LETTERS: Is Ally a role model, or just entertainment?

To the Editor: I don't know if I am enlightening Wong in any way, but the purpose of television is entertainment and it is not supposed to mirror reality in every way or in any way at all. Do you think that a show based on the actual proceedings of a law firm would attract any viewers? Moreover, the aim of Ally McBeal is to gain ratings and viewership and, to do that, the show will air sex scenes and controversial circumstances, because guess what? That's entertaining! Another point that Wong may have overlooked is that the show is billed as a comedy, and nominated thusly, and therefore should be taken with a grain of salt. Wong states, "Ally McBeal appeals to viewers because it attempts to parallel our own experiences in the workplace." I know of no one outside of a movie or television set whose workplace mirrors that of Ally McBeal. Perhaps Wong will learn that television is not meant to be taken so seriously and perhaps she should look for other role models, namely ones that exist in the real world. Amir Forouzan College '01 · To the editor: I agree wholeheartedly with Melissa Wong's opinion article on the degrading, foolish nature of the popular television show Ally McBeal. My father, an attorney, is also a strong critic of this show, less for feminist reasons than for the ridiculously stupid nature of the legal proceedings discussed in the show. The characters in this show do not even come close to imitating reality in their interactions with judges, clients and colleagues. Anyone who takes this show as the basis for what a real law firm is like will be drastically mislead and misinformed. Some fans of the show might tell me to lighten up and argue that the show is meant for entertainment and that it is a comedy that is not meant to be taken so seriously. I would respond that the popularity of shows like Ally McBeal is the primary cause of a phenomenon that has been worsening since the dawn of the age of television -- the people who sit and vegetate in front of shows like Ally McBeal every night are letting their brains go to waste as they are sucked in by the greedy advertisers who are really the only reason why television exists in the first place. The world is being "dumbed down" by such trash. When did the world lose interest in real art and culture? Instead of wasting your free time making Calista Flockhart and Rupert Murdoch very rich, why not listen to a symphony by Beethoven or Mahler or Mozart? Why not really try and appreciate a beautiful painting or sculpture? Or maybe go to an opera or a piano recital? These activities will enrich your life much more than any of Ally McBeal's short skirts ever will. Kevin Lenaghan Wharton '01 · To the Editor While reading Melissa Wong's column, I found myself wondering "What do people look for in a television program?" I always thought that television was a form of entertainment. Wong apparently does not think so. She believes that a prime-time series about a law firm should mirror real life. Has she ever spent time in a law office? Frankly, I don't envision returning from a long day of work or school, sitting back in my Laz-E-Boy, popping open a beer and watching a group of real life lawyers and secretaries go through their day at work. People do not want to see realism unless it is exciting and, believe me, most law firms are flat-out boring. Blame it on our society that people want to see sex and confrontation on television. The people who love to tune-in to Ally McBeal come from the same society that made Jerry Springer his millions. Wong apparently envisions the writers, directors and producers of Ally McBeal deciding collectively that they will place women in roles which make them appear subservient to men and nothing but sex toys. And what about the cast? Does Wong really believe that the women who act on this show are so desperate for a job that they place themselves in a position to be ridiculed as the spearheads to the destruction of feminism? They are working, strong-willed women -- the same kind of women that you believe the show disrespects. The bottom line is that television is a form of entertainment. Entertainment is meant to be interesting. Law firms are not exciting. Therefore, by the powers of deduction, successful shows are about sex, relationships and scandal. Don't read too much into it. Besides, you could always change the channel. Tim Swain College '02