Each time I channel surf, I'm always amazed at how maleness is shown. So I was a bit skeptical when I saw the commercials for CBC's The Week the Women Went.

Before watching this season's first episode, I was really curious about how the men were going to be constructed. When asked about the men’s portrayal in the show, Cal Shumiatcher claims that he doesn't believe he is perpetuating a double standard about men’s abilities. In fact, he would create a show about the men leaving town, but none of the women he spoke to believe that would change anything. Wait a second... Are the men of Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia really expendable?

Maybe they are as the men are stereotyped. Joker Rob Barrett enjoys spending all his free time discussing football or whittling ducks in the basement. He gleefully confides to the camera that he often ignores his wife to play downstairs. Big Shot Rob Parris is the top dog. His authority needs to be respected, even to the point of alienating his daughter. Robert Mattatall is just a big kid, shirking responsibilities. He promises the viewer that he will not move the coffee cup that his partner left before leaving for her week-long vacation.

I’m not sure what Cal means that the show doesn’t perpetuate gender stereotyping. We are shown a severe shortage of maids and wait staff at the inn and restaurant. The men of the town are shown stumbling in a vain attempt of competence. I mean, the whole premise of the reality format is to construct interesting scenes for the viewer. And sadly, we are attracted to seeing those guys fail.

CBC’s promos aren’t exactly trying to fix this negative image either. Using language like 'man-made' lunches or the inn’s 'man-crews', we know that the male townsfolk aren’t supposed to be taken seriously. Hilarious scenarios are promised to follow as these inedible man-made meals are served to a group of female tourists. Actually, a large amount of time is devoted to shaming the men as they try to perform 'feminine' tasks. And they're even chagrined in the process as they can't perform properly.

From what I take from the show, masculine potential can only be reached through the absence of women. Without the women around, they are free to be themselves, growing and learning from their experiences. Through staged intervention, such as the all-women Red Hat tourists storming the town and reminding the men of their inadequacy in 'feminine' tasks. The men can't do it, but the results are supposed to be hilarious for the viewer.

Am I happy about the way the men are portrayed in the show? No. And I'm not alone. The men exist as spectacle for the audience. The Week the Women Went is described as a social experiment. To me, it is kind of sad that there is still a demand for this sort of gender stereotyping. Masculine traits such as sole provider, loner, and just plain goofy are idealized traits whereas instances of masculinity as supporter and nurturer are temporal. They are fleeting moments that the camera captures before the crews runs to the next potentially shaming scene. If change was a true goal of the show, we would be shown more images of the men's successes and growth. But change won't occur through gender segregation.

How do you feel about The Week the Women Went? Does it work in breaking down 'masculine' and 'feminine' tasks/responsibilities? How do you think you would do in a similar situation?

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Robert is a student, scholar, and photographer trying to undermine accepted norms.