Television women’s careers are so much cooler than ours, aren’t they? How many of the women in your circle are fighting crime, renovating homes or running for office? We’re sitting in cubicles with desktop computers and red Swingline staplers. How do we get the jobs that seem so common on TV?
Politics
www.youtube.com/embed/xAszeGSkcw4?rel=0
We love the television representation of women in politics, even if it doesn’t necessarily mimic real life (for most of us). Parks and Recreation and Veep portray the challenges and successes of women in politics. The other traits these shows have in common? They are wildly popular and have won several awards. So why is it most women aren’t in politics and don’t know women who are?
Parks and Rec finale: What could happen in Season 7 >>
Detectives
www.youtube.com/embed/XAFH3cs88ew?rel=0
Wow, you can’t swing a badge without hitting a female detective on television. Gone are the days of Hill Street Blues with all the tough-talking, macho cops and one or two token females. In television’s CSI franchise, Law & Order SVU and Rizzoli & Isles, the women are in charge and they will take you down. Still, how many mom-members of your kid’s PTA are kicking bad guys’ butts for a living?
Professional wife
www.youtube.com/embed/-uv6Mvfor9o?rel=0
We thought the days of the professional wife went out with the ’50s, but you’d never know it to watch modern television. Modern Family‘s Gloria, Trophy Wife‘s Kate and scads of women on the Real Housewives franchise are professional wives. They walk around the house in full hair and makeup, dressed in heels like they are headed to a cocktail party, and they spend a good portion of their day organizing charity events — not that there’s anything wrong with that. Some of these professional wives are also full-time moms (Gloria and Kate), who society should applaud. But still others are spending a good portion of their day looking good while managing their staff. Who does that?
Which powerful TV career woman are you? >>
Vampire
www.youtube.com/embed/BcIeF0xVopU?rel=0
Yes, being a vampire isn’t a career per se, but nighttime television makes it seem like if you’re not a vampire you’re not one of the cool kids. Folks who never really got the Twilight/vampire craze are still wondering how it happened, and more importantly, when it will be over. While there are more she-vamps on television than you can shake a wooden stake at, there aren’t too many in our daily lives (that we’re aware of).
Home renovators
www.youtube.com/embed/RHbvL4u-QiU?rel=0
Tune in to a few cable channels and you’d swear that at least half the female population makes a living doing interesting home renovation projects. Amy Mathews of Renovation Raiders turns people’s average living spaces into dream spaces. Love It or List It‘s domestic diva Hilary Farr competes with Realtor David Visentin to convince homeowners to stay in their homes instead of selling them. Rehab Addict Nicole Curtis buys “fixer-uppers” and then does the work herself. We’re just trying to keep the houses we own somewhat tidy, and we haven’t figured out a way to get paid for it yet.
Mom story: I went from bartender to HGTV host >>
Restaurateur
www.youtube.com/embed/hr3FXTioTIo?rel=0
Cook for a living? Please. Actually, we’re just jealous of women who are able to prepare food that people want to eat. Judging by shows on TV, you’d think this was fairly common practice for women. Lisa Vanderpump was given her own show as the owner and manager of her West Hollywood restaurant SUR. The two broke girls from Two Broke Girls, Kat and Beth, are saving their waitressing tips to start a cupcake business and the mom on Bob’s Burgers, Linda, cooks at the family-owned restaurant. Most of us cook because we have to, not because we get paid to.
More on your favorite shows
A recap of Rizzoli & Isles seasons 1-4 in GIFs
Is it time for a lady on late night?
Letterman will stick around through 2015
More Stories from Entertainment
Leave a Comment