Power Struggles and the Strong Woman
Katherine Hui
RAYMOND WATERS
CWL320
30 November 2011
POWER STRUGGLES AND THE STRONG WOMAN “Morning Glory”, directed by Roger Mitchell, is a romantic comedy and a reification of morning television. It is heavily coated in a formula base plot – the female protagonist is faced with obstacles in which she must overcome to prove her worth to those who have doubted her wrong; while simultaneously balancing her love interest. One of the most prominent archetypes in comedy is the strong woman archetype. The strong woman plays an outstanding role portraying power struggles, especially in the workplace. Becky Fuller, 28, is a high-energy and wide-eyed assistant producer. She quickly becomes a likable character in which the audience cannot help but root for. Through her struggles with pursuing her dreams of becoming an executive producer at the Today Show, Becky finds herself hired to revitalize a morning show in turmoil. Throughout the movie she experiences struggles with herself, her network, and the male alazon - Mike Pomeroy, a former news anchor acclaimed for his experience in covering “real” news. There is a parallel growth between all the characters in the movie as well as the morning show itself. The movie begins with a date, visually framing Becky’s obvious social ineptness and her overt dedication to work. Because of her job in early morning news, the audience sees her on a “3p.m. dinner” date with a marketing executive, whose job adds into the irony of the duo. Becky is chained to her phone and unable to talk about anything other than her work. She stumbles over her words and acts as if she were still a pubescent teenager on her first date. The marketing executive immediately realizes her awkwardness and incapacity to remove herself from her job and quickly asks for the check. Here the audience sympathizes for Becky, seeing her struggle in trying to fulfill one of life’s basic needs: companionship. The date is followed by a montage of her daily routine in
RAYMOND WATERS
CWL320
30 November 2011
POWER STRUGGLES AND THE STRONG WOMAN “Morning Glory”, directed by Roger Mitchell, is a romantic comedy and a reification of morning television. It is heavily coated in a formula base plot – the female protagonist is faced with obstacles in which she must overcome to prove her worth to those who have doubted her wrong; while simultaneously balancing her love interest. One of the most prominent archetypes in comedy is the strong woman archetype. The strong woman plays an outstanding role portraying power struggles, especially in the workplace. Becky Fuller, 28, is a high-energy and wide-eyed assistant producer. She quickly becomes a likable character in which the audience cannot help but root for. Through her struggles with pursuing her dreams of becoming an executive producer at the Today Show, Becky finds herself hired to revitalize a morning show in turmoil. Throughout the movie she experiences struggles with herself, her network, and the male alazon - Mike Pomeroy, a former news anchor acclaimed for his experience in covering “real” news. There is a parallel growth between all the characters in the movie as well as the morning show itself. The movie begins with a date, visually framing Becky’s obvious social ineptness and her overt dedication to work. Because of her job in early morning news, the audience sees her on a “3p.m. dinner” date with a marketing executive, whose job adds into the irony of the duo. Becky is chained to her phone and unable to talk about anything other than her work. She stumbles over her words and acts as if she were still a pubescent teenager on her first date. The marketing executive immediately realizes her awkwardness and incapacity to remove herself from her job and quickly asks for the check. Here the audience sympathizes for Becky, seeing her struggle in trying to fulfill one of life’s basic needs: companionship. The date is followed by a montage of her daily routine in