What do you think of this pro-feminist plot that went wrong?

Question

What do you think of this pro-feminist plot that went wrong? I don't know if you heard about the BBC last year which ran a 'reality', let's make men look stupid programme where they took all of the women out of a small village for a few weeks and left the men to fend for themselves. Housework, cooking, kids. Oh how they anticipated disaster and incompetence.

I can imagine the planning and production team readying themselves for vignettes of piss taking, show-the-men-up segments.

The place ran like clockwork; housework was done, perfectly in 35 mins a day; food was prepared and beautiful, nutritious meals made; kids had a whale of a time, instead of the expected wail. All the dads thought it was a huge, fun holiday. The village actually came together as a splendid place to live. Men got together and got to know one another, cooperating like chaps like to do. Games on the village green, the lot.

The women were all pissed off like nobody's business. The BBC too.

(Thanks Kim)

[bellavita] Someone else here might have those details. Fact is, the BBC producers were so embarrassed by the way things turned out that they cancelled all publicity and hid everything away!

[kubebe] 'Course we would, goes without saying!

Those of you who are in denial may like to know that the programme was called "the week the women went".
More info on Men's Hour here
http://men.typepad.com/mens_hour/2005/08/the_week_the_wo.html
The BBC's played-down account is here
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/nottinghamshire/4317329.stm

[Kate Lomax] "All can perform when we can view the light at the end of the tunnel but when there is no light then the focus changes, does it not?" - I like it.

Answer 1

You want to see real "reality" TV? Take 12 empowered and strong women and 12 men. Make the women DO EVERYTHING to run the town.... heavy lifting, sewerage cleaning, building, maintaining, collecting trash, you know.. "traditional mens work". All the while, the men sit on THEIR asses and order the WOMEN around....

Now that would be an emmy in the bag!

TMOTS

Answer 2

Well, in our household, there is no way that my husband could *organize* the house as well as I do. That's OK. I'd be lost, too, if I tried to jump into doing his job. But he'd still do a great job out there in the woods with our kiddies. Maybe he wouldn't notice that one kid needs new shoes, and the other has a hidden fear of the vacuum cleaner, but the kids would be happy, well-fed, and survive just fine. I would guess that they kids were treated to a great deal of physical, active games as well.

I think the part that inspires anger is not that men can do the job well, (in their own male way, which is different slightly than the female way) It's annoying because women are often miserable and stressed out doing the reverse. In fact, higher stress levels and depression levels parallel how many hours women work for pay, regardless of housework. The same is not true of men, so it's only fair that they have a horrible time doing "our" job!

I would have expected that the men would rise to the occasion. However, I still chuckle remembering my husband apologizing, after heading back to his first day of work after our third baby was born. He had taken a leave of two weeks, and now felt thouroughly guilty for his desk job with bathroom breaks and time for lunch. He would be very unhappy trying to my job, and I would be unhappy doing his. But he's a smart guy (and great dad) and would certainly rise to the occasion if necessary.

Answer 3

I don't think that it could have been that hidden away because I remember it, and it is NOT the kind of thing that I would watch. It doesn't prove anything. The BBC weren't pissed off because it 'contradicted feminism' - they were pissed off because they didn't get enough footage of people making arses of themselves - that is what these progs are looking for - they are quite happy to film women roaring drunk, baps out making complete arses of themselves if that suits them.

If the women were pissed off that does not prove anything either, except that they didn't like not being needed. They should do something else with their lives except h'work and childcare - except, oh that's right, this only lasted a week and then the men went back to work. Natural service was resumed!

Answer 4

I haven't see the show. But I think it's great. It proves that men can do things we already knew they could.
I've noticed that while women want help with the housework and child-rearing, some don't give their partners the opportunity to do these things. Don't trust them to do a good job or do it "correctly." I used to be guilty of this myself.
BTW: what is the name of the show?

Answer 5

I think it's awesome that men showed them we're perfectly capable beings, hopefulling putting a few loudmouth's in their place (though, I suspect not). I recall interviews after that show where they tried to imply stupidity and other derogatory comments toward the men of the show, why? Because we'd shown them we were better than they gave us credit for! Ha!

Kubebe: you're right - we WOULD miss the women if we had to do this full term... But then, men are not the one's claiming proudly how they "don't need a woman" or "A man needs a woman like a fish needs a bicycle" - feminists, on the other hand... well, I'm sure I don't need to spell it out, right? :o)

Answer 6

I don't really think much about it. It obviously was an attempt to create a reality based show. You reading into it as a pro-feminist plot that went wrong. I'm reading into it as just another reality show. Most of them are stupid and I can't believe there are people who actually watch them.

Answer 7

On the BBC? I don't recall this show, and I'm one of the people who gets good value out of their licence fee. Do you have a title and airdate?

ETA: Celtish, no offense, but I can only agree on what the facts are if I actually see the program or read the reviews.

It's impossible to "cancel" all publicity on a show that's aired...believe me, I know.

ETA: Right, just wanted to be able to look and judge for myself, which is why I asked for the source info, thank you for providing.

Answer 8

Celtish- I missed this programme, as T.V. features little in my life.
All that needs To be said is that surprises me little.
Men are OK at doing the routine jobs.
However, it would be interesting to see if men could do these jobs for 365 days of the year.
All can perform when we can view the light at the end of the tunnel, but when there is no light, then the focus changes, does it not?

Answer 9

It looks like a bit of backfiring was going on like no one's business. Men score women nil. Well done.

Answer 10

I don't know what they'd be so pissed off about. I'd be thrilled to see that these men were capable of all this. Maybe what really angered them is the fact that those men could only do it when THEY weren't around.