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of wall-to-wall interviews, she was absolutely exhausted, and she had to wonder how much worse it was going to get once filming actually began.
    “So?” Marin clocked the somber note in Bea’s mood. “How are you feeling? Any regrets?”
    Bea shook her head. “No, not really. I guess … so much of the last six weeks was focused on getting ready for this publicity blitz, and now that it’s over, it’s like, wow. I haven’t even really given much thought to the actual thing I’m about to do, you know?”
    “Yeah, but the actual thing is the exciting part! God, Bea, you could be meeting your husband tomorrow night. Isn’t that crazy??”
    “Yes, Marin.” Bea shook her head. “It is crazy. And it absolutely isn’t going to happen.”
    Marin gave Bea a knowing smile. “You say that now, but I just bet when you meet these men, you’re going to see how silly you’re being. You’re going to remember how badly you want to fall in love.”
    “Doubtful.” Bea rolled her eyes. “I know you don’t approve, but trust me—Lauren and I have this all worked out. We have a plan. I’m ready.”
    Marin burst out laughing. “Sorry, but you’re going to date twenty-five men on television. How could anyone possibly be ready for what’s about to happen to you?”

EPISODE 1
“SHOWTIME”
(25 men left)
Shot and aired live on location in Malibu, California
TRANSCRIPT OF
BOOB TUBE
PODCAST EPISODE #049
    Cat:
Hey, this is Cat!
Ruby:
And this is Ruby.
Cat:
And this is
Boob Tube,
the podcast where we take a weekly look at how women are represented on television.
Ruby:
This week, we are so excited to talk with our guest Ane Crabtree, who does the incredible costumes on
The Handmaid’s Tale.
We’re going to talk with Ane about the female form and how it’s depicted in a society that’s both ultra-conservative and, in its own way, hypersexualized.
Cat:
It’s a great conversation, so stay tuned, but first: I have a confession to make.
Ruby:
It’s a juicy one.
Cat:
You wonderful listeners know my tastes can run a little highbrow and a little lowbrow.
Ruby:
You do love anything that veers toward British royal fanfic.
Cat:
It’s my British kryptonite! Bryptonite?
Ruby:
No.
Cat:
Okay. But you may not know that I am a longtime fan and avid viewer of the reality dating show
Main Squeeze.
Ruby:
I believe you’ve actually taken part in several betting pools surrounding this show.
Cat:
If by “taken part” you mean “won,” then yes, I absolutely have.
Ruby:
And yet we’ve never discussed any of this on our podcast!
Cat:
Well, I’m sure it will shock all of you listening to hear this, but the
Main Squeeze
franchise is not typically a bastion of interesting representation of women on television.
Ruby:
Gasp!
Cat:
I know. But tonight is the premiere of a new season, and this year,
Main Squeeze
is tackling some of the most thought-provoking questions about body image I think we’ve ever seen on TV. And maybe doing so in a completely unethical way? Because this year, for the first time, a plus-size woman is going to be the star of
Main Squeeze.
Ruby:
Whoa. Daring.
Cat:
Right, as if the idea that a woman who isn’t a stick figure deserves a shot at love is somehow controversial. So this woman is named Bea Schumacher, and she’s one of the more popular plus-size style bloggers out there. Even though Bea looks how a lot of American women look, for a viewing audience, it’s really unusual to see someone who looks like her at all, and it’s almost nonexistent to see someone who looks like her portrayed as a romantic lead instead of a sidekick or best friend or mom.
Ruby:
Right, and that’s where the so-called controversy comes in—if Bea were just the main girl’s best friend on this show coming in to give advice or whatever, no one would care at all.
Cat:
Well, people would still be terrible to her on the Internet, because a lot of people find the existence of a fat woman something to get worked up about.
Ruby:
Sure, in the