Readers, please forgive my departure from more serious commentary. America's choice for President has shocked my muse into silence.Many wonder why a show that is scorned by so many can do so well. Within that scorn, though, could lie the seeds for the show's success.
There is a great line in Howard Stern's self-promoting autobiography. A market researcher discovers that people who love Stern, keep the radio on for a long time, but people who hate him listen even longer. Why? 'because they both want to hear what he's going to say next.'
Desperate Housewives has Howard's love 'em or hate 'em appeal combined with a sense for the dramatic plot twist. In short, its eye candy, and you cannot guess what will happen next.
Many women hate this show, but watch it anyway. It is like a prime time soap opera that hits closer to home. My wife wanted to believe this show doesn't represent suburban reality until she began paying attention to the exploits of our own neighbors.
Men are simple. They love the show because the women are hot, and, at least one is half naked per episode. In the picture above, Nicolette Sheridan (Eady) entices a neighbor with a classic car wash scene, white shirt, all wet, and "Daisy Duke" shorty shorts. Teri Hatcher (Susan Mayer aka "Lois Lane") spent 5 minutes of one episode locked out of her house, naked (though tastefully cropped). Eva Langoria (Gabrielle), who recently made the cover of Maxim, spends most episodes in a negligee and stilletos.
Some shows just strike a nerve in the American phsyche. The only thing for the networks to do now is copy it to death.
Comments