With the writer’s strike going on, I find myself perusing the “other” channels aka MTV, VH1, and all the learning/how to channels. While I watched an America’s Next Top Model marathon, I kept seeing ads for Scott Baio is 46 and pregnant, My Fair Brady, and Rock of Love Two. My husband was the one who commented “Why are all of these shows demeaning toward women?” That got me thinking.

One of the commercials for these programs shows Scott Baio, Chris Knight and Bret Michael’s watching the other television shows usually commenting on the women featured in the shows. It occurred to me, all of these shows have the exact same theme, washed up 70s or 80 child star/rock star/ teen heart throb who can’t deal with commitment. These shows basically poke fun at all of the men but despite their flaws, wanabe machismo, and standard chauvinism, they all still get to go home with the “hot babe” of their choice.

Ironically enough these shows is built around the premise that each of these men needs to grow up. Bret Michaels is doing it by trying to find his soulmate by having women compete with each other through sexed up activities like pole dancing. Scott Baio has to settle down with his ex playmate pregnant fiancee. And Chris Knight gets Adrienne Curry, the first ANTM winner, as his wife. In past episodes of My Fair Brady, Knight usually cuts Curry down in a verbal way by commenting on her behavior and intelligence level.

This is an interesting approach from VH1 that has usually considered itself the more mature of the music networks (when they actually played music videos.) But now it has reduced itself to a mere freak show of hasbeens and reality TV stars. Obviously, it has been this way for awhile but its odd that three of its newest shows feature the same sexist storyline. Man wins hot girl(s) despite their own downfalls, hot girl compromises for guy once he refuses or fails to compromise for her…the end.

Its bad when I Love New York looks like feminist programming, but I won’t ever go that far!