Female Characters and the Blatant Chauvinsim of Jack Bauer
Excitement, explosions, danger and a timer for quick pacing make '24' an incredible show to watch. Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer is smart, good looking and sensitive. The perfect James Bond of television. And like his film doppelganger, Jack is a chauvinist through and through. The writers and producers for '24" create male characters of depth and purpose, while filling the screen with helpmates, cutie pies and seductresses. Well written and cleverly paced, the show easily allows the audience to become lost in its twists and turns. Being a good show is not the debate. The problem arrives when taking a deeper look at the use of female characters.
In the first season, Jack's wife and daughter are kidnapped and tied up. Waiting desperately and seductively to be rescued. Mrs. Jack uses her womanly wiles to protect her daughter and buy her man more time. While the sweet blond teenager is bound, trashing around and whimpering for Daddy to find and rescue the pair. Some attempts to be tough and get away put a good show of almost being independent women but a little smacking around and the women resort to crying and screeching.
An intriguing and sad storyline of possible president involvement in hiding domestic terrorist activity pulls focus towards the Mrs. President, a beautiful, neglected alcoholic. Too delicate of mind to help herself, Jack and a lustful secret service agent use the loving but gin soaked wife to turn the tables on the evil, thoughtless hubby. Here a beautiful, elegant woman with tiny smidgens of self-esteem and a quick tongue needs the assistance of the big strong men to get her life together. According to this characterization, a neglectful thoughtless husband turned her into this sad person and a big, hunky good man can turn her life around.
We can't of course, ignore the archetype help mate in Chloe. Always the soft comforting voice n the phone, Chloe is Jack's true better half. Calm, circumspect and diligent Jack's assistant is also brilliant and willing to forgo her life and will to serve at all times. Whatever women come and go in his life, Jack always has Chloe to fall back on. This sidekick stays safely within the feminine role of helper and guide. As his brain of operations, a counter calm to Jack's talking IN ALL CAPS, Chloe remains centered in location and characterization. Through out each season of turmoil Jack and the audience can count on her to be there offering a warm milk voice and a sarcastic tone of warning for little boy Jack to follow the rules. Yet, as any truly good helpmate she is always willing to back him up in misbehavior.
Seemingly in the world of spies and action, women are relegated to types. The helpmate, the vixen, the martyr and the victim. When and if female characters stray and utilize added depth they are killed off or jailed for their wickedness. Each one adding to the deep aching sensitivity of Jack Bauer.