MovieChat Forums > Ladette to Lady (2005) Discussion > Some Ironies about the Show

Some Ironies about the Show

posted 15 years ago by nard-5
5 replies | jump to latest

Don't get me wrong...I love this show. It was thoroughly entertaining and I get that the main idea was to teach these women some self respect and how to improve their behaviour in a public forum. Having said that I found the following to be a little ironic

A good lady speaks properly, dresses nicely and sensibly without exposing themselves, doesn't drink to excess or discuss inappropriate conversations however they are also not allowed to be assertive, set boundries(eg beliefs on handling animal products or being put down) or laugh / giggle. qualities I believe makes anyone a better person.

A good lady can do flower arrangements, cook gourmet food, sew, walk talk and dress properly in order to impress and attract a "better" type of man rather than for their own independance, self confidence, self respect and character building.

A good lady must be able to arrange flowers and cook gourmet foods but all the ladies of the mannor in the show had servants to do all of this.

It is not appropriate for a lady to be loud, put the cutlery in the wrong place on the table or defend themsleves but it is ok according to the teachers actions to belittle and put down the ladettes in front of dinner guests.

It is offensive to flirt with men, drink to excess, burp in public or swear but it is not offensive to have shocking teeth and a lemon sucking face like Gill Harboard!!!!

We are presented with two extreme stereotypes of women in this series. The ladettes and the teachers. Neither of whom I would consider a real lady.

[–] dr_vosp 15 years ago

Hear Hear! I totally agree with you. I've been saying that for so long. A lady is also meant to never raise her voice yet the teachers are always screaming at the ladettes. Also isn't it considered bad manners to be rude to a person to the point where you make them cry? If it isn't then it should be! At one point one of the teachers called a ladette 'scum'. Now is name calling lady like? I do not think so.
If you ask me the teachers could do with some lessons on how to treat people and teach effectively. By screaming at the ladettes everytime they make a mistake they are only forcing them into defensive mode and teaching them to resent the teachers. It seems to me that the teachers have confused respect with fear.
I also noticed the disgusting teeth. I'd rather hangout with a foul mouthed ladette then, well a foul mouthed lady :P Plus how often do you see the teachers laugh? Very rarely. If being a lady means not being able to have fun and laugh freely then count me out!
I had never thought of the point you made about the servants, nicely put. Maybe both the ladettes and the ladies have something to teach eachother.

[–] Mincom 15 years ago

"I also noticed the disgusting teeth"

That's the first thing I focus on when I see the 'Ladies'..lol. what a annoying trio of hags they are.

The bludger should not be a National Icon.

[–] Violet_Loves_Iliona 15 years ago

That particular tutor is very harsh and, in my opinion, tends to go to far.

On that occassion, however, she did not call the girl "scum". What she actually said was (when discussing the girl's disgraceful behaviour with a boy) "and he probably thought you were a piece of scum".

The girl needed to be told, in no uncertain terms, that people don't respect her when she behaves like that. She thought, because the boys flirted back, that the boys respected them. They didn't.

Violet

*´¨)
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(¸.·´ (¸.·´

Jackie: We're not going to bed until one of three things happens: the hurricane ends, or we run out of rum.

Marty: That's only two.

Jackie: Hmmm...

[–] barrababe 15 years ago

"On that occassion, however, she did not call the girl "scum". What she actually said was (when discussing the girl's disgraceful behaviour with a boy) "and he probably thought you were a piece of scum". "

You are absolutely right - that blonde 'teacher' was very clever in her wording in that she insinuated the boy would think her 'scum' but it was not only an horrific choice of words for anyone to use (even if she re-iterates she never thought it) however she did voice it with no proof that was what the boy thought. In other words she thought it and, being a woman who has shown contempt and disrespect for contestants (firmly routed in jealousy), was incredibly unprofessional in her approach.

I have no respect for that woman. I do however have respect for Mrs Shrager and Mrs Hardboard. (Apologies if I get the spelling wrong!)

Thanks for letting me vent about that dreadful woman. :)

[–] zoe-butler51 12 years ago

I think this is absolutely right.

The teaching methods employed in this show were ridiculous, outdated and pretty much doomed to failure.

I am quite certain that a better approach would have been to greet the newcomers and say, firmly, something like, "It's up to you how you behave here. You could, if you want, get drunk every night but you will be expelled pretty quickly if you do. We can only teach you so much. We've got very little time and a lot to get through. We can only do that by working together as a team. My door is always open if you have any problems or concerns." Anyone who subsequently got drunk would have to face the consequences of falling behind in the work and failing in assignments. Shouting and raving at them is beside the point.

Of course, they don't do it that way because this is a competition - not a school. The whole point of Ladette to Lady is that it is not a machine for producing ladies, it is a machine for producing losers. The last one standing wins. No school could work on the basis of expelling one pupil per week any more than any company could work on the basis of firing one manager per week. It makes for good television but poor education.

There is scope for training women - and men - to be self assured, confident, well mannered, considerate people with leadership skills but not by behaving like bitches and boors left high and dry by a changing world that they could neither understand nor keep up with. But no producer would be interested. It just wouldn't be funny or entertaining. By the same token, the humourless staff of Eggleston Hall cannot see that the joke is on them. The ladettes may be drinking too much but they know it. Their tutors are drinking in The Last Chance Saloon and they haven't a clue.