Ugly Betty - Your Reactions?

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#1 Post by **bbsadmin** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 12:44 pm

Tomorrow night is the premiere of Ugly Betty, a sitcom based on a successful Hispanic novella of the same name. Betty is a young lady trying to make it in the fashion industry, and she wears a full set of metal braces on her teeth. This is the only adult character I can ever remember wearing braces (besides Miranda in one brief episode of Sex and the City).

I was just wondering what your reactions are to this show, and to the fact that the character is supposedly made more "ugly" by the braces that she wears.

Strangely enough, the actress playing Betty is quite pretty in "real life". IMO, her character still looks pretty despite her pre-pubescent hairstyle and lack of fashion sense.

Would anyone care to watch and comment?

#2 Post by **Ravishing** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 1:01 pm

We have our Tivo set to record it tomorrow night. I'm holding judgement until I see the show.

#3 Post by **SDFD TSchott** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 1:16 pm

I'm going to have to agree with Ravishing and wait until I see it as you know the saying, "Don't Judge a Book by Its cover"

SDFD TSchott
Code 4

#4 Post by **jcdamon3** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 2:07 pm

I saw Selma Hayek and America Ferrera on Oprah the other day. I will too wait to see it but when I saw the Oprah show I set a timer on the Tivo

I think it will be a good show.

They do EVERYTHING to make her look bad. The glasses, the hair, the makeup the teeth, the clothes. She is even really clumsy

Interesting America said about Selma that she is the opposite of Ugly Betty. She is too pretty to be thought of a smart and successful.

#5 Post by **Teigyr** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 2:55 pm

I just saw the commercials for it the other night. Coincidently enough, we then watched "There's Something About Mary" which showed Ben Stiller's character when he was all young and dorky complete with braces.

I think there are stereotypes going on but then again maybe it's because braces are associated with the awkward adolescent stage and it's just one of the components but not the whole package. I hate to be too reactionary because it seems no matter who you "tease", there will be a group taking offense and sometimes it is far better to prove them otherwise than to get upset.

I have curly hair and you wouldn't believe the not-so-subliminal joking that goes on there! There are makeover shows and movies that show a girl transforming from icky to beautiful and the hair always becomes straight. There are curly hair activists (really, there are!) who are highly offended. I figure you have to be ok with who you are and just let it go.

Just me though! I didn't realize the TV show came from a novella and perhaps there are translation or societal differences but I do take offense to the word "ugly".

#6 Post by **Joual** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 5:07 pm

I figure they did what they could to make her look like a "dork" or "awkward".

I agree with Teigyr about curly hair. Like in the Princess Diaries when they straightened her hair as part of her makeover.

I wear glasses, but I usually have my contacts in so that I can feel less "dorky". I know that Ugly Betty has glasses, too.

The show look entertaining and it seems similar to The Devil Wears Prada, which was a good movie.

#7 Post by **newsysuzy** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 5:49 pm

I am thrilled to see the main character in a t-v show, an adult no less, in braces. And I feel a certain "sisterhood" with Ugly Betty. Maybe it's because I work in the media (which is very competitive and often catty) but I never feel attractive in braces... no matter what lipstick, or hairstyle, or clothes I wear. I know that sounds shallow; I know I'm more than a mouth full of metal and I'm happy that I'm doing something big like this for myself...but it is not easy for me.

I look forward to watching "Ugly Betty"... I hope it's a good show, with a good heart...and even though I've only seen the promos, I like Betty and I'll be cheering for her all the way!

#8 Post by **Kat** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 8:02 pm

Ya know, when I told my dad I was geting braces (he's from the old school) he said "Men don't look at the faces of girls who were braces" or something like that...brother!!!

He thinks it's a waste of good money for these things.

#9 Post by **xtrememkovr** » Thu Sep 28, 2006 12:54 am

Well, "Ugly Betty" is also fat. or "chubby", too - so I guess I could be all offended that society is viewing fat as unattractive and "nerdy" too. Yet here I am, getting my teeth fixed and losing weight so I can be *gasp* more attractive. (!!!)

I really think that this will be a good show. I think the heart of the show is that society's view of "ugly" causes people to overlook the things in each of us that makes us beautiful. Ugly Betty is then a title done with tongue in cheek. They lumped up everything our society views as "ugly" (clumsy, braces, overweight, nerdy, glasses, fashion clueless, etc) and dared us to see beyond those superficialities to find the "beauty".

I love the actress that will be portraying Betty. She did a SUPER job in the movie "Real Women Have Curves" - or something like that - that tackled many of these same societal views of beauty issues. Thanks for the reminder... will have to watch it!

X.

#10 Post by **rmwolf83** » Thu Sep 28, 2006 7:45 am

I'm excited to see the show tonight! I too have my tivo set to record it. I'm just wondering if the name Betty is supposed to have more of a meaning than most of us are seeing. I may be looking into it too much, but, I don't know how many of you have seen it, but back in the mid-90's the movie Clueless starring Alicia Silverstone and Brittany Murphey was very popular amongst my friends and I ( we were in 6th grade!). One of the many "catch phrases" that came from that movie was "she's a total betty". Meaning, she's attractive or beautiful or pretty, etc. Also, the hip sufer 20-something clothing store Hollister Co. refers to their women's clothing line as "Betty's", which I can only assume means the same. Like I said, maybe I'm reading too far into is, but it seems to me like the show's title may just be a little play on words. Like, the main character is "ugly" but she's really a "betty" on the inside...and maybe eventually on the outside too! I've never seen the Hispanic version, so maybe I'm way off base. But if anyone wants to comment on my theory, I'd love to hear some opinions!!!

~Rachel~

#11 Post by **bbsadmin** » Thu Sep 28, 2006 8:53 am

Hmmm.....she doesn't look chubby to me in the trailer or the photos. But I suppose we'll just have to see the show. Perhaps she's supposed to be fat because she isn't a size zero.

In the film The Devil Wears Prada, the main character was told that her "size 6 ass" was too large. And by the end of the film, I think she had somehow magically reduced herself to a size 2. Which is an AWFUL example for young girls. I mean, size 6 is SMALL and perfectly acceptable given the character's height.

I saw that film with my daughters and afterward discussed how wrong it was for the girl to "slim down" to a size 2. And I applaud that fashion show in Spain which recently banned models who were too skinny from walking the runway.

Anyway, I suppose I have digressed....back to the original topic....

#12 Post by **jcdamon3** » Thu Sep 28, 2006 9:06 am

She is not your hollywood size two - She is probably like most of us - average size and then the camera puts on 10 lbs.

#13 Post by **xtrememkovr** » Thu Sep 28, 2006 9:23 am

The actress herself is "curvy" - maybe that's where I got the "chubby" from. I definitely aspire to be as "chubby" as she is - but I think that they picked America for her size to complete the "ugly" stereotype, IMO.

X.

edited to add: I think the insight into the word "betty" is a very good one.

good observations...

#14 Post by **Lillers** » Thu Sep 28, 2006 9:50 am

Caught a short trailer last night while watching telly, and got a kick out of their little catch phrase, *Ugly is the new beautiful.*

Will definitely catch the show tonight.

BTW, bbsadmin â€“ haven't seen The Devil Wears Prada, but that reference to the BIG size 6 ass just gets my back up. Good on you for setting your daughters straight about the warped message that kind of sizist BS sends.

#15 Post by **iBorg** » Thu Sep 28, 2006 10:06 am

There's a preview at:
http://abc.go.com/primetime/uglybetty/index.html

From what I saw it's a hoot. I hope before its over, it will show some positive Hispanic role models.

It will be interesting to see how the braces play out through the season.

Mike