Joe Millionaire- sexist?

[GKarsEye]

I feel I must precede this post by two notes:

1. I didn't know is this would be more of a TV topic or a political / social topic, so apologies if this belongs in Off-Topic.

2. Long-time posters would know that I'd be the last person attacking a TV show for sexism. While a feminist (yes, I'm not afraid to use that word), I believe in freedom of expression, even if it's stupid expression, and I've always argued against those who complain about how TV is "ruining" children, destroying American, and angering God.

Sorry for all that. Now then...

Something about this Joe Millionaire show creeps me out. No, I'm not watching it, but I've seen the commercials all weekend because some of the football playoff games are on FOX.

As most of you presumably do, I hate the reality shows, but I just ignore them like any sitcom and don't watch. But this one is just evil.

The premise, for those who don't know: they take this guy (handsome, according to some women) who "inherits" $50 million, shack him up with 20 or so single gals who compete for his affection, and I guess the winner marries him or something. The twist: he's not a millionaire, he's just some average schmoe.

So why does this bother me more than Temptation Island or The Bachelor(ette)? Because this is playing on the stereotype of women being goldiggers. That alone wouldn't be bad enough (they already did it with Who Wants To Marry A Millionaire?), but it's like some asshole wants to really hurt girl.

It's hard to explain what I'm thinking. I'll put it this way: the first time a saw this commercial, it's as if I heard a dirty male voice wheeze, "Hah, I'll get you, you stupid gold-digging bitches! Yeah, that's what you women want, isn't it?! Well take that! Hah-hah!"

Yes, I suppose if these women are so superficial that they're chasing a millionaire, maybe they deserve what they get. I'm not defending their character. But something about this show disgusts me, and I can't quite put my finger on it.

Maybe someone more clever can help me out here, or quell my suspicions?

 

[gethigh]

Sadly, I watched this show just to satisfy my curiosity. I had the same kind of feeling you had when I watched the show. The thing that was most interesting was how the women kept refering back to fairy tale discriptions of royal princes and so forth when they first meet the "millionaire." That, I thought, touched the subject real well. The Cinderella-esque stereotype matches this perfectly: all the women going to the ball and such (THEY ACTUALLY DID a BALL in the show). The other interesting thing was that all these women had to get dressed up and guess what? there were only 20 dresses for the 20 women. So this one lady got stuck with a crappy dress that wouldn't fit (see was scorned by one contestant as being too unambitious); but later on a friendlier contestant trades her dress for her's and then they all allude to the Cinderella case where the poor (she was a school teacher) gets the prince in the end. All that was missing was a crystal shoe.

So if you had a creepy feeling too...then you're probably not alone.

 

[hypatia]

But something about this show disgusts me, and I can't quite put my finger on it.

Maybe it is just the fact that abusing people for entertainment is disgusting.

 

[admiraldave]

The big difference between this show, and say "Who wants to Marry a Multimillionaire", or any other reality show is that here there's that extra level of deceit. Other reality programs might have an unexpected twist or two, but really, the contestants know what they're signing on for.

To be honest, I find the whole question of "will their love endure after she finds out" incredibly stupid. The man has already violated a key part of any relationship, trust, by lying to her.

This show leaves a bad taste in my mouth, and I haven't even seen it. I can't believe FOX cancelled Firefly to show this tripe.

Admiral Dave

 

[channe]

"Joe Millionaire" makes me feel sick.

 

[The Juche Warrior]

Mabye I have more of an a$$hole streak in me but I see this show as more of an attack on the reality shows. Obviously it is exposing these women's greed and shallowness for all the see, which is what these kind of shows thrive on. Like I said, maybe I can be more of an ass, but I think I may enjoy seeing these people get their comeuppance.

 

[Sinclair]

I agree with TJW here. I think this show will bring out the true colors of most of these women. As admiraldave said these women signed on of their own accord, and if they haven't seen any other reality shows or heard about them and what can happen in them, then they will deserve what they get.

Likewise, if the show were reversed and it was the woman who was the 'millionaire' and the guys that were running after her they deserve what they get too. These shows are all about showing the shallowness and greediness of people. Maybe some of these women are looking for that 'fairy tale' come true, but they're naive not to understand that they're going to be on national television on a reality show, a dangerous combination.

To quote G'Kar: "No one here is exactly what he appears."

 

[hypatia]

A point I find interesting is that it has not been done to men. Only to women.

I guess there's still a lot of prejudice out there that many thought didn't exist anymore. But our actions show us otherwise.

All I can say is, if you find this kind of "entertainment" to your taste, support it. If you don't, let them eat dust for ratings.

It will probably be a very well-rated show, though. This is why I hardly watch television in the evenings anymore. It is no long entertainment. It's sick. /forums/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif

 

[Kribu]

As long as people watching it understand that it's about the greediness of those 20 women who signed on (not *all* women) fine.

What is worrying though that it would probably just end up strengthening the stereotype of "women are always after a man's money".

 

[hypatia]

Precisely. You'll never see a show that tries to exploit a sick stereotype about men in the same kind of way.

We deserve what we are getting on the airwaves. If this kind of trash were not viewed, then it would not stay around for very long.

 

[Quagmire]

I won't be watching but I do not feel the least bit sorry for these women. They signed up for a reality television show. They probably had to win a bit of a competition to make it on. They decided to degrade themselves on national television for a chance at a marriage that has no possibility of being a loving relationship.

 

[hypatia]

And I wouldn't feel a bit sorry for a group of men who would be similarly humiliated and lied to. And that brings me back to the point: I doubt you'll ever find a successful show that would treat men this way.

But if one ever does pop up and become popular, I assure you I would not watch it. As I said, we are getting what we deserve. Watch crap and see how all of television will suddenly become crap.

It is a user-driven market, after all. Maybe Nielson is accurate, maybe it isn't so accurate. But I suspect it does tend to show viewing trends.

So, if we stop watching it, there might be some hope for eventual change.

Oh, in the same light here, Friends just signed on for yet another season (after this was their promised last one). I read that the network knows it will lose money on this show. It knows it already. They are simply hoping to draw viewers into their other shows that night by leading in with Friends.

/forums/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif

There is no hope.

 

[Quagmire]

I believe they are having a bachelorette, like the bachelor but with the roles reversed(fifty guys whoring themselves in the hopes of being picked by a single woman). I think I will be just as happy not watching the new version as I was not watching the old.

 

[PillowRock]

They decided to degrade themselves on national television for a chance at a marriage

Not necessarily in all cases. I apparently have a friend-of-a-friend (or at least acquaintance-of-an-acquaintance) connection to one of the women that was on "Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire" or one of its copycats. To hear the person I know tell it, when she auditioned / interviewed for it she saw it as a free trip with some good free nights on the town, and she thought it would be cool to be on TV (I didn't say that she was completely viceless in our fame, as well as greed, driven society). The story went on that when they were watching her (I have never watched any of the reality shows), they could see her completely shutting down and closing off in all of the interviews etc. after she survived the first couple of "cuts" on the show. That was because she wanted no part of actually "winning" and being expected to marry the guy or anything.

All of that said, I too wish that all of the reality shows would disappear from the schedules forever and leave more room for better (in my eyes, anyway) entertainment. I just thought that it was pointing out that it isn't necessarily the case that all of the "contestants" are as sociopathically greedy as it appears at first glance.

Edited in addition:

However, I do think that all of the network / studio execs that put these shows together and on the air are as sociopathically greedy as the shows make them appear.

 

[hypatia]

However, I do think that all of the network / studio execs that put these shows together and on the air are as sociopathically greedy as the shows make them appear.

Agreed. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif But the sad truth is that these unreal "reality" shows have made bucks for the networks. But doesn't this kind of trend usually die out as quickly as it started? Didn't the quiz show scene go through a similar pattern?

 

[Quagmire]

So your friend of a friend was degrading on national tv for a free trip, that doesn't change the fact that she put herself in that position so anything that happens to her is her own fault.

Greed is a good thing. A good drama can make alot of money long term. That execs have no patience or eye for good shows simply means that they aren't being smart enough about their greed. They are passing up the big score for a smaller short term gain. They aren't greedy enough.

 

[Recoil]

Originally posted by Hypatia:
<font color="orange">Precisely. You'll never see a show that tries to exploit a sick stereotype about men in the same kind of way.</font color>

Woah! Easy there. Lets not start tooting the "well you will NEVER see a show that tries to exploit men ni the same kind of television" horn here. This show is exactly 2 days old, no one has had a chance to create one yet. But do you seriously think there arent some TV exec's out there right now as I type this thinking "HEY! LETS DO A SEQUAL OR SPINOFF, BUT WITH A WOMAN!"

Honestly. This is Television. I will be shocked if there isnt a similar spinoff/ripoff if this show is a hit. Its all about money and ratings not ethics and sexism. And frankly Hypatia, you should know better. You give TV way too much credit. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[A_M_Swallow]

It's hard to explain what I'm thinking. I'll put it this way: the first time a saw this commercial, it's as if I heard a dirty male voice wheeze, "Hah, I'll get you, you stupid gold-digging bitches! Yeah, that's what you women want, isn't it?! Well take that! Hah-hah!"

Yes, I suppose if these women are so superficial that they're chasing a millionaire, maybe they deserve what they get. I'm not defending their character. But something about this show disgusts me, and I can't quite put my finger on it.

Maybe someone more clever can help me out here, or quell my suspicions?

I can also believe that a woman may have planned it. The bitch wanted her revenge on all those marriage wreckers.

The man who lies about how rich he is, is also a Stereotype.

 

[hypatia]

AM, but the man is not the one being "set up".

Recoil: you are right. If this show is a success, sequels galore might follow. /forums/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif

After reading that post about "reality tv" in Japan, I understand just how horrid this whole scene could get. It's pretty frightening.

 

[GKarsEye]

(THEY ACTUALLY DID a BALL in the show)

/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
Man, I don't know why, but I really laughed out loud at that.

Maybe it is just the fact that abusing people for entertainment is disgusting.

No, shows like Fear Factor don't bother me, and they're much more abusive. I say if someone wants to submit themselves to that sort of thing for my enjoyment, let them.

A point I find interesting is that it has not been done to men. Only to women.

Oh, please. Every other TV show preys on absurd stereotypes about men. I can't begin to count how many times they've used beautiful women or money to get men to do stupid things on various shows.
Also, The Bachelorette features a couple dozen men fighting over one woman.

do not feel the least bit sorry for these women

Oh, definitely, me neither. I don't compare about these chicks. I was talking specifically about the taste (or lack thereof) of this show compared to similar shows.

doubt you'll ever find a successful show that would treat men this way.

You would be wrong, as it happens all the time. These shows thrive off of humiliation, regardless of gender.

she saw it as a free trip with some good free nights on the town, and she thought it would be cool to be on TV

Other "contestants" also hope to use the attention to jump-start an entertainment career.