I just watched an episode of the TV show, Chicago Code. I wasn’t finding it all that interesting and should have just turned it off, but I got the impression that the lead character was a single woman, and she was in a high-powered position. So I thought I’d keep watching to see how she was portrayed. Jennifer Beals plays Teresa Colvin, who is the Superintendent of Police in tough, gritty Chicago. Not bad.
In the episode, she chooses among three candidates to become her new driver – the previous one had been killed on the job. She tells the two who are not selected that they have a bright future but that the other person is better qualified.
At the end of the episode, the new driver tells her that he knows why she really chose him – the other two candidates had wedding bands. She does not disagree.
Nice touch. Not married? Then it is OK if you get killed. That is obviously insulting – lethally so – to the single candidate. But I think that in a way, it is even insulting to the married applicants. If they really were as qualified as the single person, shouldn’t it be their choice whether to submit to the dangers inherent in the job?
