I was flipping through the channels recently and saw an ad for the show Wife Swap (I believe it's an ABC network show, but I saw the ad on Lifetime). This raises a lot of issues in my opinion and I think it is good material and an easy target for queering. For instance, this show completely ascribes to the heterosexual matrix in the sense that it is assuming the status quo of the viewing families as being heterosexual wife-husband scenarios. Also, why is this emphasis on the term "wife", why not partner or another term that doesn't connote marriage as a prerequisite? Also after watching only a small part of an episode, you'll immediately notice the really specific gender roles shown- the "swapped" wives have to stay at the other's house for two weeks, living with that family and husband, and acting out the normal role of the original wife. It is all daily chores, cooking & cleaning, etc. I also find it frustrating that the Lifetime network aired this, you'd think they would be more sensitive to gender-role-enforcing stereotypes.
Finally, the weirdest thing to me about the show is the obvious allusion to swinging in the title! In fact, when I searched for the show on google so I could link to it, a whole lot of swinging websites came up. Is there a hidden meaning within the show..?
I have to say, I love this show. It's so absolutely ridiculous and almost campy that I could probably watch it for hours if I had the opportunity. If you can find the episode of the crazy christian lady screaming about gargoyles, you should. One of the best tv moments EVER.
Here it is (the best part, at least):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TJLOGI2Odc
FYI, that check she ripped up? She asked for it back later.
Whoa! I did not see that episode before... I probably would've remembered a "warrior" like her. The camp aspect didn't really occur to me before but I can see how it is really campy, especially because the people in the show take it so seriously so there is that authentic camp aspect to it, but at the same time, there is something about it that bothers me. I think its that the people in the show do take it so seriously, as if it never occurred to them that there is this weird "wife-swapping" double entendre. I mean, these are adults and as sheltered (or religiously crazed) as they might be, wouldn't they notice this?!
I am really glad you mentioned that about camp though, because I think that is really the best way to interpret the show. Plus, now I'll remember this whenever I see an ad for it and I won't be so annoyed.
Okay...I totally see the campy aspect that Keagan talks about in regards to this show (and I agree it has a hilarious aspects to it and it's like watching a car crash, you can't look away) but I have to admit I have an incredibly hard time watching this show, therefore I have only seen a few episodes. Most of that reason would be that I think that, like Rachel brought up, there is this element of seriousness to it that just gives me anxiety. The creators of the show intentionally choose the most dramatic extremes of binaries whether it be conservative/liberal, urban/rural, vegan/carnivore, whatever the topic for the week entails. I get that this is the point of the show, but seeing some of the lifestyles and knowing that this is their real life and their children are being raised from very narrow perspectives, whatever they may be, it just scares me a little, makes it hard to watch. Then also, like Rachel brought up, there's the continued perpetuation of heterosexual norms. It's always married couples, husband and wife, the wife is always the one to be "swapped" and assume the wifely "duties" of the other woman. And as far as the episodes I have seen all of the wives work in the home in some form or another. So the show is pitched to the public like this is real people who are gonna learn something (as well as the audience) by seeing how the other half lives but as we see with the clip Keagan highlighted, it only reinforces their fears and narrow views (and yes, that clip is also hilarious). And still, even though they may be picking extreme personalities and lifestyles, they are still within a certain hetero context and to a certain extent very much a regurgitation of normativity. So campy?...yes, but my anxiety surrounding this show is that I do not think the majority audience gets that.