Does Television Hurt The Military Image?

Posted by Mary Davis on Jan 18, 2012 in Blog, Military, News, Op/Ed | 0 comments

Have you ever wondered what life was like before television?  Everyday the media cries out for our attention and we don’t know which way to look.  But in the midst of all the television programming, military themed began to pop up.  It’s amazing to know that a military base can be the platform for great story arcs, but the question still looms overhead:  does television hurt the military image? 

People wonder if the sacrifices and struggles of our hometown heroes are portrayed correctly.  And they shudder at the thought of any overly dramatic, stereotyped characters.  Whether they shoot about young brides adjusting to the military lifestyle, family stresses with deployment, or having to deal with debt and not knowing where to go for a military loan (and having to secretly become a surrogate mother to get out of debt – this is an actual story line), we just hope that the programming does justice to those actually in the military.

SCRIPTED DRAMA

photo provided by Official Army Wives

Lifetime’s Army Wives is the first successful series to focus on the military community during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.  Many real Army wives love the show because it touches on familiar aspects of their lives. And because of that they can forgive a few incorrect uniform details and misplaced salutes.

Some people love the drama.  They relish on the different lives of these ladies and the way the military life is romanticized.  It shows viewers, both military and civilians, what it’s like to be married to a brave soldier, how real fear and stress is during deployment, and how strong the bonds are those between those waiting at the home front.

But every drama has it’s down pull.  Some stereotypes can be looked as over the top.  These women seem to gossip too much or are lazy since they don’t work.  Of course, it’s just television but we wonder how this influences real life.

Whatever the response is, the show hasn’t failed to bring in a huge audience each week.  And other media companies have noticed.

REALITY TV

photo source: http://www.militarywivescasting.com/

Just as the famed show Desperate Housewives spurred on the likes of “The Real Housewives of …” reality TV is following suit.

Military Wives of San Diego is being produced by the same team that brought us Jersey Shore, and many fear that the same low-brow drama will be featured on this new reality show.  It’s safe to say that the show may lean on the demeaning and trashy, but no one will know for sure until it airs.  Even the U.S. Navy disapproves of the series and discourages Navy wives from participating.

The Army, on the other hand, endorsed an Oprah Winfrey Network show called Army Wives of Alaska.  Its casting call is more dignified than its counterpart, calling for spouses of soldiers of all ranks, emphasizing “strength and community”.  Under OWN, Army Wives of Alaska is likely to be a kinder, more positive portrayal of military life.

REAL LIVES

People may wonder what the military life is really like.  Living on base, dealing with deployment, being flexible with being stationed in different places.  Not to mention the hard transitions or the cases of PTSD.  It’s different than what anyone can expect.  It can be worrisome that this is the view that the world has of the military, but that can be changed.

Are you a fan of Army Wives?  What do you think of these new reality shows?