Lifetime’s new reality show Girlfriend Intervention is extremely flawed, from the racial stereotypes to the message that women need to change the way they look, an underlying theme in every makeover show, played off as empowerment. This reality show perpetuates the idea that women need to change the way they look to snag jobs, husbands, friends, respect and the list goes on and on; why are men not included in this or many other makeover shows? Why are men not held to the same standard of dressing well to even be considered for anything? As if the obvious sexism was not enough to make sure this reality show never aired, racism was also brought into the mix.
The characterization of black women and the sassy stereotype, if you will, is depicted through the four main characters: Tracy Balan, Nikki Chu, Tiffiny Dixon, and Tanisha Thomas. These four woman illustrate a characterization of African American women with every “mhmmm” and “sista”. It emphasizes the division between white women and black women, sustaining the view of “us” and “them”. The tagline of the show, “trapped inside of every white girl is a strong black woman ready to bust out”, preserves this view as well. The characterization of this strong, sassy, in your face black women, in comparison the white women is portrayed as drab, boring, needing all the help she can get seriously divides the women and highlights racial stereotypes.
Like many makeover shows Girlfriend Intervention conforms individuality to coincide to what the image of sexuality and how women should dress is. This show eternalizes the view that women should dress to please men, as “in the first episode, the target, Joanie, has a good-looking black husband, which the women make clear makes sloppy dressing a worse crime than it would be otherwise.” This idea is outdated and sexist, as with the racial stereotypes; isn’t time Girlfriend Intervention received a much needed intervention?
nidasays 