F06 :: Feminist Film Studies

For this post, I’ll be discussing the gender stereotypes in “Wife Swap.� First of all, I have to explain the show’s crazy premise. In “Wife Swap,� two families basically exchange wives for two weeks. Certainly, high ratings demand that these families be completely different from each other in regards to their values, creed, race, class, etc. For the first week, the wives live by their new family’s rules. In the second week, however, the wives introduce their own rules that their new family must follow. When the two weeks are over, the wives and husbands meet face to face to exchange their experience. The meeting generally gets pretty loud and emotional. Although some families choose to change their lives for the better after the show, I think that most do very little and/or decide to go back to their usual ways.
The most obvious problem in this show is in the title itself: “Wife Swap.� Therefore, husbands are essentially exchanging their wives like objects/animals which enforces the stereotype that men are superior to women—a contributing factor to a “patriarchal culture� like the McCabe article (“Woman is Not Born, but Becomes a Woman�) suggests (McCabe 3). In the article, de Beauvoir argues that this kind of male dominance “is responsible for generating and circulating self-confirming parameters that institute gender hierarchies and sexual inequalities.� Thus, “He,� the man/husband, becomes the “Subject� and “Absolute,� while “she,� the woman/wife, is the “Other�--the “object� (McCabe 3-4). The Fairclough article (“Women’s Work? Wife Swap and the Reality Problem�) continues de Beauvoirs argument that “Wife Swap� centers on the stereotype that a woman’s “place in the home� is the kitchen: “Wife Swap achieves nothing except to further emphasize the fact that women should be natural homemakers by virtue of their gender... the men are portrayed as doing little of the domestic work and often emerging from the program as heroes, whilst the woman appear as either impossible controlling or exploited doormats� (Fairclough 345). In essence, the show focuses on the craziness that a woman must handle inside the home with the children, and the countless chores that must be completed before the husband comes back from his job. It is interesting to note that Wife Swap was created by a man (Stephen Lambert), and airs on ABC—which is owned by Disney, a company that promotes the traditional family. Thus, with a male perspective and Disney’s influences, it is clear to know why Wife Swap’s content runs in such a patriarchal manner. Furthermore, hand-held camera shots create a very intimate and real portrayal of the families—a behind the scene access into their lives. Also, reactions shots are incorporated in order to heighten the emotional aspect of this family centered show.