I’ve seen a couple of ads for new or returning network tv shows recently, both on ABC. One is called The Astronaut Wives Club. The other is called Mistresses.
Um…
Butterflies and Wheels
Gnu atheism, women's rights, internationalism, universalism, and gossip
H.L.Mencken
The public’s desire for scandal and titillation is boundless.
I’m still looking for a taker for my proposed reality show, “America Can’t Stop Farting.”
I suspect The AWC is being aired because of the success of Mad Men. However, I’d be willing to bet real money it won’t have a second season. Who wants to watch the same story over and over, no matter how much you sympathize with those women?
One time, on a long car trip in about 1993 or so, my friend Larry and I narrated a novel we made up on the spot about the astronaut’s wives. It was very exciting as I recall. A lot of stuff can happen to you if you’re an astronaut’s wife. A lot of drama. Also we tossed in a lesbian relationship, to make it more realistic. Pets. Kids. Domestic appliances. Air conditioner breakdowns. Really, one of us should have written it down.
I’ve not seen the ads, so I’ve no idea if they’re likely to have made it awful, but the Astronauts Wives Club is based on a fairly well researched book. That was the name these women gave to themselves (they formed a close-knit support group) and the surviving ones continue to meet up regularly. The author interviewed quite a lot of them, and it was a really interesting biography. I was doing a bit of a stint of reading about women’s lives and careers from the 50s to 70s last year and this was one of the ones I came across. I wouldn’t write it off just yet.
@ 5 katybe
Yeah. I think Ophelia’s point was the theme of women being defined by their relationship to men. Not necessarily to disparage to programmes in question.