The First Female Commander in Chief

In modern times, television has become a force that penetrates most Americans lives. The emergence of new mediums to watch television such as Netflix or Hulu has only served to increase this penetration. The televisions programs that are viewed regularly, often times  reinforce “hegemonic constructions of women as domestic, soft spoken, and dependent on men for survival.” Some shows that do this are shows such as MTV’s Teen Mom, Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Dance Moms, and many others. These shows commit an injustice by reinforcing commonly held stereotypes of women. In my analysis, I used a feminist analysis to look at a show that aired in 2005 titled “Commander in Chief.” Specifically, “Commander in Chief” episode 5 titled “Do No Harm.” In a feminist analysis, it is common to focus on the roles and rules being proposed as normal and abnormal or appropriate and inappropriate for men and women. In this TV series, President Allen (first female President) is faced with her first terrorist encounter. A man is captured with a vehicle full of bombs that were intended for use in terrorist activity directly impacting the United States. President Allen is faced with the decision to allow for torture of the terrorist to retrieve information or to abide by the constitution.  President Allen decides that torture will not be used. This decision incites feelings within her cabinet that the president does not have the strength to do what is necessary. This feeling is conveyed primarily by the episode’s central antagonist Speaker of the House Nathan Templeton. In this episode, the Speaker of the House reinforces a commonly held stereotype that women are incapable of making “hard decisions” and that it takes a man to do this. This can be seen in the episode when Templeton states that if he were in the role he could make the “necessary judgment call” However, this episode serves as an oppositional reading because the president challenges these stereotypes throughout the show. Ultimately, President Allen challenges notions that women are easily susceptible to pressure from others by being stern and unyielding in her support for not straying from the constitution in regard to the central conflict. President Allen serves as a role model to young women by showing that they can break through the “glass ceiling” and achieve positions of power without bending to the will of those around them. This show can be viewed on Hulu and I encourage everyone to watch the series in its entirety.