By now, we are all familiar with the misadventures of Falcon Heene and his ready-for-television parents. Reflecting on a six-year-old child who will be known by the moniker “balloon boy” for the rest of Google’s life has lead to a lot of jokes, a lot of anger, but also a lot of questions. The question standing out in my mind seems to be one no one is really asking: When will reality TV stop being a platform for abusive men and their mistreatment of the women in their lives?
Anyone with two eyes and a television had to feel uncomfortable with Richard Heene during his family’s interviews as the publicity stunt unfolded. He was domineering as well as condescending and rude to both Meredith Vieira and Diane Sawyer. But the thing that stood out to me the most was his wife Mayumi, who struck me as completely subservient to her husband. In footage from Wife Swap, the television show that the Heenes appeared on, Mayumi is described as simplistically supporting her husband’s career (for lack of a better word). As I’ve learned more and more about the Heene family, from other attention-seeking reality stars and albeit sensationalized footage from his time on Wife Swap, something about Richard Heene stands out: There has to be a kernel of truth that this man is self-centered, childish and domineering, and that he sees women as lesser subordinates, because frankly, you can’t make something out of nothing. And even if Richard Heene’s bad behaviour is amplified through editing, he’s still out there, setting a bad example and earning publicity and notoriety for it.
So when will reality television outlets such as VH1, MTV, TLC and all of the other channels earning dollar after advertising dollar own up to the shameful example that they are setting for North American men? Jon Gosselin is destroying his family in front of cameras and insisting that his bad behaviour, irresponsible lifestyle and parental neglect is something he deserves, regardless of its effect on his family. Spencer Pratt’s almost weekly misogynistic treatment of his wife as well as every other female cast member on The Hills is rewarded with a longstanding spot on the show as well as paid appearances on other shows such as I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here.
Not all of these examples follow a narcissistic vein though. In the case of Megan Wants to Marry a Millionaire and I Love Money, reality show contestant Ryan Jenkins turned to violence rather than his ego, murdering his wife, model Jasmine Fiore and then committing suicide himself. After promoting the life of a man who committed atrocious acts of violence against women, VH1 has decided to cut back on the production of reality television. Which might be a good thing—acting is difficult enough when you aren’t playing yourself, in your own life. Perhaps it’s a factor in this upswing of frat-boy, misogynistic behavior. But one has to wonder if the fallout has already occurred, and if years of working towards respect for women have been sent backwards for a few easy advertising dollars.
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