#likability

#likability

Ah, the trap of feminine likability. We're conditioned to believe there are only two options for how women are perceived, particularly in the workplace: we can either be liked or be respected. I'm always inclined to call bullshit on this kind of dichotomy. First of all, who says there are only two options? Who says what the options are, and who put those people in charge of determining the options we supposedly must choose between? Why do we have to choose at all?

In the awards game, likability is paramount; voters vote for the shows and people they like best, which is why publicity departments work overtime to get their stars out in front of cameras during awards season, selling the best product they have: themselves. Apple TV+ has campaigned for The Studio as aggressively as any other show this year, which is how it ended up with 23 Emmy nominations, setting a record for a first-year comedy.