Game Shows and Women as Commodities (and Prizes)

I heard about a new reality TV series on the radio coming home from work today.  It’s called "Gadget or the Girl," and the premise is what you can expect from the title.  Male contestants get to choose between a super-awesome high-tech gadget or a weekend vacation with the girl of their choice.

While this is on Playboy TV (so what can we really expect from a company who’s business is exploiting and objectifying women), it makes some assumptions about women that are disgusting to me.  Firstly, that women are the equivalent to an object (otherwise it wouldn’t be a very tough decision).  Secondly, that women’s affections can be bought and sold (or won in this case).  And thirdly, that only men are truly interesting in these high-tech gadgets (they’d have to make them pink for girls to be interested in them at all). 

It’s just sad that our society still accepts these out-dated ideas of women.  This show was advertised on the local "family-friendly" radio station in my town.  People just don’t see the problem with women being used as available commodities.  This isn’t just a problem with this particular game show.  Most games shows either use women as prizes (like many of the "dating" ones do) or use them as objects in the show (to show of prizes or just to stand around and be pretty).  It’s sick and reaffirms my decision to stop watching television.