Old Familiar Faces Part 2-That Type of Girl

As promised, this week’s post examines television character clichés. I mentioned that I would focus on one that I like to call The Man Hungry Floosie-you know the voluptuous chick who oozes sensuality, always seeming to have more than enough willing courters, yet can never just snag the right one?? Usually she’s privy to the sexiest costumes, most perfect hair, the best one liners, and highest cleavage. She saunters in and out of scenes. She rarely works. She speaks through a perpetual pout, and most likely serves as the bane of some prudish female main character’s existence.  And when done well, the hot tamale can even garner the actress who plays her an Emmy. Case in point: Jackee Harry from the 80s NBC sitcom “227”.  

For five seasons on NBC, Ms. Harry expertly played “Sandra”, the Coke bottle figured tenant of Building 227, with a nasally voice and sultry pout. She sashayed around the building causing a stir and getting on the last nerves of her neighbor Mary, played by Marla Gibbs. She received an Emmy for this role in 1987, becoming the first African American woman to take home the gold for Outstanding Supporting Actress.  

 

’87 was apparently a good year for vamps, as the late great Rue McClanahan won an Emmy that same night for Outstanding Lead Actress in the NBC hit “Golden Girls”.  She played the southern sex-pot “Blanche”, who proved that just because a lady is post menopausal doesn’t mean she has to stop gettin’ busy. And that she did.

I remember watching these jazzy jezebels when their shows were at their peaks. As a socially awkward 7^th grader, they were most definitely intriguing to watch, seeming to get anything they wanted from a man with just a come hither gaze and six inch stilettos (let’s not forget shoulder pads…this was the 80s). The characters fit well in the dynamics of their fake television societies because they were such obvious caricatures. The ladies were not presented as necessarily role models, but as the woman to love and hate. Most of all they were hilarious, thanks to talented writing and delivery.

Fast forward 25 years later, socially awkward 7^th grade girls have another version of that same clichéd woman, but through the reality television format. Yikes.

 The Man-Hungry Floosie seems to have melded into a 21^st century character cliché that, according to Jennifer Pozner, author and founder of “Women in Media & News”, is nothing more than “…gold diggers, bimbos and bitches.” 

Reality T.V. a Threat to Women

This leads me to ponder on the heaviness of these particular character clichés and what it says about the roles of women through out television history. Laughing along with the T.V. audience as Blanche and Sandra purred sexy one-liners has a much different effect than watching the train wreck of Real Housewives or Basketball Wives. Or does it??

Tell me what you think. And check in next week as I continue my reflections on T.V. character cliches.

Stay tuned!