'Ideology in Desperate Housewives\r'

'Ideology In heroical Housewives Every day, the habitual is unknowingly exposed to countless ideologic contents. They take from all around, only when the media re main(prenominal)s ideology’s primary agent. In places such as magazines, commercials, billboards, movies and boob tube parades, one squeeze out find evidence of ideologic messages. According to theologist Louis Althusser, ideology places individuals into a sure position in society by a process called interpellation, where a specific subject (or stem of people) is called out, or harbingered.Althusser claims that ideology does this in order to â€Å" stand by people to live their own conditions of existence, to perform their delegate tasks, save also to ‘bear’ their conditions. ” An mannequin of this can be found in television dramas aimed at American old women, as found on ABC or Lifetime. One potent example comes from the drama Desperate Housewives. This suggest may be ilk a glorif ied soap opera, as it primarily depicts the lives of four dynamic home prep atomic number 18rs living in the same cal-de-sac in suburbia.However, the show’s billet is non solely to entertain, just now also to hail its audience of middle- time-worn women by telling them what manakin of behavior is acceptable for their role in society. In the issue â€Å"You Must Meet My Wife,” each lady of the house struggles with a personal conflict as their pictorial desires and tendencies conflict with the type of behavior expected of them as spouses and mothers. We see these discrepancies unfold as the tones are confronted by internal temptation, marital infidelity, discontent with their maintains and gender roles regarding family finances.In the end, we willing see ideological norms reinstated by these women resisting their true feelings in order to act â€Å"appropriately. ” On the surface, Bree Van de Kamp looks like the i bonk lady of the house. Her house is a lways spotless and she cooks gastronome delicacies for her family’s dinner every night. However, as the serial progresses, we learn that there is a lot overmuch to Bree (as there is to any person). In this episode, Bree is seduced by her much younger and very attractive contractile organ. Bree is single, so this is not a matter of infidelity, but of general sexual urges.The narrator explains that Bree was brought up traditionally, learning to hide and reverse her desires in order to be a â€Å"lady. ” Therefore, Bree denies her urges because she recognizes that as a woman, society does not approve of her organism sexually outgoing. This point is hit home when she fires her contractor so that she is not tempted by his company. She lies and tells him she is permit him go because he is doing a sloppy mull, unable to choose to him (or anyone) that she is having fantasies about him.Bree’s display of â€Å"weakness” makes the bandage relatable and enter taining to the audience, since it is made up primarily of middle-aged women who feel the same pressure to be closely inhuman sexually. Ironically, that pressure is being reinforced by the ideological lesson that this episode teaches. Gabrielle Solis profiles a different liberal of housewife. Her conflict arises when a prevail informs her that her daughter’s blood type indicates that she could not possibly be the child of garrulous and her maintain, Carlos.Gauging voluble’s reaction, the nurse assumes that the child essential not belong to Carlos, and judgmentally implies that Gabby was unfaithful. The nurses actions are direct proof of the ideological message: if a housewife cheats on her conserve, she loses worth. Panicking, Gabby concludes that she must render cheated on Carlos during a weekend forward with her girl booster stations when she was blackout drunk. Several ideological violations arise here. First, her role as a housewife does not allow weekend s away with her friends where she gets wildly intoxicated. Second, cheating on your husband is of the utmost offense.Although women now have equal rights to add up their equal capabilities, our society is still predominantly patriarchal. Gabby pays for her indiscretions in this episode. Scared and deeply ashamed, she must deal with her overwhelming guilt. Her struggle reinforces ideological norms, teaching her (and consequently, the audience) that she should have been home with her family rather than out for a enjoyment weekend with her friends. It turns out to have been all a mistake, and Gabby was not unfaithful, however her ideological lesson was knowing the hard way.Yet another ideological message is presented with the life of Lynette Scavo. Strong, smart and opinionated, Lynette is the feminist who equates to (if not exceeds) her husband in most areas. However, she is not immune to the ideological restraints of being a housewife either. In this episode, her husband Tom is d iagnosed with Post Part-um Depression due to the new birth of their daughter. There is a comical flavor to this, as Post Part-um Depression is mostly know as a disease for women. This works to make Tom look weak, while Lynette is exhausted victorious care of the house and the kids.She laughs at Tom’s diagnosis, and he becomes offended, stating that she is always too critical. Lynette’s friend Renee becomes involved, telling Lynette that she needs to â€Å"demonstrate her abilities as a wife” and make it up to Tom. Renee’s shell provides insight to the ideological belief that wives should be encouraging and nurturing towards their husbands, even if it means sacrificing their own comfort or opinions. In the end, Lynette apologizes and listens to Tom complain for hours, just as a proper housewife is expected to do.The national role of women is reinstated again through Susan Delfino’s storyline. hostile Bree and Gabby, Susan lives more of a work ing class lifestyle, and latterly work has been slow for her husband Mike. Tight on money, Susan decides to pick up another lineage to append her income as a teacher. She does this by agreeing to do house asseverate in lingerie for a live-feed stream on the internet. Although this side-job is harmless and proving to be quite profitable, ideology tells her (and consequently, the audience) that this job is something she should be ashamed of.She lies to Mike and tells him she’s been merchandising homemade jewelry (more of a â€Å"lady-like” hobby) for extra money. It energy make sense if Susan felt ashamed because the job capability be degrading the sanctity of her be, but that is not the reason. She lies to Mike because if he knew she was using her body to make extra money for them, he might be embarrassed, upset, or even angry. As the ideology of a housewife maintains, a husband should be the main source of finances and his wife should keep him comfortable and ha ppy. Susan breaks these rules, and it burdens her with guilt throughout the episode.She should not be ashamed to be making money in a time where finances are low, but since society does not deem it appropriate, Susan sacrifices her good sense of right and wrong to be a good housewife. In conclusion, Desperate Housewives reinforces ideological norms of middle-aged women through every main character in the show. The audience might hazard they are only being entertained for an hour, but what they take away from it is so much deeper. They are impressed with the ideology that women of a certain aged should act, talk, and feel this way. The audience learns lessons through the characters.This particular episode taught us that fulfilling your role as a housewife is of the utmost importance, even if it means sacrificing your natural desires, freedoms, opinions, or capabilities. Desperate Housewives is not the first television show to promote this ideology. Throughout history, the ideal hou sewife has been depict as static, obedient, asexual, and sometimes seemingly inhuman. However, a show centered on such a character would be dull. So Desperate Housewives takes some liberties, letting the characters run rampant and make mistakes, only to charge back into their rightful places inside of their homes on wisteria Lane.\r\n'