Inside Fox's Latest Anti-Feminist Reality Show

Posted by Guest Blogger at 3:00 PM on July 13, 2007.

This post, written by Jessica L. Pozner, originally appeared on WIMN's Voices

How many guesses as to what their answer will be?

It's not like I can be shocked by anything reality TV-related anymore, but I can certainly predict exactly what new shows will be like as soon as I read the promo blurbs. And a new reality show called "When Women Rule the World," coming soon from Fox and Rocket Science Laboratories (which brought us such craptacular concoctions of misogyny including Joe Millionaire, Married By America, Temptation Island and Trading Spouses: Meet Your New Mommy), promises to be overtly political, anti-feminist backlash fare:

What if it was "a woman's world"? What if women made ALL the decisions? If men were their obedient subjects?

These questions and more will be explored when a group of strong, educated, independent women, tired of living in a man's world and each with a personal axe to grind, rule over a group of unsuspecting men used to calling the shots on WHEN WOMEN RULE THE WORLD.

The unscripted series will reveal how women and men react in a world where women are in charge and men are subservient, and each gender's ability to adapt to a new social order will be put to the test.

The participants will be brought to a remote, primitive location where the women will have the opportunity to "rule" as they build a newly formed society - one where there is no glass ceiling and no dressing to impress. For the men, their worlds of power and prestige are turned inside-out and upside-down. And for these women, turnabout is fair play!

In order to win, the men must accede to the women's every demand, 24/7. Here, women command and men obey. Over the series' duration, the men will be eliminated by the women until one last man is standing.

How will the men react? How will the women treat the men? Can women effectively rule society? Will the men learn what life is like for some women in today's world? Will this new society be a Utopia or a hell on earth? And in the end, who will be man enough to succeed in the new social order?

PRODUCTION COMPANY

Rocket Science Laboratories, Inc.

* "women with... a personal axe to grind" = women portrayed as the nasty, bitchqueen Feminazi of Rush Limbaugh's design (though the women themselves won't actually be feminists)

* "unsuspecting men used to calling the shots" = men cast specifically because they are likely to say regressive, patronizing, offensive things about women, and possibly prone toward behaving in domineering, controlling, maybe even abusive ways * "men are subservient" = feminism, and the idea of eliminating external barriers to women's equality, won't result in equity for women but denigration, submission and lack of opportunity for men

* "each gender's ability to adapt to a new social order will be put to the test" = traditional gender roles are innate, and this "social experiment" will result in chaos as both women and men have no idea how to handle reversal of their God-given roles of dominance and submission.

* "a remote, primitive location" = flashback to Bill Maher being boiled in a cauldron in Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death

* "a newly formed society - one where there is no glass ceiling and no dressing to impress" = these are the only two forms of societal oppression women face... oh, and when the women choose to wear the revealing outfits the producers provide for them, they'll prove once and for all that women prefer to use their feminine wiles to get what they want, so those teeny-tiny Ally McBeal-esque micro-minis that women wear on reality shows like The Apprentice and such are not at all trivializing.

* "men['s] worlds of power and prestige are turned inside-out" = up is down, night is day, cats and dogs living together - total anarchy! It's unnatural, I tell you - unnatural!!!!!

* "How will the women treat the men?" = like the dogs they are... which is why women shouldn't be given leadership roles in the real world - they wouldn't be able to handle it. * "How will the men react?" = Like any caged animals would. * "Can women effectively rule society?" = NO!!! * "Will this new society be a Utopia or a hell on earth?" = That's an easy one... * "who will be man enough to succeed" = a man, 'natch!

Hey, that was fun!

How 'bout this -- do you have other translations of reality TV-speak (dialog transcribed verbatim from reality shows, lines from networks promo materials, quotes from producers and directors in the entertainment press, etc.)? If so, send 'em to me at info[at]wimnonline[dot]org, or post them in the comments below. Perhaps I'll make it a regular WIMN's Voices feature... or maybe even add this "dictionary" as a feature to the "Fun With Media Literacy" chapter I'm going to be writing in my book, Bachelors, Bridezillas and Beautiful Corpses: Unraveling Reality TV's Twisted Fairy Tales.

By the way, wish me luck -- I began shopping the book proposal around yesterday. About fifteen publishers will likely have the proposal by the beginning of next week.

[Thanks to Jessica for the link to Fox's promo site.]

Tagged as: fox, feminism, sexism, television, reality tv

Jennifer L. Pozner is media critic, lecturer and founder and executive director of Women In Media & News (WIMN), a women’s media analysis, education and advocacy organization.