Drop Dead Diva Delivers!
We promised to honor positive examples from time to time, so here's one now...
Honoring: Drop Dead Diva
Media Outlet: Lifetime, currently airing Sundays at 9:00 pm
Honor-ability: The new TV program Drop Dead Diva is about Deb, a skinny model who dies and comes back in the body of "plus-size" attorney Jane.
NOW Analysis: First of all, a TV show centered around a woman who isn't a size zero or even a size 10 is extremely rare, so Lifetime gets kudos right off the bat for scooping up this show and promoting it big time (rumor has it Fox turned down the show after seeing the pilot). The get-ready-to-suspend-your-disbelief premise of a thin woman living in a heavy woman's body isn't just a clever gimmick -- it provides the writers with the opportunity to address women's body image issues and society's attitudes toward fat people in different and new ways.
As Jane, Deb suddenly experiences what it's like to be ignored or "body-checked" by the beautiful people. And she gains even more insight when she takes on cases like a woman who was fired from her job as a cocktail waitress for gaining weight.
The cast includes Margaret Cho, who, in addition to being a fabulous feminist, has experienced firsthand the prejudices of the entertainment industry. The lead actress, Brooke Elliott, is wonderful, and she proves that you don't have to fit the proverbial mold in order to light up the small screen and draw an audience.
Is the show perfect? Of course not. The cast could use a bit more diversity. The stereotyped bubble-headedness of Deb and her friend Stacy can be way overdone; however, signs do point to the ongoing evolution of these characters. Each episode seems to have at least one scene of Jane gravitating toward some sort of calorie-laden pastry, much to Deb's internal chagrin -- advancing yet another stereotype that doesn't really need endorsing. But, one could argue that Deb is finally enjoying the foods she denied herself when she was trying to maintain her modelesque figure.
As a show that acknowledges the often-controversial truth that there's more to women than their looks and the alarming theory that women should learn to love themselves as they are, Drop Dead Diva embodies the message of NOW Foundation's Love Your Body campaign. So, both the Media Hall of Shame and Love Your Body thank Lifetime for bringing us this enjoyable and thought-provoking show.
Take Action: Networks need to hear from us when they're doing something right. Right now, Lifetime wants to receive messages only by postcard. Send your comments to: Lifetime Televsion, 309 W. 49th Street, New York, NY 10019. Tell them what you like about the show, and even what you think could stand improving.
|
Rank this item with our Misogyny Meter: |
Spread the word:
|
Google Rejects Abortion Provider Ads in 15 Countries
Offender: Google AdWords department
Media Outlet: Google
Offense: Google AdWords no longer accepts ads for abortion services in the following countries: Germany, Poland, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Peru, France, Italy and Spain.
NOW's Analysis: When you search for something on Google, in addition to the search results, Google displays ads related to that term. This advertising vehicle, called AdWords, helps businesses attract customers and it can help searchers find products and services they may be interested in. A search on the term "abortion" should bring up links to websites that use the term and paid ads for services, such as clinics. But not in the 15 countries listed above.
The countries affected by this update in policy seem to have been chosen almost at random, representing a fairly broad range of political climates. Feministing contacted Google to get to the bottom of this, and a spokesperson offered little enlightenment beyond saying that they "made the change to ensure our policy was fair, up-to-date, consistent with local laws and codes of practice."
Google claims not to take a side on the "emotive subject" of abortion; however, it's curious that this change in policy happened at the same time Google decided to start accepting ads from religious organizations that "aim to educate and inform" or advance a position on abortion legislation. Reproductive rights groups may also place "factual" or "campaigning" ads on Google in those 15 countries; the ban is on ads that might actually direct women to specific abortion providers. Though Google attempts to offer neutral territory in the war on reproductive freedom, the fact that a conscious decision was made to withhold reproductive health care information from women in 15 countries certainly suggests anti-choice leanings.
Take Action: Write to Google and tell them that women in all countries should be able to view ads from abortion providers. Thanks to the Dutch non-profit Women on Waves for bringing this to the attention of women's rights groups around the globe and organizing a petition effort.
|
Rank this item with our Misogyny Meter: |
Spread the word:
|
Washington Post Promotes Randall Terry's Anti-Abortion 'Mission,' Fails to Question Inflammatory Brochure
The Washington Post published a lengthy article in its Style section on July 15 about Operation Rescue founder Randall Terry. The article painted an almost sympathetic portrayal of the man who had this to say about the recent killing of abortion provider Dr. George Tiller: "Tiller was a mass murderer, and, horrifically, he reaped what he sowed."
What The Post neglected to address was Terry's horrific brochure targeting Supreme Court nominee Judge Sonia Sotomayor as a "radical supporter of child-killing." Also missing from the picture was the impact of Terry's words and actions on women seeking reproductive health services or the health care workers and clinics that provide those services.
|
Rank this item with our Misogyny Meter: |
Spread the word:
|
XML Feeds: 
RSS