Just in time for the Friday-Feminist-Fuck-You, I found out, via Margaret Cho's myspace, that she had recently done an episode for the show "The Doctors," a CBS show that is, not surprisingly, produced by Dr. Phil and his son. The episode that she did was all about the lovely little reproductive organ, the vagina.
Unfortunately, this clip is all we'll ever see of the episode because, well, I'll let Ms. Cho say it:
"You can imagine how disappointed I was to hear that the show was never aired because the powers that be at the networks thought that it was too racy! That is ludicrous and ignorant and perpetuates the ‘mystery’ of the vagina! How are we supposed to learn about our bodies if we aren’t even allowed to discuss them in detail? The show was set up so that women could talk to each other frankly about what is going on down there, and if we aren’t able to bring up the subject even in a medical context, when can we bring it up? I think it is a great disservice to women to silence us when we attempt to share truths about our bodies.
Are we supposed to believe that our bodies are somehow wrong and dirty and bad because we are female? This kind of thinking is archaic and misogynist. I expect better from the world, and certainly more from television. Turn the a/c off and turn your minds on!"
Emphasis mine.
So, Dr. Phil and all the other powers that be behind 'The Doctors', fuck you. Seriously, fuck you. This only perpetuates the idea that women's bodies are disgusting, wrong and shameful, and further stigmatizes women's medical treatment.
Oh, and another fuck you for having a plastic surgeon on your panel. Seriously??
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I agree that it would have been great if they had aired it, but do we really still teach women that their , "bodies are somehow wrong and dirty and bad because we are female"? I know that was an issue 50yrs ago but I dont see that so much now. You have to admit, that there are plenty of books out there for women that discuss this stuff in a healthy and productive way.
And also, we should remember that the reason a show is usually not aired is for fear of their advertisers reactions. These networks have to make money to exist afterall.
If these networks are afraid that advertisers will react negatively to women learning about their vaginas, then, no, we really haven't made all that much progress.
Nobody has really been outright saying that women's genitals are disgusting and shameful but the mere avoidance of the topic pretty much implies that it is a topic that is "taboo."
Plus, for awkward and insecure young women, that's the message that is conveyed when no one wants to talk about it.
If the network refused to air it, as Cho said, how exactly is that the producer's fault? Wouldn't the producer have not sunk money into the production of the episode if he were the one ultimately axing the show?
Also, your link doesn't work.
as much as i agree with margaret cho that shows on women's sexual and reproductive health need to be aired, i'm really glad that "dr." phil's show on women's health was not aired. most words out of his mouth reeks of patriarchy and his previous advice to women have been problematic. i would not want him putting more harmful ideas into women's heads.
the doctors always seemed like a very crappy show to me. mainly because of the plastic surgeon thing.
learning about your "health" shouldn't include watching a plastic surgeon. they gave up the right to be doctors when they campaigned to be able to advertise for plastic surgery (you don't see an ad for knee surgery). at that point they came down to the level of a household product, like toilet-bowl cleaner,...
of course there are some respectable surgeons out there who want to help people (like those who operate on burn victims, etc.) but majority can really get bent.
That is an astounding amount of pink.
It may be clearly ignorant to some, but not to all who glorify the stick-thin ideal. Even if it was satire, I don't think it was appropriate to make a weight issue out of something so natural and important. Considering how many people on this site have commented about how they were treated differently, etc when pregnant, I think that any superficial classification of pregnancy bedroom furniture into weight is one too many. This society is antinatalist enough, Colbert doesn't have to reinforce it.