Post by Forever Xena on Oct 18, 2005 0:29:52 GMT -6
theedge.bostonherald.com/tvNews/view.bg?articleid=107514
the rest of the story can be read by following the link
`Chief' followers: Show's fans say TV's female president could shape political reality
By Lauren Beckham Falcone
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Mackenzie Allen has America's vote.
Nearly 17 million people tuned in last week to see a woman lead the country in ABC's new hit drama ``Commander in Chief'' (tonight at 9 on WCVB, Ch. 5), sending a sigh of relief among fans who insist the show is not just entertainment but a political statement.
``The fact that a woman is portrayed as president in a television show that's not science fiction or fantasy driven is about the path of social change,'' said Donna Mullen Good, CEO of the Center for Women & Enterprise in Boston.
``The paradigm for social change starts when people are gossiping about things at the dinner table, then it spreads out into the world, then it's a dialogue in papers and on the radio and in essays. The next stage is television. And when kids grow up watching a show where a woman is president, when they are 18, seeing a woman's name on the presidential ballot is not going to be a strange thing. This show is important for women in politics.''
But can a fictional female president (played by Geena Davis) actually change the way America thinks? Television has always influenced popular opinion - ``Sex and the City'' elevated the single 30-something to star status; ``Will & Grace'' and ``Queer Eye'' did the same for homosexuality. But can a decent Tuesday night drama get a real woman into the real Oval Office?
Carol Hardy-Fanta, director of the Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy at the University of Massachusetts at Boston, says yes.
``I think this is so historic that we could at least think about a woman as president,'' she said. ``It makes you envision scenarios that are real, like what if Hilary Clinton ran against Condoleezza Rice?''
Good, who co-hosted a ``Commander in Chief'' premiere party at her university for more than 100 young and professional women, also said ``Commander in Chief'' earns high ratings because it's an excellent show.
``It's plain, old fun to watch,'' she said. ``And I think men like it, too. They live the woman's point of view, to see a strong woman and enjoy it. They might not want them in bed or as their boss, but they like the concept of a strong, tough woman.'' [continue]
By Lauren Beckham Falcone
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Mackenzie Allen has America's vote.
Nearly 17 million people tuned in last week to see a woman lead the country in ABC's new hit drama ``Commander in Chief'' (tonight at 9 on WCVB, Ch. 5), sending a sigh of relief among fans who insist the show is not just entertainment but a political statement.
``The fact that a woman is portrayed as president in a television show that's not science fiction or fantasy driven is about the path of social change,'' said Donna Mullen Good, CEO of the Center for Women & Enterprise in Boston.
``The paradigm for social change starts when people are gossiping about things at the dinner table, then it spreads out into the world, then it's a dialogue in papers and on the radio and in essays. The next stage is television. And when kids grow up watching a show where a woman is president, when they are 18, seeing a woman's name on the presidential ballot is not going to be a strange thing. This show is important for women in politics.''
But can a fictional female president (played by Geena Davis) actually change the way America thinks? Television has always influenced popular opinion - ``Sex and the City'' elevated the single 30-something to star status; ``Will & Grace'' and ``Queer Eye'' did the same for homosexuality. But can a decent Tuesday night drama get a real woman into the real Oval Office?
Carol Hardy-Fanta, director of the Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy at the University of Massachusetts at Boston, says yes.
``I think this is so historic that we could at least think about a woman as president,'' she said. ``It makes you envision scenarios that are real, like what if Hilary Clinton ran against Condoleezza Rice?''
Good, who co-hosted a ``Commander in Chief'' premiere party at her university for more than 100 young and professional women, also said ``Commander in Chief'' earns high ratings because it's an excellent show.
``It's plain, old fun to watch,'' she said. ``And I think men like it, too. They live the woman's point of view, to see a strong woman and enjoy it. They might not want them in bed or as their boss, but they like the concept of a strong, tough woman.'' [continue]
the rest of the story can be read by following the link
