Having Iceland on the map - Maps on TV

This has to be the geekiest post I will ever write on here but here it goes.

I am randomly fascinated by many things and if there is one thing I like it is maps. I have a beautiful Atlas and if I need to unwind after exams I pull it out and immerse myself in maps. I grew up with maps all around me in school and it has always fascinated me.
Maps are integral part of education here and every single person is expected to know their way around a map of Northern and Western Europe and being able to point out countries. I cannot say how many times I learned the following: "Italy looks like a high heeled boot, Germany borders Denmark, Russa is the biggest European country, Spain sticks out of France and Portugal is sandwiched into Spain, Britain and Ireland are islands, Greece is close to Italy, Turkey links the East and the West , Norway is thin while Swedish is fat, Iceland is a massive island...". I could point out the European countries in my sleep.

But early on I noticed that on many of the world map I looked at school Iceland was missing. Iceland has a small population but the island itself is massive (the size of Kentucky, bigger than Denmark...) and it serves a bridge between the American continent and Europe, so seeing it missing is strange. I noticed this very early on and it fascinated me and ever since I have developed the habit of checking every single world map I look at to see if Iceland is there. And it's honestly amazing how often it is missing from maps. There is just a giant gap between Greenland and Norway where there should be a massive island. I find it so strange that the country so regularly goes missing.

Another map habit I developed in school was getting used to one specific kind of map where Iceland and Greenland are in the top middle with Europe and then Africa below, Asia on the left side and both American continents on the right side. So when in high school when my teacher pulled out a world map where America was in the centre I was completely confused and it took me some time to adjust. I was so used to the other style that this threw me completely off game.

And these habits has of course followed me into the realm of TV and I am not kidding when I say that every single time a map appears on the screen I automatically check for Iceland, it never ever fails. Castle, Parks and Rec and Criminal Minds have never ever featured world maps but Parks and Rec has mentioned Iceland several times so I am certain they locate it on a map :)

My darling NCIS franchise has however proved to be a goldmine in this regard. NCIS regularly has up a world map and I am happy to say that Iceland is always on the map. But sometimes they do show a map of the world which has random X's all over the world, including in Iceland and I have never understood why.
And once when I was doing my regular map checking I was thrown for a loop when I noticed they had a USA central world map in episode 8x16. I was confused when I saw it and it took me by surprise. So my advice for TV producers that want to confuse their audience is throwing in subtle visual clues like this.
And in episode 11x02, there was on Ziva's list very clearly written "Visit Iceland and America" and it was shown very clearly several times yet it was never said out loud! I am still trying to figure out why they randomly threw in Iceland. If it was a shout out to the Nordic NCIS fans I am very happy with it but my guess is that they were randomly throwing ideas around for an exotic place Ziva would want to visit and felt Iceland would be obscure and strange enough.

And I cannot go without picking NCIS:LA apart. I am happy to report that not once have they had a map that hasn't featured Iceland. And believe when I say, I check every single time a map is shown on the show but so far they have not failed. So there's one thing they do right. But on the other hand they have made one major faux pas when it comes to Iceland. In episode 3x21 they were showing the potential outbreak of a dangerous virus. It'd would have effectively wiped out much of Europe and it did look very creepy to see the color red spreading all over Europe and the characters looked very serious and sombre when looking at it. But I, the ever nerdy Nordic, noticed that while Europe got red, Iceland remained nicely green. In other words, they completely forgot to include it which makes no sense since it serves as a bridge between Europe and America. So a scene that was meant to be very serious has me snickering every single time I see it. I will never be able to look at that scene without laughing.

So my advice is - make sure you cover Iceland and feature it on maps. Because believe me, some of it look for it every single time.

NCIS:LA - The grand Europe edition

I have frequently written about NCIS:LA's seeming obsession with European bad guys, particularly Russian, French and German with a good dash of Eastern-European thrown in like Serbia, Romania, Ukraine, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Chechnya and other countries. I have also covered how their less than smooth approach to German and Russian history and the cultural and historical factors at play in Europe. Watching NCIS:LA is sometimes equal part fascinating and horrifying in this regard.
As I have thought this through, many things have crossed my mind so I've decided to do a one massive post dedicated to NCIS:LA and their strange fascination with Central and Eastern Europe.

What about the North and South?
The thing is this: Northern and Southern Europe have been been left out of the picture pretty much entirely. They have made passing mentions about Iceland, Sweden and Norway but Finland and Denmark have never been mentioned. And the times they've mention Nordic countries it has been in good jest - Something called the Swedish handoff (what it is is beyond me), Sam's determination to visit Iceland and Deeks's Norwegian ancestry.
I do not remember a single mention of Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Malta or any of the other Mediterranean countries in the series, except perhaps naming their main cities in passing.
My guess as to why these areas are left out is at that none of these countries have ever engaged in negative communication with America so it'd be really difficult to come up with and justify a believable plot involving these countries and the question of national security.

What makes Central Europe so interesting?
NCIS:LA has this weird obsession with French and German bad guys, Janvier and the evil guy from the season 2, two-parter being the most notable one's. And I have yet to figure out a plausible reason for why they are so obsessed with these two countries. I get having a French and German villain every once in a while but NCIS:LA includes it so often it has stopped being a coincidence, rather it seems they like the idea of Central European bad guys. France and Germany both have terrible and bad things in their past in regards to oppressing other people, colonizing, Nazi, WWI and WWII , the cold war and many other things. But their activities have generally been concentrated on Europe and Africa, not America. So I find it rather strange that the French/German villains would always be aiming for America in the show when it is far more likely they'd be concentrating their efforts within Europe or Africa. I wouldn't mind if NCIS:LA would one day explain the motivation of their French and German evil guys.

What is up with the obsession of Eastern-Europe?
NCIS:LA has a mad love for Eastern-European villains. Practically every single episode involves a least one Eastern-European villain and there is almost always a Russian involved. One can always count one NCIS:LA delivering more than enough Eastern-Europeans plotting evil deeds and attempting to do one scandal or the other. Yet, their motivation is never explained and only once have they featured a normal Eastern-European and shown the team working with someone from Eastern-Europe that is on their side, even then said character was Chechen and a former soldier. NCIS:LA seems to me to be so sold on the idea of the evil Russian/Eastern-European person that it leaves little room for actual character development for such characters, explaining their motivation or even attempting to feature them as more than evil villains set on threatening national security.

It seems to me that for a show like NCIS:LA which is often bursting at the seams with creativity, always going for the same kind of villain gets boring and dull and diminishes what the show is capable of, not to mention employing outdated and unfair stereotypes of people which serve no purpose.

New and fresh ideas involving Europe!
In order to take the focus from Eastern-Europe I propose two ideas that involve different European countries than NCIS:LA has used before and I have never come across plots like that in other shows. Can you say Jackpot?

Why not future Scandinavian enemies? Or better yet, have a band on European villains that all come from tiny European countries, that have the common goal to prove to America that little countries can hold power as well. I am thinking along the lines of having Malta, Iceland, Faroese Islands, Luxemburg, Lichtenstein, San Marino and all other small European countries unite to create a bigger European power

Current issues NCIS:LA could deal with concerning Europe - that is if they want to go down the road of political commentary
-Spain and Britain are fighting over to whom the country Gibraltar belongs, it is a part of Spain geographically but belongs to Britain as a colony and the issue is causing friction at the moment.
-The situation of Roma people in Europe - the biggest disgrace here at the moment and a very complex and sensitive matter but one that needs to be discussed
-Economic crisis - take your pick, most countries are suffering terribly
-The Golden Dawn party in Greece and the effects of the economic crisis there and the rise of Neo-Nazism there.

The biggest issue at the moment is the fact that NSA likely spied on many European leaders and on the public in countries like Spain and Germany. To say people are mad here would be the understatement of the century. Try something more along the lines of absolutely furious. This issue is highly complex and does not help relation between European countries or America. NCIS:LA is notorious for how easily it spies on people so I am honestly very interested in seeing how they would deal with this issue. NCIS:LA regularly takes on issues that concern spying and the battle against terrorism with varying degrees of success but I would like to see their take on this. I do hope they will cover it.

My best posts concerning the issue for those too lazy to scroll through the blog

NCIS:LA - look on foreign policy
Implications of the focus on Russia in NCIS:LA
Implicating history - sensitivity is needed
European stereotypes on TV
The continent syndrome - European edition

And with this long and enjoyable post I hope I've covered all bases. If not I will strike back with a vengeance. 

Measuring everything with Hiroshima-Nagasaki

Today's topic is on the heavy side but it has been weighing on my mind lately and I felt I needed to share my thoughts on it.

Everyone is aware of the tragic events of Hiroshima-Nagasaki at the end of WWII in August 1945. When America hit the cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki with nuclear weapons that devastated the area permanently and killed over 300.000 people. It is one of the most tragic events of the 20th century and is the only known instant of nuclear weapons having been used in warfare in the world. It is an extremely complicated, controversial and difficult event to explain and come to terms with and it's my feeling that it can never be explained properly. But that does not mean we shouldn't try.

Earlier this year, my local library held an exhibition about the events which featured stories of the events, real items from it like singed shirts, shoes and books, pictures and an explanation of the effects this has had upon the area, the Japanese nation and how it is being dealt with today. It was a very well received exhibition and it affected everyone that went there. I know that for me personally, it was devastating to see it. Devastating but necessary. I know many teachers brought high-school students to the exhibition and it affected them a lot, many parents took their children as well to teach them about this difficult history and raise awareness of the issue.

And how does this relate to the TV world?

It seems to me that every single time my favorite TV shows deal with nuclear weapons and distribution of them (or just bombs in general) they always reference Hiroshima-Nagasaki. But not to acknowledge these events or attempt to deal with them. No, it is used as a measuring device. I cannot count how many times I've hear something along the lines of: "The nuclear device is so big it can kill up to 3 million people, that is ten times as much as Hiroshima-Nagasaki". And then all the characters nod seriously. Am I the only one that feels that people are trying to upstage the death toll of Hiroshima-Nagasaki when they do this? It's like: "Yeah sure, those bombs killed 300.000 people but our fictional bombs, they are much deadlier. Take that Hiroshima-Nagasaki!"

NCIS has had this, Castle and NCIS:LA. And for the life of me I cannot understand why. Hiroshima-Nagasaki is what it is - a devastating and terrorizing event with immense political controversy attached to it. It should never be used as a measuring stick for fictional death toll on television. 

It crossed my mind that when measuring death toll I have never heard certain things. I have never heard people comparing death tolls to the lives lost in the Holocaust, the tsunami in 2005, the earthquake in Haiti, The Armenian genocide, the Boznian and Serbian civil war in the early 90's, the civil war in America in the 1860's, the number of people killed by Stalin and so many other events. And it is obvious why, to use those events as a measuring stick for fictional death toll would be highly disrespectful and ignorant. 

So why then is it fair-game to use Hiroshima-Nagasaki as a measuring stick? Devastating events when masses of people die, be it due to war or natural causes should never be used flippantly on TV and never ever as measuring sticks. They should and can be dealt with deftly and with respect. But never ever for the sake of pure entertainment.

I have sometimes written about here my worries on how TV shows approach reality and how it can shift our perception of it. TV represents heightened and freaky reality and should always be taken at a surface level. But when TV reality starts treating the real reality flippantly and without caution and respect, we are on a dangerous path. It seems to me that the TV world is partly on that path already but it can be changed and it should. Otherwise, we are in dangers of starting to approach historical events as if they do not matter, as if history and it's effect isn't real. And that is something we cannot allow to happen. 

(And in case people need a measuring stick instead of Hiroshima-Nagasaki. Iceland has a population of roughly 320.000 people, similar to the death toll of Hiroshima-Nagasaki. So just reference the Icelandic population instead. Much easier, inoffensive and will make a lot of Icelanders happy)

Taking things apart - The dangers of cultural approbation, perceived white privilege and the Aryan myth

I have thought this topic through many times, over and over again and decided to write about it here. It is not TV related strictly but it's related to culture and racism. The opinions expressed here belong solely to me and are 100% my own.

I am a Nordic and one of the things I love about it is my the culture that comes with it, especially the Nordic Mythology. The mythology is an integral part of the societal fabric here, it permeates every part of my society and culture and it is very important to us, historically and culturally. It is heritage that we are proud of and work hard to cherish and teach children about as a part of our national identity and culture.
That is why, simply put, a movie like Thor annoys me to the ends of earth.

I mean, isn't a good idea to take a god from Nordic mythology, which has been written about preserved and is a very important cultural icon, and do a little Hollywood magic and Americanizing him in order to serve him to the public? I mean why go for the original sources, when Marvel has provided an "excellent" source of historically inaccurate and demeaning information and misrepresenting and entire Northern-European culture? The answer should be pretty clear!

That's why, Scandinavia raised its collective eyebrow while we stood by and watched Hollywood eagerly taking Thor apart and putting it together - making sure it was as sickly American stereotypical as possible. I mean of course, a Nordic God will return to America, right, speak English, wear metallic clothes and be an American? Assuming that somehow overnight a Nordic god that has 'existed' (been written about) for thousands of years and comes from a very influential mythology will somehow become American overnight of course.

So, yeah - I was pretty annoyed by the movie and I have yet to meet a Nordic person that took it seriously. It felt like an approbation and diminishing view of our culture. Nordic Mythology provides many beautiful and extraordinary things to work with in a creative manner. It is absolute dream material to work with if it is done right. Going for the Marvel version therefore just seemed awfully naive to me. To somehow make the entire mythology a Hollywood glamour package, entirely ignoring the cultural factors beneath it and the fact that this mythology is extremely important to Northern-Europeans is just so bad.

But what scared me most about this was one thing. I found news online that a conservative white supremacist group was boycotting the movie and making a fuss as a British black actor was playing Heimdallr. Heimdallr is described as having been 'the whitest of white' among the gods and in the middle-ages it would have meant he was white. Nordics are by origin ethnically white. As simple as that, much as any god in an Ethiopia for example would have had black skin. But that is not the point.
The point is at that the white supremacist group was working under an extremely dangerous assumption which originated with Hitler. That somehow white people were above other races, Nordic people were seen to be a prime example of the perfect Aryan. It is ironic and terrible at that was what saved the Nordic countries from suffering too much loss. This highly dangerous assumption that we were somehow above others because of our heritage and skin. That our culture was better and more prestigious. This is a legend that still haunts us to day, it makes people queasy just thinking about it. This thinking is what caused the terrorist attack in Utoya in 2011.
Nordic people are no better or worse than anyone else and our skin color should never make us privy to others or above them. To assume otherwise is extremely dangerous.

What I want to say is this: Nordic mythology does not belong to Hollywood or Marvel. That much is certain. But more importantly, Nordic mythology does not belong to white supremacist group that want to claim is as their own, claim as cut above other cultures and inaccessible to people based on their skin color and race. Because it is not theirs. Nordic mythology and culture is open to the interpretation and love of anyone, anywhere in the world  irrespective of race or origin- as long as the person approaches it with respect and care, just like one should approach any culture. Nordic mythology originated in the Nordic countries and is our heritage, culture and history. But anyone can fall in love with it and anyone should.
Just not the Hollywood/Marvel version and not the dangerous perceived idea that wrecked Europe.

Love of English and Literature and providing an EFL view on English - NCIS style

I have said it so many times but it is worth repeating: One of the things I like the most about the NCIS franchise is it's commitment to language jokes and making use of the intricacies and beauty of English and foreign languages and literature. As an English major and language enthusiast it makes me so happy. It is one of the things that keeps me watching.

I have been re-watching NCIS season 8 as of late and is has been a lot of fun. Season 8 is my favorite season of NCIS and I love all the episodes. But recently I watched an episode that was an absolute gem. It was on fire linguistically and I grinned like an idiot while watching it.

It began with the following conversation (source from IMDB)

Special Agent Timothy McGee: Time to hit the showers.

Ziva David: Is your shower not working?

Special Agent Timothy McGee: Why? Do I smell?

Ziva David: I cannot smell you from there.

Special Agent Timothy McGee: And you're part bloodhound.

I was howling with laughter at that point. I know what the idiom 'hit the showers' means for but what Ziva got out of it was hilarious and it made perfect sense. You hit something when it's broken and in this case it was the shower. And then McGee completely misunderstood her back. It was such a lovely and funny scene and I loved the way they played around with language and what words can mean.

And then there is one scene which is now officially my most favorite scene of NCIS ever. Ziva finds a desk that once belonged to William Faulkner and she completely freaks out and fangirls. She starts talking about his writing and references his book 'As I lay dying' when the main character says the sentence 'My mother is a fish'. And then she says the best line of all: "It was worth learning English just to be able to read those words" (paraphrased).

As someone that loves English dearly and English literature I cannot express how true that sentence feels to me. Learning English has given me a great advantage in many areas but the best gift it has given me is the ability to understand, appreciate and access amazing, incredible literature. English has been worth all the hassle and more, to be able to experience and fall in love with novels like Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, Kate Chopin's short stories, William Blake's poems and so many other books, novels, plays and poetry that have transformed my life. Truly transformed it and given me something incredible.

I was nodding along with Ziva the entire time.

I have sometimes discussed how much I enjoy the language play they have with Ziva and how much it has taught me. The aspect I have enjoyed the most is the fact that they emphasize that Ziva is approaching English as an outsider. She is fluent in the language but because of her roots and the fact the she is a native speaker of another language, her view of English will always be different. She will always be an outsider to the language and approach it from a different perspective. I am so happy with how NCIS has dealt with this and how they have used it as a vehicle of humor and English teaching. As an EFL learner I an say this is not an aspect you see explored on TV so often so I love it. Now Ziva has quit and I admit I'll miss the extra English lessons and humour she brought that made the series so good.

But NCIS has never seized to amaze me and I have no other reason but to expect them to continue delivering language jokes and keeping language enthusiasts like me on our toes, and keeping me laughing and learning more. 

'Welcome to Sweden' comedy coming up - 'TV matters and me' approved!

I just found this out and I am so excited I am grinning from ear to ear.

NBC acquires comedy 'Welcome to Sweden'

I mean it is a combination of some of my favorite things: Nordic countries and culture, good humour, cross-cultural communication and international cooperation. The series will be shot in New York, Los Angeles and Sweden and will be based on Greg Poehler's real life experience of falling in love with a Swedish woman and moving to Sweden. The cast and crew will be both American and Swedish.

I am honestly very excited about this - it'll be so interesting to see how they will work out the dynamics of the show and how the cross-cultural communication and adjusting will go. And it'll be interesting to see how Sweden and Swedish culture will be represented - the language, the health care, the literature, the beautiful countryside and everything else. And of course, they're gonna have to poke in some other Nordic references as well. I am also looking forward to seeing how they will deal with the main character's cultural adjustment to Swedish society. I have a feeling it'll be a blast.

But most of all, I am more than excited to see how the cooperation between the American and Swedish producers, actors, cast and crew will go. I think it'll create a very interesting and creative dynamic. I am all in for international cooperation and I got a feeling this production will be in good hands. TV is a very creative medium and so much is happening in the TV world right now, on both sides of the Atlantic. Nordic TV industry is booming at the moment. It seems that TV shows can get very narcissistic and focused on their own cultural area. So this will provide some great creative opportunity and bring together two very different but equally invigorating TV worlds.

I am well aware off that this can go wrong. Believe me, I have enough distrust as it is towards anything Hollywood attempts to recreate that is European in origin. In fact I distrust anything that includes remotely European elements when it is in the hands of Hollywood. Yes, I am the cynical European but honestly, generally those things go down the drain. The vast amount of historical and cultural inaccuracies, cultural approbation and what not that have the potential of being made.

However I believe this will be different. It will be based on cooperation between two countries and will be based on real-life experience. So I am feeling quite optimistic about it. One can never get enough of good humour and all and anything Nordic.

So I am looking forward to seeing how this will develop! So consider it 'TV matters and me' approved by a highly egotistical and overly proud Nordic.

PS. - I'll be waiting eagerly for the day they introduce Eurovision and Abba - two of Sweden's favorite things.

What women would make it to Leslie's list of awesome women? International style

One of the chief components I adore about Parks and Rec is the emphasis it has on feminism and women's issues. Watching it is like getting your daily dose of necessary feminism. I gladly admit that watching the show has inspired me. Ever since they mentioned Leslie has a list of awesome woman, it has crossed my mind sometimes what women could be on that list. I have thought it through sometimes and some names have come into my mind. So here is the 'TV matters and me' version of some women that would be on her list.

1)Vigdis Finnbogadottir - The name is not familiar to most people but she was the first democratically elected president in the world, elected in Iceland in 1980 and was president for 16 years. She is recognized as having been a major force in changing things for women in politics and she champions women's rights all over the world.

2)Malala Youzafsai - The amazing Pakistani girl that has be become a spokesperson for education women and children alike in Pakistan and in developing countries. She has been through a lot but has emerged as one of the most dynamic and inspirational women of today.

3)Marie Curie - The amazing French/Polish scientist that pioneered research on radioactivity and was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize.

4)Emily Bronte - She wrote of of the most astounding and controversial books of all time. She grew up in isolation and lived her life in isolation but yet managed to produce such an astounding and amazing work. She was a literary force to be reckoned with.

5)Jane Eyre - Jane Eyre can be seen as being a very feminist and daring character that defied traditional notion of women but followed her own heart and created her own way in the world. She was a feminist in every sense of the word. I personally love that book to pieces.

6)Elizabeth I - The most bad ass queen ever to have reigned over England. She managed an entire kingdom with aplomb, was dedicated to education and was her own master. A true 16th century feminist that lived through some astounding things.

7)Benazir Bhutto - an amazing politician

8)Kate Chopin - The 19th century American author whose books and stories shocked everyone when they were first published. Her publications can now be seen as being real feminist work. She rocked the world around her and changed perceptions. She broke down barriers as an author.

There are so many amazing women out their in the world that are doing and have done such amazing things. I gladly admit I had fun figuring out this list and it made me proud to see how many women have done such incredible things. I am also so happy that Parks and Rec is honoring that. Obviously, they cannot mention certain names out of political and privacy reasons (as well as because of context) but the fact that the show is so dedicated to women is just so good.

So a million thumbs up for Parks and Rec - a daily dose of feminism that I love!

This post is 'Tv matters and me' approved!

Placing barriers on fictional women - what it reveals about the position of women in today's society

Lately I have noticed a rather alarming trend in comments online, as a reaction to what has been happening lately on Castle and NCIS:LA with Kensi and Beckett in regards to their behaviour towards their respective partners, Deeks and Castle.

To backtrack - it was hinted at in last episode of NCIS:LA that Kensi went on a group hang-out with 3 guys and also with Nell and Rose. An unofficial, fun, group date. It was also clearly hinted she did not enjoy herself; in frank they couldn't have been more obvious with her reference to fairy tales and claiming that destruction follows people in groups of three's. And a very, very obvious shot of Deeks' empty chair (not exactly being subtle are we?).
And it seemed people went haywire. I saw comments upon comments on how Kensi could possibly dare to go on dates when Deeks was sick, he had just kissed her and she wasn't responding to him, why hadn't she been to his house, she wasn't trying hard enough, she was hurting Deeks et cetera.

Then there is Beckett. Beckett got an amazing job offer last season to become a federal agent, went to an interview in Washington without telling Castle and seriously contemplated taking the job. Meanwhile, Castle behaved in quite a bratty way in my opinion and it seemed this was threatening their relationship even if it seemed perfectly obvious Beckett wanted their relationship to work. She loves Castle. But she also had a duty to her heart. If Beckett had not taken the job because of her relationship with Castle it wouldn't have been who she is as a character. Castle saw reason and asked her to marry him, saying they would make this work. I was happy to see she took the job. It is Beckett.
And yet again the internet went haywire. I saw comments claiming that Beckett shouldn't take the job because it'd threaten her relationship with Castle - she should be with her man, how could she go behind him like that and threaten what they had, she was not thinking of him et cetera.

I was completely surprised by this reaction. I mean, it is a fictional characters we're talking about here. But what surprised me even more was the hostile reaction to their actions.

Last time I checked, one of the main features of Kensi and Beckett as characters are that they are strong women who are independent. They make their own lives and take responsibility for their own actions and follow their hearts. I genuinely enjoy that in them as characters. These are quite clearly not women that wait around for their man or let their own happiness become secondary to what their man wants and needs.
And isn't that okay?

Instead it seems, that because of their actions towards their partners, i.e. Beckett followed her own heart and Kensi went out - they are somehow terrible as women. They are not behaving like a proper woman should, putting her partner ahead of herself and letting his needs dictate their lives.
Did I somehow miss the memo that we're in the 1950's here?

As incredulous as I was at this reaction it got me thinking - If these are the parameters we place on fictional women, what does it say about the parameters we place on woman in the real world? I am of the belief that people can reveal a lot about themselves unconsciously through their opinions without meaning to. And it seems, that despite the fact that in the Western World women are meant to be progressing, it is a facade.

If people spend their time berating fictional women (emphasis on fictional!) for not following their men or putting their needs ahead of their own, what do they say about women in the real world that behave in the same way and follow their hearts?

Perhaps, we're still in the 1950's after all....