Ugly Betty Ushering In Year of the Real, Live Woman
So, I checked out Miss America, Reality Check last night. I thought the show itself needs a lot of work (more on that later). Michael Urie was great though. It was nice to see him being Michael and not Marc.
But, what struck me as the show came to a close, was that it had topped off a truly remarkable night of TV. While waiting for MARC to air, we decided to watch Carson Kressley’s How to Look Good Naked on Lifetime. We weren’t sure if it was going to be stupid, or just plain silly like many reality TV shows.
We were suprised that the show was actually unbelievably compelling.
This was not a show about how to lose 25 lbs “to be the person you are supposed to be”. It is, instead, a show where real, live women learn that they are beautiful. They don’t have to DO anything - they just have to see it. It was surprisingly touching.
Then came MARC, and the theme of the evening continued. Besides the fact that Urie seems very comfortable as reality show host (is that a good thing or a bad thing?), what was striking was the tenor of the show. The producers have basically told these girls: you must unlearn everything about beauty you’ve learned through a lifetime of pageants. We will work you, embarrass you, even shame you into presenting yourself as a real, live woman. The plastic facade must come off.
The show had its flaws (perhaps they needed a two-hour premeire; we only met a fraction of the girls last night). They also seem to be setting up Miss Vermont as the one they want America to vote for. That’s fine, reality shows often edit to make some contestants look better than others. But anyway, as the show ended, thinking back on Naked and MARC, a thought came to my head:
Ugly Betty did this.
It looks like America is ready to embrace the real, live woman. Betty has become a hero of sorts. I didn’t realise this until the Glamour Magazine dustup earlier last year. It as if the people of America told the style setters in LA and NY, “No”.
Do what you want with other, plastic celebrities, but you can’t have her. Get your Photoshopping paws away from her.
I really believe that How To Look Good Naked, and maybe even MARC, could not have been possible without the success of Ugly Betty. Across the country, women who are not size zero, but maybe 10, or 14, or 18 or above - see themselves in Betty, and they are amazed that the world has fallen in love with her.
Hopefully, my prediction will come true: this year will be the Year of the Real, Live Woman.
Tags: America Ferrera, how-to-look-good-naked, miss-america, miss-america-reality-check, Ugly BettyRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Appearances, Betty Suarez, Commentary, Michael Urie, Television
3 opinions for Ugly Betty Ushering In Year of the Real, Live Woman
OMG-UGLYBETTY
Jan 5, 2008 at 1:20 pm
Wow, I just realized that MARC stands for Miss America: Reality Check. How ironic in ways!
Joe
Jan 5, 2008 at 6:04 pm
My mum watches the English version of How to look good naked over here in the UK. It’s an OK show, I suppose. I find it a smidge boring.
Tracy Schneider
Jan 6, 2008 at 2:28 pm
I finally watched MARC yesterday - you’re right, it was OK. To be honest I was a little irritated that the girls didnt take the ‘less is more’ advice more to heart and start the change process quicker. Michael was great though and he made it funny.
I didnt watch the Carson show mainly becuase I just can’t fit it in … but I thought the concept sounded good.
And you are right on two counts [well, many, but these two, specifically]
“Ugly Betty did this.”
and
“Get your Photoshopping paws away from her.”
tracy
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