New fall TV shows reflect where pantyhose are in society

Robin Maryland, president, ActSensuous

 Never before have I paid as much attention to a fall TV series lineup, anticipating how much pantyhose would factor in the new shows. 

 Not surprisingly, it’s a mixed bag — win some, lose some.  Just as in real life, some characters who should be wearing pantyhose (career professionals) are, and some aren’t.  Then, there’s a pleasant surprise or two, such as Whitney Cummings, a young, hip, strong female character, who in scenes such as a wedding, wears, and in real-life venues, often wears during promotional appearances and talk shows.  Good for her. 

 Of course, two of the new shows were obvious suspects for displaying a lot of pantyhose — “The Playboy Club,” starring Amber Heard as a rookie Bunny in the 1960s-set mob drama at the famous Chicago Playboy Club, and “Pan Am,” featuring Christina Ricci, also in a 1960s-era drama about the world famous airline and its even more famous flight attendants, then-known as stewardesses.  

Amber Heard starred as a new Playboy Bunny in the 1960s-set drama already cancelled by NBC.

A “hare”-raising experience 

Sadly, “The Playboy Club” already has been cancelled, a victim of poor ratings, according to The Hollywood Reporter.   Well, that, and the whole hissy fit thing that the Parents Television Council (PTC) threw, calling for advertisers to boycott the show “for objectifying and degrading women.” 

Amazing the influence haters can have.  I suspect these PTC folks are the same as those pantyhose haters out there.  Too bad because many television industry types and viewers have come out in defense of the show, stating that it was in no way demeaning to women. 

 Some people must have nothing better to do than complain about nothing, and perhaps, it’s even sadder that the likes of Campbell’s Soup, Kraft, Lenovo, P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, Sprint, Subway and UPS Store all caved to the pressure and pulled their ads from the show’s second episode.  Then, PTC ramped up the pressure on Capital One, Chrysler and Samsung to follow suit.  Apparently, at least, Chrysler planned to continue adverstising on the show.  

 To their credit, the show’s executives pointed to some impressive ladies who were real-life Playboy Bunnies before they became famous in their own rights, including Lauren Hutton, a great actress and the world’s most famous supermodel (the first to earn $1 million a year).  Hutton was a Bunny from 1963 to 1964 at the New York Playboy Club.  Ever heard of Deborah Harry, lead singer of Blondie?  She was a Bunny from 1968 to 1973 at the New York Playboy Club.  And there was Dr. Polly Matzinger, a world renowned immunologist, who was a Bunny in 1969 at the Denver Playboy Club. 

 I guess if the whole concept of Playboy Bunnies is so demeaning to women, we should also feel sorry for all the famous women who are on record as having at least dressed up as Playboy Bunnies.  That list includes Cher, Farrah Fawcett, Sally Field, Goldie Hawn, Barbara Walters, Renee Zellweger, and Reece Witherspoon, to name a few. 

 And maybe we should offer therapy to some famous men who married Playboy Bunnies.  They include singer/songwriter Bob Dylan, Hall of Fame tennis player Jimmy Connors, and legendary talk show host Larry King.   And, let’s not forget some famous individuals whose mothers were Playboy Bunnies.  Better include some therapy for singer Jon Bon Jovi, actors Dean Cain and Corey Feldman. 

Models pose during a fashion show to mark the launch of the new Playboy Club London earlier this year in London, England. The show featured Bunny costumes dating back the the 1960s and the event featured an auction of one suit to raise money for Breast Cancer Awareness in October.

 The costume designer, Isis Mussenden, for “The Playboy Club” TV show was meticulous in recreating the famous Bunny costume, matching the original specs for material, colors and the way they were designed to fit.  And, like the real-life Bunnies, Mussenden had her actresses wear two pairs of pantyhose under their costumes, a nude pair over the top of a black pair.  Obviously, it looked great, but I wish she had explained who originally came up with that idea and why it worked. 

 So, strike one show where we would have gotten lots and lots of pantyhose in each episode.  But, while “The Playboy Club” hops off the air, another hose-friendly show takes flight. 

Christina Ricci, second from left, stars in another 1960s-era drama, 'Pan Am,' about the famous former airline, its pilots and, mostly, its stewardesses.

High-flying drama 

Right out of the gate, “Pan Am,” starring Christina Ricci, captures the 1960s-era romanticism of jet travel and the international intrigue that goes along with it.  Of course, in the show, the stewardesses are wearing stockings, historically accurate for the time period, as pantyhose wouldn’t take off for a couple more years. 

During interviews with “Pan Am” costume designer Ane Crabtree, the attention to detail in accurately recreating the famous stewardess uniforms is a popular subject.  Here is an excerpt from one online interview:

Question: In the pilot, Miss Havemayer (Veanne Cox) warns Colette (Karine Vanasse) against wearing stockings that are too dark. Why is that?

Crabtree: Stockings were to be worn at all times. From one of those old manuals, I read this great quote, “A subdued, light color beautifies and gives a natural good look to the legs.” So they didn’t want too dark, which is what Miss Havemeyer says in the pilot, and they didn’t want too light. They just wanted a subtle, beautiful color on the legs. A dark color wasn’t desired because it’s too fashion-y or too flashy, too tawdry. It’s always sort of rounding back to the not being ladylike effect.

Q: How many pairs of stockings do you go through on the show?

Crabtree: We wear real stockings that don’t have stretch. You know stretch would be so much easier, however, stretch will show up as shinier on camera and that wouldn’t be true to the period. They need to be sheer, but because they’re so sheer and so delicate, they rip. We go through two pairs of stockings per girl, per day. It gets very expensive because they’re delicate. We’re going up and down stairs a million times, doing all sorts of crazy things. So, you need doubles because they’ll shred when you are getting (in and out of your shoes).

  I love the look of the beautiful uniforms, and I just pretend that those stockings are really pantyhose.

Singer and film star Zooey Deschanel makes her TV series debut on 'New Girl,' about a woman who moves in with three single guys after a breakup with her boyfriend.

Four’s company?

I haven’t seen “The New Girl,” but I know its star, Zooey Deschanel, is a devoted pantyhose wearer, so I have high hopes for this comedy about a woman who moves in with three single guys after a breakup with her boyfriend.

 Actually, that doesn’t sound like my kind of show at all, but I like Deschanel because of her devotion to wearing pantyhose, although being from the United Kingdom, she calls them tights.  Here’s a quote from her website, HelloGiggles.com:

I am a year-round tights girl. I will wear tights even if it’s 100 degrees outside. Tights are my safety blanket. In them, I know that I can do a sweet row of cartwheels anytime, anywhere without anyone catching a glimpse of my knickers.

 Well, OK, whatever.  I just love reading the actual words of a celebrity who’s a true pantyhose lover.  Thought you would, too.

 Not surprisingly, there are some new shows this fall that fall short because their characters should be wearing pantyhose, but aren’t.

Kat Dennings, left, and Beth Behrs star in '2 Broke Girls,' a comedy about two waitresses looking to turn their lives around.

Two bear-legged girls

Actually getting some positive reviews, “2 Broke Girls” is a comedy about two young women who are down on their luck, waitressing at a diner.  They strike up an unexpected friendship and try to raise enough cash to launch a cupcake business. 

I’d never heard of the two actresses, Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs, and after looking for photos for this blog post, and not finding a single one of either of them wearing pantyhose, I won’t be watching this show.  I don’t get how anyone would make a show about waitresses working at a diner, and not have them wearing pantyhose.  That just seems unrealistic to me, and it completely turns me off about the show. 

Charlie’s Grizzlies 

 I caught part of the first episode of the new “Charlie’s Angels.”  Of course, I wasn’t expecting to see the angels wearing pantyhose, but I held out some hope since Drew Barrymore is a producer of the show, and she has the class and good sense to wear pantyhose in her films.  Since every photo I’ve seen promoting the show has the angels bear-legged, I’m not impressed, and won’t be watching “Charlie’s Angels.” 

Bringing it home

 Of all the new fall shows, I think “Homeland” is going to be the most successful.  This thrilller tells the story of CIA agent Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) who believes, based on intelligence she’s just gathered, that recently freed P.O.W. Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis) was turned by his middle eastern captives and was set free to carry out a terrorist attack on the U.S.  

“Homeland” also stars Morena Baccarin as Brody’s wife.  That’s right, Morena Baccarin, the gorgeous former head alien, Anna, of the recently canceled “V” (The Visitors), who wore beautiful dresses, high heels and sheer nude pantyhose during every single episode.  During the the first episode of “Homeland,” Baccarin and Danes had scenes where they wore pantyhose, and I’m hoping that will continue to be the case all season long. 

Returning hits 

Veteran TV actresses Jeri Ryan, third from left, and Dana Delany, next to Ryan, always look awesome in high heels and sheer nude pantyhose on 'Body of Proof.'

 Thankfully, we have a couple of reliable favorite shows back for a new season — “The Good Wife,” starring Julianna Margulies, who, along with Christine Baranski and Archie Panjabi always can be seen wearing pantyhose; and “Body of Proof,” featuring Dana Delany and Jeri Ryan, seemingly competing for who has the nicer legs in pantyhose and heels. 

Of course, there are many new and returning shows I’ve left out of this post for space reasons.  Which shows are you watching, or already disappointed in?

Entertainment industry can make or break pantyhose

Robin Maryland, President, ActSensuous

Is what’s considered fashionable a case of art imitating life, or life imitating art?  Everyone knows that fashion was influenced more by the golden era of Hollywood than anything else, and I am sure it’s every bit the case today.    

Life Imitating Art

By now you know that Sarah Jessica Parker is “credited” with creating the “bare legs movement” with her “Sex and the City” TV show and movies.  When everyday women saw the show’s high-profile characters strutting around New York City – fashion capital of the world – all dressed up minus the pantyhose, they completely lost their minds, adopted the idea, and from the mid-1990s to present, pantyhose practically disappeared as a fashion staple.   

Art Imitating Life

As the bare legs culture grew in popularity among non-celebrities, naturally, more and more actresses and entertainers jumped on the bandwagon, too.  It was almost as if celebs felt obligated to sport the new fashion look since they are expected to be the trendsetters in such things, and it had become clear that anti-pantyhose fever already was firmly established among the general population.

 Coming full circle

While pantyhose were disappearing in society, even in the workplace, the entertainment industry’s role in it was evolving from instigator in creating the bare legs culture, to one of jumping onto the bandwagon, to now becoming the one place where pantyhose most likely are seen and appreciated today.

 There’s one thing you can depend on about fashion – no fad lasts very long.  What’s “in” eventually becomes what’s “not in,” and you can be sure that as soon as what’s not in takes off and everyone gets enough mileage out of it, ultimately, it will become what’s in again.  

Geena Davis

Today, entertainers appear to be split on the wearing of pantyhose.  Thankfully, some truly professional stars, such as Geena Davis, Julianna Margulies, Linda Fiorentino, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Fran Drescher, Holly Hunter, Goldie Hawn, Shelley Long, Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman to name a few, never bought into the bare legs thing and, as long as the role or the scene they played didn’t preclude it, they always wore pantyhose.  And there are some bright new stars today who are contributing to bringing pantyhose back into popularity, among them the likes of Lady Gaga and Katy Perry, and for the most part, Katie Holmes, Kate Moss, Megan Fox, Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Alba, Milla Jovovich and Olivia Munn.

 Pantyhose on display

Already this year, stars wearing pantyhose has been a frequent scene in many TV programs, movies and entertainment venues. 

Paula Abdul jokes with host Craig Ferguson during an appearance on The Late Late Show Jan. 12, 2011.

I have to give props to Paula Abdul, who always wears pantyhose as host of her new show, “Live to Dance,” and always wears when she makes appearances on the late night talk shows.  To me, that shows that she is professional and classy.  Good for you, Paula.

 So, it seems that the best we can hope for these days is this pantyhose love-hate relationship in the entertainment industry.  Last week, I saw Gwyneth Paltrow on Jimmy Fallon.  She wore a short dress and very sheer nude pantyhose.  Sadly though, lovely little Sandra Oh appeared on Jimmy Kimmel, wearing a slacks outfit. 

Those who have seen Sandra only on “Grey’s Anatomy,” might be surprised to learn that she has gorgeous legs (and feet), and she’s shown them off in pantyhose in several movies.   Sadly, she mostly does the bare legs thing during red carpet or publicity events.  I just don’t get that.  She doesn’t seem like the follow-what-everyone-else-is-doing type to me.   She is one celeb I really wish would glam it up a lot more because she can do it so well, and it would show a totally different side of her.  Oh well.  I still love her. 

Maggie Q stars on TV's 'Nikita.'

Also last week, I couldn’t wait to see Maggie Q on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno just to see if I would win the bet I made with myself that she would wear a short dress and high heels but no pantyhose. 

Sometimes, I just hate being right.  Then again, with someone like Maggie Q and her perfect Asian skin, whether she’s wearing in this picture or not can be difficult to tell. 

She really looked good on Leno.  Here’s a small pic I found of Maggie on the Internet.  Is she wearing?  Could be.  I doubt it, but I want to believe that she is.

 This weekend, I re-watched the movie, “Get Smart,” with Steve Carell, who did a great job as Maxwell Smart.  

When the movie first came out a few years ago, and when I saw it again on Saturday, I was so disappointed in Anne Hathaway for not wearing pantyhose in her role as Agent 99.  (She “Missed it by THAT much!”)

UPDATE (See the Reader Comments on this post.   Looks like I was wrong about Anne Hathaway.  One reader provides compelling evidence that, at least in one scene, Agent 99 indeed was wearing.  “Sorry about that, Chief!”)

 And speaking of spy shows, another celeb I am disappointed in is Piper Perabo, who stars in TV’s “Covert Affairs.”  She’s really lovely, but she did the bare legs thing on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson last week.  Sorry, I just think that shows a lack of class, and I had a different image of her than that. 

 I have written before about my disappointment in the way she often doesn’t wear pantyhose with her otherwise professional attire on “Covert Affairs,”  despite that advertising spots almost always show her in pantyhose. 

Again, I don’t know who’s at fault – Perabo or the show’s costume designer – for Perabo’s character not wearing pantyhose on ”Covert Affairs.”   I wonder how much say Perabo has about the matter, and which way she’d lean if she did have a say. 

It’s interesting, as one reader commented, that advertisers don’t miss the opportunity to show off Perabo in pantyhose during promotions for the show.

 Check out this site: http://www.emrahyucel.com/tr/entry/category/all/company/5/customer/0/page/8

and scroll down to the bottom of the page.   You’re looking for page 16.

<< ÖNCEKİ 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | … 94 | SONRAKİ >>

On page 16, the “Covert Affairs” set is about halfway down the page.  These are some beautiful publicity photos, and hopefully, a sign of the outfits to come on this show. 

And it’s not just on TV and in movies that pantyhose are finding their legs again.  One of this blog’s devoted followers, Peter A., pointed out earlier this month that everywhere he looked, he saw the professional models and visitors wearing pantyhose during the Jan. 18 Detroit Auto Show.  I love that.  Thanks for the photo, Pete.