Post #3: The Girls Next Door

Today I watched an episode of The Girls Next Door. It was the episode where the girls traveled to New Orleans to celebrate Mardi Gras. I find it kind of funny thinking about how other nations must view us by watching this show. These three beautiful girls get to go on an all expenses paid trip to Louisiana where all they have to do is party. When Hugh called up to check up on the girls, one of his questions was "did you girls throw a lot of beads?" I found that the girls acted very ignorant throughout the episode but I wonder just how much is for real and how much they are acting their role.

There was one part of the show that actually had some substance. The girls went to a part of the city that was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. At the end of this trip the girls acknowledged how lucky their were to be living where they are. Here is what enrages me. Instead of doing something, like helping to clean up the city, the girls just return home and act exactly the same. They could have at least donated money or something. What is the point of showing the damage of Hurricane Katrina if you are not going to do anything about it? What were they trying to prove? The producers could have at least ended on a positive note by listing ways to help rebuild Louisiana. I was very disappointed about how this serious issue was dealt with. The impact could have been so much greater if it was just given the chance.

As for what I think this show says to young girls is that if you are pretty enough you will succeed. You do not need to be smart or go to school in order to have fame and fortune. If you are beautiful things will be given to you and everyone will love you. At least that is what is happening to these three lucky ladies. They live in a gorgeous mansion, get to go on free trips, have vast amounts of fans, and can't even distinguish what an otter is (as demonstrated in another episode I watched where the girls could not decide if it was a whale or a dolphin). I think that a lot of girls are smart enough to realize that this is just a show but there will always be people out there that are going to think this is how the real world works. Those are truly the ones who will gain a negative perspective from watching this type of television programming.