Women on TV and the Industries they work in

I was watching some of my favourite shows on video the other day and noticed something interesting:

None of them work in Engineering or the Sciences, and only a few are in sort of very male dominated industries.

Check it out:

Sex and the City:

  • Carrie: Writer
  • Charlotte: Art
  • Samantha: Public Relations
  • Miranda: Law (seen as a “male” career)

Cashmere Mafia:

  • Mia: Publishing
  • Juliet: Real Estate (maybe seen as a “male” career)
  • Caitlin: Cosmetics
  • Zoe: Investment Banking (another “male” career)

Lipstick Jungle:

  • Wendy: Movies
  • Victory: Fashion Designer
  • Nico: Fashion Magazine Editor

Most of the shows up there focus on girlier industries: cosmetics, movies, fashion…

I mean come on! I am not saying these industries are not tough, difficult industries to be in, but they aren’t far off the mark for it being seen as more of a female-oriented industry.

Cosmetics? Art? Public Relations? Magazines? Publishing? Editor?

What they’re REALLY missing:

  • Engineers
  • Scientists
  • Accountants
  • Hedge Fund Managers (Juliet’s husband was one)
  • Mathematicians
  • Statisticians
  • Information Technology
  • Programmers

The above industries are the ones that have a very low percentage of women working in them.. but they are the industries that do have good wages and what are termed as “hard” skills or technical know-how.

There are shows for women working as doctors (Grey’s Anatomy for one), but none that I can think off the top of my head (other than crime shows) that deal with technical skills in subjects like Math or the Sciences.

And they wonder why girls grow up with a dislike for entering fields that deal with math, science or technology.

It just seems like there aren’t any roles in those types of popular, chick-lit shows that portray women in very unsexy jobs.

What do you think?

About the Author

Just a girl trying to find a balance between being a Shopaholic and a Saver. I cleared $60,000 in 18 months earning $65,000 gross/year. Now I am self-employed, and you can read more about my story here, or visit my other blog: The Everyday Minimalist.