Boob(s) Tube

Feminism should be doing fine and well these days. Women are taking more leadership positions than ever before, they are in the lead in college attendance and in grades, and we may be well on the way to perhaps having the first woman president.

Sadly though, our culture still gives us several obstacles to overcome. With reality shows like I Love New York, America's Most Smartest Model and Beauty and the Geek high in popularity, besides low brain activity, audiences are getting an unhealthy dose of women as solely objects of love and lust. And not as just objects, dumb objects.

While one could argue that men are made to look ridiculous in these shows as well, women seem to be especially targeted by the reality TV world. The incredible number of makeover shows like What Not To Wear, 10 Years Younger and Extreme Makeover, are a testament to this. Men can be made over, but there is hardly ever a consensus that they "need" a makeover to make themselves attractive. There is a disproportionate number of women to men on such shows because women need to look feminine and be in style to make it in our culture. Obviously, men don't know how to dress, but women should -- and they should have great hair and make-up as well. Even on reality shows that these women already look great, it just means that the likelihood that they'll get into a catfight with another woman or become the show's resident devil is astronomical.

Reality TV, in my opinion, is already the most low-brow of all entertainment and it makes my thumbs itch (what I do when I'm incredibly nervous or uncomfortable) just thinking about how people are subconsciously seeing women in this format. I've already resigned myself to the fact that reality TV is here to stay, but I can only hope that it will, someday and somehow, show women as smart and vivacious and unique individuals. Not as Jessica Simpson.