As current college students, I’m sure that many of us dream about what our future careers might entail. Unfortunately, being a woman decreases our chances of fully excelling in our choice of work, due to the advantages that men have historically been given in the workplace. Our society still has so much to work on regarding complete equality for women, with sexual assault in the workplace still being very prevalent especially within business-based careers. Apple TV’s, “The Morning Show,” starring Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, use these two powerful actresses to give viewers an inside look on the horrible misogyny that occurs in many workplaces, and how we as women can use our strengths to overcome it.
In the series, Jennifer Aniston plays Alex Levy, a famous morning show news anchor who has been the face of New York City and the rest of the country for 20+ years. Her co-host, Mitch Kessler, played by Steve Carell, was everyone’s favorite guy until he was abruptly fired due to allegations of sexual misconduct in the workplace. This is where Reese Witherspoon’s fiery character, Bradley Jackson, comes in and takes his spot, changing the whole dynamic of the news corporation into a feministic-based environment.
The show’s 10 episodes grimly reveal the hidden secrets embedded into large corporations, especially focusing on the power of silence that male superiors have over eager and optimistic female interns. Furthermore, they portray the building hatred that the women at the corporation hold for one another because of their experiences with sexual assault in the workplace. Initially, Alex Levy resents Bradley Jackson because of Alex’s fears that a feminist movement at The Morning Show will give her position to a younger, more feminist-driven woman. In turn, many of the young interns admire Bradley’s intense spirit and loathe Alex for not using her power to protect them because of her long-term friendship with Mitch Kessler.
Despite all of this tension, as I neared the end of the show’s season and several of its female characters’ stories unfolded, I came to the realization that Mitch Kessler’s exploitation was the first necessary step in bringing these women together. Although they all want to turn their heads from each other and simply get their jobs done, the real and raw discrimination that they are all experiencing ultimately binds them together to break the corrupt system.
We all have our differences as women. What some women believe is misogynistic, some do not, which is completely acceptable. However, “The Morning Show” has taught me that if we are involved in any sort of corrupt, male-dominated situation at work or school, it’s our job to step up and gain the respect that we deserve. This show is one of the first large steps in the entertainment world that breaks the boundaries of discussing the harsh topics of sexual assault and misconduct, and I believe that they did a clean job of bringing these difficult effects to light in an appropriate, yet very raw way.
You can stream the entire first season of “The Morning Show” on Apple TV today!