Excellent analysis. Ms. Corden has vivedly described the experience of many women who are watching the dismantling of a once progressive society. It is precisely why the slick, well oiled media machine works! The same techniqes result in otherwise compassionate viewers cheering when The Donald says"You're Fired". Or when a generation of peace activists find themselves watching violent war movies.

Which raises the larger issue. While one can criticize such viewers, and feel guilty being one, responsibility doesnt' end there. And responsibility and accountability are key concepts here. Which means you look to the owners and proponents of such "works". You look to those who have direct financial gains in producing these works.

The social sciences have brought us so many profound insights. If you provide a mass audience with depiction after depiction of powerless women and all powerful men, your culture will grow in a certain direction. If you depict women and men as equals interested in meaningful activities, your culture will grow in another direction.

Except for cultures where that "choice" is not acknoweldged or discussed. In which case, you have corporate America.

Where does personal responsibility lie? Far down the food chain, I'm sorry to say. Which is not an abandonment of personal responsibility. But if we are to retain any of the progress that social science as given us, in speaking of responsibility one cannot leave out the more responsible party in ones analysis.

Personally, I have coped with this mindless onslaught of slick amorality by unplugging our cable TV four years ago. Did I experience withdrawal symptoms? Yes. Do I read more now. Yes. Am I happier and less infected? Absolutely.

Thanks for a stimulting read.

Elaine, you're hilarious, and you've made my normally dull morning hilarious.

Great article, Elaine. It moved me to sign up and start commenting!

I tried and I tried to skip this cycle of ANTM, but I am a feminist ANTM addict. I wonder if you think there is anything positive in the general acceptance on ANTM of (certain kinds of) queerness-- like Miss J is just there-- no one makes fun of him or tries to explain why he is dressed like an unbelievably frumpy (oops-- help, there's the ANTM induced bitchiness) woman. Could this be positive?

I wrote a column for my monthly gig in Xtra West about feminist lesbians who are obsessed with ANTM-- it's on my website, sarahleavitt.com--search Top Model or use this link: sarahleavitt.com/word/?p=143.

Good article.

Too bad the critical standards of TV audiences (men and women) are so low that it needed to be written at all.

At least the Real Estate porn that is all over many specialty channels this fall occasionally has a decent home repair tip.

That this kind of 'aren't we superior' TV is still in fashion is a sad commentary on both critical standards and the way leisure time is being poured like good wine into the sands of the desert.

Good article, as a male who has watched a few episodes can testify. It's a crappy show, Tyra is a nasty and self-important piece of work, the would-be models are often desperate and yet it does have a compelling appeal at times.

One might uncharitably say it's about time women had the male equivalent of professional wrestling, with it's age-old stereotypes to cheer and jeer.

But the reality show phenomenon is important in pop-culture and our society and progressives would be wise to examine it more closely and keep watching, if only with a jaundiced eye.

- Bill Tieleman

Tieleman
Why keep watching pray tell? Surely 'once bitten - twice shy' ought to be the lesson.

Watching, even as an exercise in the study of sociopathology, simply encourages them.

Gonna hafta watch the show, so maybe I can comment on it. :-) 'Sides, I can be as trashy as the next guy when it comes to checking out a woman with cleavage and good bones.

EDITED FOR RACIALLY OFFENSIVE CONTENT (SEVERAL COMPLAINTS) ... dressed to the tacky 9s? Audience full of Barbies?

I'm not much of a TV watcher, though when I occassionally do, the plethora of women's advice and gabfest shows is mind boggling. It's like malls-, row upon row of women's fashion stores.

Oprah!

Helllllp! Quick, let me outta the room!!!

Somewhere in fairly recent years, advertisers and TV producers, like mall owners, discovered that "the tube" is really more a woman's medium than a man's, in terms of hours watched, I suspect.

Me? I'm a radio listener. Goes with being an oldie but goodie, pre TV raised. :-)

I'd like to present a counterpoint. This is the first year I've ever watched 'Top Model.' Like Elaine, my weekly viewing involves wine and women and snack foods and snarky comments about the competing girls. Unlike Elaine, it's not the feminist in me that finds my (new) weekly ritual appalling, it’s really just the humanist in me.

Watching ‘Top Model’ is like watching any reality TV show – you decide who you ‘like’ and who you hope to see eliminated, and you pretend watching the trivial challenge the contestants face is worth your time (think Survivor or Greatest Race).

Most of us don’t even believe that these shows are worth watching, though – we’ve just found an excuse to get together with friends and a way to keep from pushing our dates back a day or two or four. Top Model is only on on Wednesdays, so my girlfriends have a weekly Wednesday date.

The catty comments are just a byproduct of watching people act foolish on internationally syndicated television (tell me you’ve never scoffed at the television when Jerry Springer surfaced in your channel surfing), not a sign of decaying feminist mentalities.

And keep in mind, are men and women out there who were as devoted to “America’s Next Top Male Model” as Elaine and the rest of us are to Tyra’s version.

kendylsalcito

Re: ANTM, you may have a small point. Models of both sexes already fulfill a strange and 'elite' or specialist role in the fashion/ad business. On the other hand, your justifying claim that’s its just another chance for the girls to bond is pretty lame.

But, the rest of these reality ‘mud wrestling’ contests - all the way down to Jerry Springer clearly play on making the middle class 'feel' good about themselves because they are so 'superior' to the folks (most of them doing it for possible fame and or money) on display who are making idiots of themselves.

I think both the watched and the watchers are banal and pathetic in the extreme.

If a woman, who ought to be taking the equality advances that feminism has gained for her as a gift from her mothers and sisters, treats these lessons so lightly, far be it from me to stop her. But, don’t think you aren’t inviting some fundamentally tough criticism – it’s not all fun out there.

Anyway, work it out among yourselves, I have enough trouble understanding where the degrading spectacle of the 'ultimate fighting challenge' is taking men.

Anway, as far as male models are concerned, didn't Ben Stiller and Zoolander (3% Body Fat. 1% Brain Activity.) pretty much 'deal' with the 'male' modelling industry?

It didn't start with ANTM; I place at least part of the blame upon the fictional forerunner of ironically anti-feminist feminism, Sex and the City[/]. In that estrogen-fest, not only are each of the cartoony grandes dames disgusting as they primp, preen and bathe in whine, but the only characters with even a smidgen of personality worth redemption are the men.

Luv this article!

I agree with Tieleman that, as an expression of pop culture today, reality fluff t.v. shows like ANTM have something to tell us about ourselves (even if that something is not very nice). To be totally honest, I started to see office politics (which I never quite 'got') and social hierarchies a little differently after observing a few seasons of 'Survivor'.

Tieleman's also right that ANTM is the feminine version of televised intra-gender powerplays we've been getting on the male side for some time now, although rather than professional wrestling I would take that unscripted extreme fighting show as the male analogy, (now replayed ad nauseum on the monitors of gay pubs across the continent). Those guys aren't playing a role - they're real 20-something knuckleheads with no-luck roughneck backgrounds trying to make it big doing the only thing they do well.

Speaking of which, if you ever want to observe at what point the line separating mere 'bitchy' from outright 'heinous' lies, try watching ANTM with a room full of gay men. There's something about this show that brings out the worst in everyone.

Short answer to Alcibiades - I watch in order to spend time with my 20-something daughter, who loves it, despite my desparaging comments throughout! - Bill Tieleman

Just. Don't Watch.
TV producers don't care why you watch, or what you think of their product, just that you watch it.
It's junk food, folks. It's cleverly designed to suck you in and make you feel good (in some sense), even as it puts on the pounds or dumbs down the humanity. It's doing you no good at all.
You've gotta be strong and just ... don't ... watch.

Tieleman

You jest! That's the best way (or only) way you can find to spend time with your daughter?

I seriously doubt it. Get up and walk away - she'll be far more impressed by that.

^ spoken like a daughterless person. ;)

I have a young daughter. Ignoring her choice in entertainment doesn't work. Watch what she watches but ask questions. Don't pontificate or answer them yourself. Get her to figure it out herself.

peefer
I agree with your observation; but, the comment above evidently refers to Bill Tieleman's 20 something daughter.

There IS a difference.