Bridezillas: Part 2!

Okay, so I know I already wrote a blog about Bridezillas... but I think it deserves two blogs. Bridezillas is a very interesting show. Because, on one hand, I would recommend people watch Bridezillas because it makes you feel better about yourself, for one, and it also can show you how NOT to be and how NOT to raise your future daughter. But, at the same time, it is also an extremely negative thing that this show went on for so long. Sure, it is fascinating to watch the show to see that such people actually exist and see what you should not be like and not raise your children to be. However, shouldn't we already know not to act like that? Furthermore, as human beings shouldn't we be just completely embarrassed to be even of the same species as Bridezillas (if they are not their own species already...)? Since when has this attitude become promotable and actually widely consumed and enjoyed by people? Since when is having this attitude acceptable? The issue with this is that Bridezillas is representing very serious situations and essentially promoting the poor (to say the least) attitude of these women. These girls are making so much money because they have bad attitudes! Some girls may see this and think "I can be famous for being a brat." Why wouldn't they think that? It is, unfortunately, true. Bridezillas get exactly what they want. They get fame, they get fortune, without ever having to work for it or change their negative attitude in any way. So, on one side, the show is good for those who are able to take it with a grain of salt and be ashamed and motivated to change the culture and the future, but on the other hand, the show is doing this by showering Bridezillas with fame and money. So, this is a win-lose situation. But, another thing to think about is the fact that it wouldn't be a win situation at all had the culture come to such a point where it is rewarded to have a Bridezillas personality. We shouldn't have to watch a show representing terrible people who actually exist to know how not to be. This show is a result of the emergence of the selfish, capitalistic ways enstilled in young people resulting from the princess culture discussed in my previous blog. The article "Is Trash TV Bad For Women? A Producer's Defense of Celebreality" offers a quote that I believe goes perfectly with this. "Of course, for the women of reality TV, "anything" follows a particular script, and as long as shimmying, spitting, and slapping will make you famous, volunteers will abound." These Bridezillas see that they can be famous for being terrible brats so they take any opportunity they can get. So, to conclude, on one hand people may see a benefit in the show Bridezillas because they see that this is a way that you should strive not to be and in turn may want to change how things are. People may enjoy it for pure entertainment's sake or just to feel better about themselves. But on the other hand, Bridezillas is also detrimental to many girls who see that they can get famous for acting in such a way and who strive to emulate such actions to get attention. Also, it is negative because it is only promoting such a bad behavior by rewarding those with the worst behavior with money and fame. So, I can see the harm and benefit of this trash TV text.
We cannot analyze this text without giving notice to the not-so-subtle perpetuation of negative gender stereotypes. Women, should we not be utterly outraged at such a stereotypical and blatantly sexist representation of these women? Bridezillas focuses on selfish, bratty women who want everything and will step on anyone to get anything they want. This is commended and created by the negative princess culture, and perpetuated by these shows. Furthermore men should definitely be outraged if not more outraged than the women. The men in this show do not catch a break from this negative gender stereotyping in the least. Men in this show are portrayed as spineless morons who blindly give these women anything they want and only feed their negative behaviors. The men in the show never seem to end up happy and never stand up for themselves. We should all be embarrassed of this and see that the media is representing us all to be mindless capitalistic robots who will do anything for fame and fortune and who will watch anything fed to them. So, after much deliberation, I have come to the conclusion that Bridezillas is bad and should be made fun of.