Desperate Housewives

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Recommended: Critical analysis of depiction of women in tv serials

A television is defined as “a widely used telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images, either monochromatic (black and white) or color, usually accompanied by sound” (Webster’s). Since the invention of this device in the 1930’s, people have been able to be entertained by various television shows in the privacy and comfort of their own home. Although each of these shows relate to different age groups, nationalities, race, and genders, they all seem to have one thing in common. They all act out and portray the stereotypes placed on people because of their age, sex, job, culture, race, look, and position in the household. Due to these different categories being presented in the media pre conceived notions are formed about how people should behave, specifically men and women. Women generally take care and men take charge. But why does the television represent this “take care” and “take charge” image of women and men? In this paper, I will focus on one of the highly popularized television shows that viewers watch today; Desperate Housewives. Using this television show, I will be able to show and analyze how women are represented in the media and why they are represented this way.

Desperate Housewives is a fictional based show about four women known as Susan Mayer, Lynette Scavo, Bree Van De Kamp, and Gabrielle Solis. They live in what most consider a “normal” suburban area; however, with each episode a secret or mystery is told and unfolded. These mysteries may come in the form of a death or a new person moving onto Wisteria lane. Together viewers watch as these housewives manage to not only solve these mysteries but also deal with their, work, children, each other and romantic lives. Although these four w...

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... side; however, her “bitchy” attitude gets in the way. Gabrielle Solis defies her husband and offers Anya (Carlos’s niece), a check if she agrees to keep her legs closed and Bree Van De Kamp continues to be a host to her paralyzed husband but refuses to be a good wife and love him for who he has become. It is easy to say that this television show represents these characters in this way in order to enable the viewers with a quick understanding of their role in forty-five minutes. However, it is true and safe to say that women are stereotyped and represented in this television show and many others as being typically Caucasian, skinny, desperate and submissive to their men in order to present a sometimes false, one-sided, and negative image. By doing this, viewers are able to create opinions about what women should look like and their roles/duties within the society.

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