Studies have shown drastic under-representation of women in professional roles, under-representation as a segment of the population as a whole, and drastic under-representation as main characters. Much of the stereotyping is so pervasive that programs that seem to be supportive of women truly espouse traditional values.

Friends: More than meets the eye.

Take Friends: initially, it seemed the main female characters might be positive role models (besides their physiques, which merits discussion in another forum). All are mid- to high-twentyish women who are not married and are self-supporting. They have meaningful (well, on a TV-level) and healthy relationships with males. Heck, they even throw in a lesbian couple which they don't explicitly bash. A closer look reveals a different picture though. Monica is a chef. Phoebe, though not married, gave birth. Despite seeming independent, these characters cannot escape the traditional picture of female social functions and responsibilities. They represent the pregnant and in the kitchen. Rachel goes against the grain: her love of shopping ensures that she'll never be barefoot. Immediately, food, shopping and childbirth, maybe the "big three" of western cultural depictions of women, rise to the forefront.

Similarly, though Ally McBeal may be a positive influence because of its respect for women in the workplace, its titular hero is a hotbed of hormones who is constantly in need of support. Ally should have every reason to be a confident, independent woman - but her lack of partner is taken as valid justification for her endless neuroses.

Not all television is like Friends and Ally McBeal, though (and the angels sing "Amen"). There are three main ways (that I have broadly found and defined) to portray women with positive implications on television.

Firstly, and most traditionally, women are portrayed as being equal to men. In this depiction, female characters have no definitively female characteristics; think of The Drew Carey Show. Kate is pretty much one of the guys; office antagonist Mimi is only female in the sense that she wears make-up that can be mocked. Even the occasional girlfriends hang out at the bar like one of the guys. (The program seems to follow the Marxist paradigm of defining difference in terms of economic class, a paradigm employed by many modern feminists).

Other workplace shows, like Law and Order, also often use this depiction of women. Another sitcom that falls into this category may be Seinfeld, the show that mocked itself when Jerry and George, when writing their own show-within-the-show, could not write for women.

Marge Simpson, the exaggerated housewife.

Secondly, and most subtle, the stereotypical features of women are exaggerated to provoke thought: social commentary takes the form of satire. In The Simpsons, with the exception of the occasional comic romp, Marge stays home all the time and can almost be considered a stereotype of the stereotype she is meant to personify. In Married... With Children, argued by many to be chauvinist and sexist, Peg is a comic exaggeration to the nth degree of the stereotypical "white trash" mother. There is an inherent danger in this type of depiction, though; whereas at surface value Friends seems somewhat feminist by showing seemingly empowered women at surface value, these programs are essentially anti-feminist. And on TV, the surface is what counts.

Strong, yet uniquely female: Murphy Brown.

Thirdly, and most subversive and hard-to-find, is where the female experience is portrayed as different to the male one in a positive light. Closest to this paradigm may be Murphy Brown, in which a female was a professional, mother, and then suffered from breast cancer. Though she was able to befriend and understand (as well as be understood by) her male co-workers, their life experiences were markedly different. Implicit in the program was the message that the female reality differs greatly from the male one. The working-class Roseanne could also be said to fit this mold. I write that this depiction of women is most subversive because the implication that women and men are not alike is contrary to the concept advocated by our society, its legal system, and especially its patriarchy. It is, therefore, not surprising to find it rarely on television.

Television is a medium behind the times, which is disappointing, because so many people watch it, but expected, because only the powerful run it. There should be some faith that TV will advance in its depiction of women, but only to the extent that society does as well (please let this article not be construed as advocating the notion that TV influences society more than vice versa). As for now, one must simply look for those diamonds in the rough.


How do YOU think women are portrayed in TV? Do you agree with Dave? Who are your favourite female TV characters and why?
Send your responses to Dave at dave@evemag.com.

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