I have previously made my feelings known about The Chaser team on this here blog. Recently I discussed the television show at a work meeting, my colleagues were aghast - it was if I had said, "Four Corners is gutter journalism at its finest". The only person who shared my view was my ridicuously hysterical workmate who is addicted to rsvp.com and carries a perky leather manbag. He is bang up for a bit of lady action but is frequently mistaken for a lesbian - go figure.
They have done some great work over the years and they never serve up lazy television. The show has a great pace and honestly any team that can come up with the idea of dressing Lawrence Leung as the gay Tellytubby and trying to get into The Peel is clever. Like you, and the other 2.3 million Australians I watched the show last week. I have never said these guys aren't talented and funny and their APEC stunt was very interesting to watch. I don't think they ever imagined they would have been permitted to advance so far. But one thing really bothers me - the way women are represented on their show.
They have done some great work over the years and they never serve up lazy television. The show has a great pace and honestly any team that can come up with the idea of dressing Lawrence Leung as the gay Tellytubby and trying to get into The Peel is clever. Like you, and the other 2.3 million Australians I watched the show last week. I have never said these guys aren't talented and funny and their APEC stunt was very interesting to watch. I don't think they ever imagined they would have been permitted to advance so far. But one thing really bothers me - the way women are represented on their show.
Even though the sketch is a parody of Channel Ten's Californication, it still featured two women dressed as nuns almost-pashing. Even if you splash KEVIN 07 across the front of their outfits, include it in a Led Zepplin parody and pretend you are making a statement on Kev's girly-bar experience, you still have corset-clad babes closing the show.
So I am wondering, even if you present some intelligent political satire, pull some audacious stunts and pad out the show with some mediocre sketches - how is The Chaser team better or different in its treatment of women than say...The Footy Show? Isn't this just the Sydney grammar school version of the boys club but with politics instead of sport? You know none of it would bother me if this was balanced with some other representation of women other than slaggy nuns and girly props. But apart from a member of the production team in a vet sketch and the bewildered receptionist at the Chinese embassy, these were the only females on show.
Why does it bug me so much? Am I being over-sensitive or doesn't anyone else notice?
15 comments:
enough analysing can you rank the chaser boys in order of highest to lowest as to who is the best looking.
Thank you so much for putting this out there, I feel exactly the same. Why is it OK to have women represented like this (or not represented) in an otherwise pretty good show? I had thought that maybe I missed the show where they explained why they can be like this and it's OK. It's come to the point where I can't/won't watch them and I am trying to ban my teenage daughter from watching them (unsuccesfully so far). At least it allows us to discuss it. I'd always hoped to bring up a feminist (oops, I used the 'F' word) but I tell you it's getting more tricky all the time.
Leilani,
I share your pain. I don't think you're being oversensitive. It should be okay to have a complex/contradictory view of these issues. It's people who pretend they're somehow binary (you love it or hate it) that are missing the point.
Because I like the Chaser, but I totally accept that it's not feminist viewing.
(You might also have read my review of Californication over at Square Eyes, some might argue that's not a particularly feminist show either, but I do like it)
Like Lill I have two teenage daughters and I don't know where to direct them when it comes to quality television viewing. Where are the strong female role models?
Jenda (love the name)
Julian
Andrew
Chris
Craig
Chas
Lilli
Thanks for your comment, I'm totally with you. As long as your daughter doesn't want to audition for Big Brother you should be fine. I'm sure you're doing a damn fine job bringing her up.
Gigglewick
I can take or leave The Chaser actually. I like their stunts and everything but it's too pratty private school boy sometimes. I must check out your review - I have it on DVD but haven't even watched it yet. Been too busy lately but looks like it's at an end so I can spend some quality time with my television. Although must admit that Doctor Who is highest on my catch-up agenda.
Anon
For something else I was writing I was thinking about the strong feminist role models in the media and it was fairly hard going. However, I must say Margaret Pomerantz and Jennifer Byrne were both up there and I don't think either have done any slicing up of their faces either! Thanks for popping by.
So what did you think of last nights show?
I hate them, they are just a crap version of Jackass now.
I'm with all off you. Too born to rule. And after a while it really starts to grate. what do you reckon they should do? Would adding a girl simply for adding a girl smack of tokenism? Or should their be a whole new show that is just naturally weighted more equally?
A part of the problem is simply how comedy teams come about. Blokes sinking a few cans reckoning that they are funny and then having enough front to go and flog themselves. I think chicks who are JUST AS FUNNY often dismiss themselves as 'we just think we're funny..."
Hi Collective Anons,
Thanks for your comments...
Anon 1: I only caught the last 5 minutes before Summer Heights High and they appeared to be writhing around in their own filth in a Kentucky outlet. It didn't make me laugh in the least but I don't like that kind of humour.
Anon 2: I have never seen Jackass but I imagine that writhing around in their own filth is on their agenda? In which case you appear to be correct.
Anon 3: You are sooo right. But of course it's also the reaction they get from the producers when they pitch their ideas...if they even get this opportunity. Adding a female now would of course reek of tokenism, they cannot do it. Do you hear me - DON'T DO IT! You and I both know that women are funnier than men, who else could make us cack our dacks at the dinner table as we remember conversations that involve brothers-in-law, builders and sickies?
(I hope you are who I think you are or this won't make any sense to you!)
ps - A new show shoud be made and you are just the person to work on it.
Can I second the observation that "adding a woman" would be wrongtown, population Chaser.
...and no comment on Newstopia>?
where you done gone?
Jeez Leilani, while you're rumaging around in my brain SIFTING THROUGH MY EVERY THOUGHT could filter out some of that nasty me-at-8/beach/cousin/underpants stuff and also maybe the more persistent insecurities about my appearance. Cause exactly the same occurred to me in exactly the same episode. After the song finished, the boys came on to sayonara, then girls start gyrating again to the applause, and I thought, "wow, somone directed them to see the show out like that."
Did you hear about the Chris Taylor / Tim Freedman thing?
They're funnish, but I'd rather watch House, where a smokin hot 30-year-old can play the administrator of a major US hospital and we all know it's dumb.
Also I totally agree with anon 3, especially cause we're talking like she's some industry professional.
Botheration, I have done my best to eradicate teh cousin/beach/undies thing but there appears to be too much scar tissue. I have a similar problem with the lapsed Exclusive Brethren neighbour/Box Hill Pool/inappropriate underwater play incident of 1985.
I read about the Freedman/Hansen incident. Freedman seemed precious but at the same time...it was a weak sketch. They may as well rename the show Candid Camera meets The Wedge.
I'm off to trawl your blog now.
Mind the tumbleweeds.
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