Army wives
Is a television drama that came out in 2007 it follows the lives of four women whose husbands are in the army, and one husband whose wife is in the army. In both desperate housewives and in Army Wives there is always one working mother, and a stay at home dad. This enforces the idea that the typical stereotypes behind family structure are now questioned and although it is becoming more common to have women work. Roland is the token Army husband he is a physiatrist and is married to Joan. He must deal with her deployment, juggling a career and the children much like all the other army wives do. The way he handles this proves that gender roles are changing and what seems so easy the housewife job may actually be more difficult. Joan suffers from post dramatic stress syndrome and is forbidden from deploying with her unit. She is having a had time dealing with this and this could be because of the pressure sue to the switched gender roles in this family.
Desperate housewives
Desperate Housewives is a television drama that came out in 2004 by ABC. It tells the story of Susan, Felicity, Lynnette, Brea and Gabrielle though the perspective of a dead neighbor, Mary. The drama is set in ideal suburban neighborhood Wisteria lane, it reveals secrets and struggles these seemingly perfect women, and exposes what goes on behind closed doors. The title itself revels something about stereotypes and women in television. Women are portrayed as desperate, needy, it is insinuating that staying at home cleaning, cooking, and caring makes them somehow more sexual. Gabriel did have an affair with the gardener who her neighbors son and is in high school. I will discuss though one particular episode that emphasizes how family values were constructed though this television show and how stereotypes of women persist. In this episode Gabriel is called a terrible mom. The children she is watching are not technically her daughters but the family structure that is portrayed though television allows for more complicated situations where the guardians do not necessarily have to be the parents to be taking care the children. Never the less Gabby is offended by how people perceived what their perfect mother should do anyways. She decides to though an over the top birthday party that none of the “good mom” on the block could dare to top. This notion of the women competing to be the best mom is a very good signifier of the ages. Even in such an idealistic places like Wisteria Lane the 21-century is categorized by competition.
Heroes
This is a science fiction, action filled drama series, which began in 2006. It is about people all around the worlds that are very defend, but all discover they have super hero powers. It resembles the same plot as X-men. In this show portrays family structure especially though Claire’s personal situation and problems, and Nikki’s struggle as a single mother. In season 1 episode one, Nikki is trying to make money for her son, so for extra cash she has to strip. In one scene Mikka says I have done everything in the morning to get ready for the day, even packed his own lunch. He asks Nikki what she was doing while he was busy taking care of everything. It is possible that the young son feels this way because he has no father figure, but this series is a way to define a new era of family structure that is decentralized and very personalized. In this series especially and in many TV shows women in the family, are still seen sexually, although they may have power like Nikki women in television are very must still seen as submissive sexual objects. Nikki’s supernatural power, or ability is that when she is in trouble she blackouts out and she wakes up only to find that everyone surrounding her is dead. She doesn’t remember what happened but this proves that women are vulnerable, can’t control her and actions, and use their body to get things.
Weeds
Weeds
This comic drama series shows the life of a suburban single mother of two who has resorted to growing, and selling illegal marijuana. She is an unlikely drug dealer, which emphasizes the fact that there are secrets even in a perfect suburban life. In the end of the season 4 episode one, she talks to a drug dealer in Mexico about selling, she asks why they want her and he says it is because she is a “pretty American girl”. This exemplifies how women in television today are seen as unethical role models, who are money driven but are also irresponsible. Also in this episode she burn down the families beautiful house because of her drug dealing business. With no plan and nowhere to go the children are suffering from her mistakes and illegal actives.
