The Roving Eye: Women in Reality Television
Session Organizer: Ann C. Hall
Ohio Dominican University
Halla@ohiodominican.edu

When Women Act Like Men: The Representation of Businesswomen in The Apprentice

Despite the fact that women have made enormous strides in the business world, legal prohibition of discrimination in the work place has not shattered the glass ceiling just yet. Simply giving women the “opportunity” to work alongside men does not induce, in society, the more appropriate and necessary egalitarian representation of these same women; it is, however, this more equitable view women that would act as the hammer against that seemingly unbreakable ceiling.

With reality television reaching new heights in popularity because of NBC's The Apprentice, the positive steps that have been reached by businesswomen are quickly forgotten due to the "emotional," "sexual," and "bitchy" women shown at every turn. And by investigating theories about women in television outlined by Tania Modleski and Teresa Blythe, as well as analyses regarding the sex differences in business environments by Margaret Hennig, Donald Trump, and others, I will argue that the representation of businesswomen in reality television is unfair, unethical, and highly unrealistic.

Tiffany Masters
University of Toledo
masterst2@msn.com

Why Am I Watching This?: The Lure of Reality TV

With reality television's recent popularity, it is clear that there has been a marked emphasis on programs like Extreme Makeover and The Swan which seek to improve the individual.  The majority of programs focus purely on the aesthetic, yet the syndicated Starting Over advocates the transformation of the individual both spiritually and physically.  Explicitly marketed towards women, the show offers a haven where women can tackle their life problems through mutual support and the influence of "life coaches."  This paper will subjectively investigate Starting Over in the effort to identify whether it is empowering to both its participants and its female audience, or if it in fact deconstructs the modern image of a capable and resilient woman.

Erin K. McGuire
Ohio Dominican University
mcguiree1@ohiodominican.edu

True Love or True Setback: The Typecasting of Women in “Reality” Television

The entertainment industry has always taken great liberties with its representation of women, shaping the common perceptions of what it means to be feminine and sexy, frequently forming stereotyped female characters that set unrealistic standards.  With the feminist movement, more people became aware of the way women were represented in traditional Hollywood narratives, particularly through essays such as Laura Mulvey's groundbreaking work on visual pleasure, but the recent rise in so-called “reality” television shows has created a new medium for the typecasting of women.  This time, the characters are not characters.  Instead, they are “realistic” women who are represented under the guise of “reality.”  This essay will discuss some of the most popular reality shows, including ABC’s The Bachelor, and study the portrayal of the female contestants, the impact of those representations, and the potential drawbacks the women’s movement faces as a result.

Lynn Hall
Ohio Dominican University
hallal@ohiodominican.edu