I know it's a very US American thing to have ridiculous standards in film and entertainment for women, but I'm seeing critiques of Mary's looks come up over and over again in threads despite its complete irrelevance. Yes, it's entertainment and in the US that means that a woman must be ridiculously and artificially attractive or else be invisible, and yes, some people find her attractive and some people don't. Whatever. Her looks are ultimately not relevant to the outcome of the show. In real life, much less attractive women than McCormack have relationships, and men who find them hot, and men/women who also find them completely unattractive - so her attractiveness wouldn't even be relevant on the level of "she's not good looking enough to attract x character."

This is partly a feminist thing - I tend to think of myself and other women as human, and I think dehumanizing comments and behaviors suck; I'd be equally annoyed/offended if someone went on about Fred Weller's looks as an assessment of his ability as an actor or picked on Paul Ben-Victor for being bald.

From where I'm standing, McCormack can act, and her characterization of Mary Shannon is nuanced and convincing. I couldn't give a gosh-darn whether she's "pretty" enough to play a lead role. Sheesh. The criticisms are almost as silly as the stuff about Billie Piper (Rose on Doctor Who) being fat just because no one could see skeleteon sticking through her skin.

Great post !!! and I totally agree with your points. Way back before the show even started...someone
posted about her looks...some negative stuff...and how they should bring back another show...that he
wasn't looking forward to IPS evidently. As Toby Keith says...how do you like ME now ??????
I hate to see this one end..I am sure it is the sleeper show of the summer. Mary is terrific..
and how she balances her life...I don't know...IPS...her Bway show..and her two kids...etc.
She IS attractive....and I love it that she is not one of these skinny ones that you see on a lot
of shows. She did a great job on the late night talk shows too.
If you get a chance...check her out on You Tube....esp the scenes from her Broadway show.

For me, it's her character's abrasive attitude that makes her unattractive.

Her idea of a relationship is unrealistic and lame.

It's not believable when female characters act like their bad asses. I don't even like it when the male characters act like bad asses. It's really not necessary for a good show.

Why is it not believable for characters who are in one of the highest-risk aspects of law enforcement to act like bad asses?

total recall.....how would YOU like them to act ?????

It's not believable when all these shows have women beating up men 3 times their size. McCormack isn't a small girl, but it's still pretty lame. I don't even watch SVU re-runs anymore, because EVERY episode has police brutality in it. A "cop" show can be done without having the cops act like they are above the law. Sure, it happens in real life, but we don't need anymore propaganda for it.



I like Marshall. He's pretty cool, but he does his job.

I'm thinking that it comes down to a "traditional" view of women versus what women are finally turning into. I love that Mary's character is so challenging to how some viewers think women should be that it makes them uncomfortable/dislike her. That means it's forcing some people to think.

No, it's not. It's just writers/producers rehashing the same kind of shows over and over. They have one male and one female lead character as partners with conflicting viewpoints. Someone got the dumb idea that having the woman be overly aggressive would make her sexy. It's not sexy, it's unrealistic. I like realism, and too often movies and TV shows do not have it.

I suppose that's why it's called fiction, and it's not what you find sexy. You are not an arbiter of taste anymore than I am, so it's impossible to call whether it's realistic or not on that level.

Otherwise, I'm ignoring you. Your misogyny has been showing, and it's rather embarrassing.

Actually, the original trailers for the series made her looks important when the announcer pointed out that she's not typical, doesn't worry about how she looks, etc. Even some of the plot points revolve around her looks (remember when she had to get dressed up & had to have help - Marshall's response to her cleavage; also when she tackled a guy and he told her she wasn't "exactly petite").

How her character looks and presents herself is central to her character development and how the other characters relate to her as well as how she, as a woman who doesn't value looks/make-up/material things, relates to others.

My only question regarding the "looks" issue is who made the decision to have the actress inject her top lip with Restalyn or whatever? The injection points are still visible, and the unnaturally puffed lip distracts from her work, which pulls viewers outside the story. Certainly, the Mary character would not be one to spend her money on something as frivolous as a lip job.

I still love the series. It's like a female Rockford with a partner.

To me, it's your feminist viewpoint that is showing. The fact that you think I hate women proves it when all I want is realism. I suspect lack of morals is your main problem. BTW, fiction can be realistic and still be fiction.

I missed the preview that mentioned her looks. Thanks for a really interesting answer! This was not something I knew! So yes, with that argument, her looks DO matter - and what protests there are is likely a desired effect.

I haven't been so distracted by her lips as people keep mentioning they are - I have an allergic disease that causes my lips to swell up that way "naturally" and I guess I'm just impressed she's able to enunciate with that so I sort of forgive/overlook the unneeded cosmetic surgery. Just my own quirk. If they're interested in character AND actress longevity, the producers might want to talk to McCormack about why bee poison is still poison and not in her best interests ... but I'll leave that to them.

Mary is certainly attractive, and yes, I think, beautiful in a believable way, and more importantly, accessible and real. Her character's flaws and conflicted nature is what makes her so interesting and compelling. I can think of any number of blond actresses who might have played the part, but few of them, if any, could have brought to the table what she does.

surfcity....AMEN .....such nitpicking by some...about her lips, etc. The show is the thing to watch....if one is concerned
about her lips..looks....then..one is missing the show.
Mary is great in the role..and I look forward to the rest of the season...and to season two !

Geez, are her lips really that prominent? I’ve watched every episode and they have never invaded my consciousness. Every week when I read the Board, I promise myself that I’m going to make it a point to check them out next time. However, by the time the shows rolls around, I’ve forgotten all about it.

A round-about-way of saying that I’ve never noticed her lips. Therefore, I’m guessing that they are not that disfiguring, and I know they’ve never interfered with my enjoyment of show. But, next week I’ll try again to remember to pay attention to her lips—just to see what the discussion is all about.

I'm glad you spoke up. The comments about every last aspect of Mary McCormack's appearance are bizarre to me. One person will find something attractive that another person finds unattractive anyway.