“Dear God, I was a beautiful thing!”
Or, exploring my internalized misogyny and ageism through Schitt’s Creek
WARNING! There are spoilers for Schitt’s Creek Seasons 1–5 below!
I’ve finally done it! “It” being that I started watching Schitt’s Creek at long last! And of course by “started” I mean that I’m already up to the beginning of Season 5. It really is as good as everyone said! I heard I might not really get into it until the end of Season 1 or 2, but man was I hooked right off the bat.
Yes, all of the characters on Schitt’s Creek are incredibly flawed, but there’s still so much to love about them and about the show as a whole. Perhaps the most flawed of all are the four members of the Rose family, the show’s central characters: Johnny, Moira, David, and Alexis. When I was about halfway through Season 3, I started to reflect on which characters I liked the best, and which ones made me say “Ew” when they came on the screen. I mean, I think it goes without saying that Roland is the worst character. If you don’t feel that way…we need to have a talk. But specifically, I was reflecting on my feelings toward each of the Roses. It didn’t take me long to realize that, while I sometimes find them to be annoying, I mostly find Johnny, David, and Alexis to be rather endearing. On the other hand, up to that point, Moira mostly just annoyed me.
See, I was having these thoughts right after watching Season 3 Episode 7: “General Store.” In this episode, David announces his intentions of purchasing the General Store, and Moira uses her powers as a councilwoman to try and put a stop to it. She later explains that she’s just afraid of David failing, but I still really disliked what she had done and the way she went about doing it. Then, almost as soon as I had decided that Moira was my least favorite Rose, I forced myself to look inwards. Is she really that much worse of a person than, say, David? Is she any more vain than Alexis? Does Johnny not also say horribly tone deaf and condescending things to locals? What is it about Moira that I just don’t like?
And then it clicked. Unlike Johnny and David, Moira is a woman. And unlike Alexis, Moira is an older woman. From a young age, we are trained to see the world through a misogynist and ageist lens. Men are more valuable than women in our society. It’s simple. What are women good for? Looking pretty and having babies. The character Alexis Rose is young, beautiful, and full of energy, while her mother’s character is largely shaped around the fact that she’s something of a has-been actress. Now, don’t get me wrong — I think Catherine O’Hara is very beautiful, and I think she gives an INCREDIBLE performance on Schitt’s Creek. However, her character is deliberately styled to not appear attractive (in the conventional sense, at least). We’re supposed to chuckle at her caked-on dark eye makeup, absurd wigs, and over-the-top outfits.
And honestly, I’m glad the hair, makeup, and wardrobe team went that route. By removing conventional attractiveness from the character Moira Rose, we are forced to view her simply as a human, not as a woman, or rather an object of femininity. We are forced to confront the disdain for older women (and/or unattractive women) we’ve been trained to have. Ever since I had this realization, I’ve been trying to “go easier” on Moira as I continue to watch the show. Wouldn’t you know it — I like her much better now! Of course, it helps that all the characters are growing in such wonderful ways, but I think my conscious choice to fight the internalized misogyny I have has helped as well. I’ve also developed a newfound appreciation for Season 2 Episode 9: “Moira’s Nudes.” Though Moira first claims to be seeking out nude photos of herself on the internet in order to destroy them to protect her image, she later reveals she actually wants the world to see them. She wants to be remembered as a beautiful, sexy woman, and she wants to see herself that way again as well. Moira knows she doesn’t have that kind of privilege in the world anymore; that’s all Alexis now. Her desperate desire to relive that glory makes me feel incredibly guilty. Yes, Moira is merely a fictional character, but her experience here is very real. Even the most beautiful older women are often looked down upon, derided, and/or discarded by society. Though that episode was mainly comedic, it showed us a side of Moira — and really a side of most older women, I would think — that the media tends to pull away from.
Just like all four of the Roses make bad choices and say annoying things, so do all people. Let’s try not to go easier on those who are male, young, conventionally attractive, etc. Set a high bar for everyone, but also look for the good in everyone.
Originally published on February 16, 2021
