. And these women are chosen for their looks. In TV — men’s looks don’t matter, but women’s looks do. And yes, there are a few and lonely women out there who are famous for their talent and are not hot, but they are still small in number compared to the hot ones. Glad you came on to comment.
First, women are infact checking out the woman am I that cute??? and the men are thinking see I could get a hot babe i look as good as him.. HEY TV is not real life did we all forget that?
Men= money Women= sex same old same old nothing new…
money makes the world go round. try not having any and you would see how desperate you are to have some……
how about a Roseann Barr with a sexy guy? how would that sit com work? NOT
Great post.
What about the show Still Standing? I think the actress is Jamie Gertz
Oh, and don’t forget Fred and Wilma and Herman and Lily – LOL
Diane, I forgot about that one, but yes, same thing. LOL! to the Fred and Herman ones too. So true!
I cant see your comment Marina. The two after mine are white background with white writing??
I actually know several couples like this in real life. There’s really something to be said for a funny, good man who loves his family. I happened to get a very sexy man who is also funny and loves his family- but not everyone cares ALL about how their partner looks. Some of them look deeper than what’s on the surface. Personally, I’d rather have a man who isn’t on the Worlds Sexiest Men’s list, but, if he’s fun to be with, loves me and my children, makes me laugh and is willing to be a man and support me, my ambitions and our family, whatever that happens to mean, then that’s what I want. You can have a gorgeous man who is a douche bag too. Given the choice between the two, I’d pic the fat funny guy.
Now, what I might find sexist is if I constantly saw television shows that had stupid idiot women with smart guys. THat just doesn’t happen. Some of them are very smart women with kind of dumb guys- but lets face it, even my terribly brilliant and educated husband can be a complete bag of hot air sometimes. And I don’t think there’s any subliminal messaging in those tv shows that is trying to make us women look bad.
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Thanks for the great post! I had always wondered about that. It’s so annoying.
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And there’s Curb Your Enthusiasm. Older, dorky man with hot young wife. I always thought of it not so much as necessary to get viewership, but the result of mostly men having the power to make these shows, and so male fantasies are reflected. I mean, if a man creates a comedy show featuring himself, or a character that is probably a reflection of himself, is he going to cast an average woman as his or his character’s wife/girlfriend? I think not.
But for whatever reason, we do have enough of these. How about some variety? What we need are more comedies featuring the woman as the star. Like 30Rock. Or Roseanne. Loved that show.
Thanks for a great blog post.
Thanks, Erin. I never got into Curb your Enthusiasm, but yes. And I love your perspective on this. It’s true. All these shows and production companies are owned by men, so we get what they’re thinking about. Going on to your blog for a visit.
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