I've never seen the original Dynasty series but I enjoyed watching the new adaption on Netflix. Well, a bit at least - there are a lot of things I didn't like about the series since season 1 but I still watched it because it doesn't take itself very serious and I enjoy watching more light-hearted stuff when I do chores.
This month they put the new season on Netflix. Halfway through the season I had to turn it off and I definitely won't watch other seasons in case they are in planning.
They actually implemented a surrogacy plotline. This happened in the most horrible and ugly manner. I'm so angry, I even have problems to find the proper words for it.
Well, it starts with Fallon finding out that she's unable to birth children. As soon as this happened, I already knew that the series would go in this direction. Ignoring that surrogacy in itself is wrong and exploitative of women, these are other offensive and some outright delusional points:
The couple went on a really dehumanizing mission to find themselves the "best" surragate while rating the women like products ("she's got the best uterus in town"). At the same time they didn't get tired to emphasize that this journey is about them and their feelings, not about anyone else. And no, this was not presented in a critical manner. But as something we should all celebrate and understand.
The woman they select to be their surrogate is a paleontologist with a phd who does surrogacy just for fun. Not because she needs the money or anything but because she is just such a great selfless person. Yeah, right. That's as big of a myth as the happy hooker but of course they are lying into our faces and using this trope. But what's even worse was the complete submission presented from the surrogate. She didn't get tired to stress that this is not about her and her body but just about the poor couple and their fetus. She gladly gave up all her personhood for being an incubator - and no, this was also not presented in a critical manner. In contrary, her selflessness was the reason Fallon wanted her to be the surrogate and it was presented as wholesome.
They showed an interview with one women the couple didn't want to be their surrogate because - of course - she was too self- centered for their liking. She said something like "I won't give birth on a saturday because I also want freetime", which yes, might be a crazy thing to say about giving birth. But in this liberal mindset they are also perpetuating in this show, surrogacy is just a job like any other, no? So why shouldn't the surrogate be free on a saturday? Maybe because giving birth is not a job after all?
The last straw was Fallon going to some sort of pregnancy course with the surrogate. That gave me a lot of the handmaid's tale vibes. And she freaked out that the surrogate hat some kind of rash on her arm because she was worried about the baby. Only the baby of course, not the woman. Yeah no, I can't watch something like this.
Edit: I just read that season 5 (that's the most recent season) is the last one. Good.
I like it, but she spelled “choked” wrong.
Also, it's strangulation instead of choking! I didn't know this before but choking only refers to something blocking the airway from inside. Strangulation is outside pressure.
I know, this has been on my nerves too, but I think it’s just casual language when they mean it in a sexual context, plus, strangulation sounds... purposeful?...
Honestly... at this point, I’d be tempted to rebut people who want to “let women be feminine” by saying something like, “Actually, you’re right. If certain women choose to be maidservants to men, why not let those women lap up all that “sex-positivity” and “feminine power”, while everyone else chooses empowerment via going against the flow? Someone has to do the grunt work of placating men, after all—might as well let the ones who enjoy it do it”.
Pretty inflammatory, but I think it gets the point across.
I dress in a very feminine way, but I rarely catch any flack for it. When I do, it's usually from men and butch lesbians.
It's crazy how much women go to bat for men and the patriarchy.