I am really happy with how Parks and Recreation portrays the lead female, Leslie, as someone who aspires to be someone in power and intelligent and who values strong women who have been influential. But even this character I feel puts herself down in comparison to Ann, her best friend, who really has no personality. She doesn't have any hobbies, just a job and the constant search for a partner. I feel like Leslie is always championing Ann for being this standard to which all women should be held and there is no real reason compared to Hilary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi, some of Leslie's other female role models. I was also happy that while Leslie did search for a relationship her priority was always on her ambition, something that women don't see a lot represented in television for themselves. Especially not a really positive woman who wants power. Women who are ambitious in media are demonized and made to look like heartless bitches.

Another show that bothers me in it's representation of women is The Big Bang Theory. Penny is the least intellectual and most shallow of all the women in the show and is showed the most attention and care. Even Amy, who is very intelligent and has a good career, worships Penny. Penny is never really shown to have a hobby either, she is just the object of everyone's desire. And of course it's Amy who needs all the help, while Penny is stuck at a dead end job with no hope of ever being an actress, Amy is the one who is hopeless because she doesn't shave or know how to put on makeup or do her hair or get Sheldon to sleep with her, but yet has a job and her own apartment and is intelligent..

Those are just some of my thoughts about two shows, I was wondering if anyone has anything to add to those thoughts or challenge them, I might be missing something or have made too rash a judgement.