UGLY BETTY

Not only is UGLY BETTY one of the most well-written and acted shows on TV, it is also socially relevant. Now that's saying a lot for an entertainment mediam that most people feel is mostly just fluff. Why, you may ask, do I believe this show has a positive impact on society? Well, let's take a look at the message it sends. First of all, it's a show about an "ugly" girl who not only doesn't feel or act as if she's ugly, neither do the people around her. At least they don't once they get to know her and how smart and kind she is, in fact the show even has a blog written by Betty that gives out advice. That's a powerful message in a world that seems so enamored with the prettiest and thinnest actresses out there. The images girls like Paris Hilton and Lindsey Lohan protray are ones that tell young girls, and us older ones, I might add, that in order to be loved or taken seriously, you must basically be a walking Qtip. But the show goes even further than that.

Betty Suarez is a first-generation Latin American, which means ABC had the courage to showcase a main character who isn't lilly white. Not only that, UGLY BETTY also showcases an African American woman in a prominant role of second in command at the ficticious high-fashion magazine that Betty works out. Than you have the transgendered CEO of the magazine conglomerate. The best part of all this is the fact that this diversity is given little mention, which means the focus is on the emotional connections they all make and the work interaction they experience. In a time so filled with racial disharmony, that's a breath of fresh air. But no matter how politically correct a show may be, it must also entertain.

UGLY BETTY does that in spades. With storylines like the one where the editor and his sister play paint ball to see who will get control of the top position in the company, to how Betty copes with the fact that her beloved, Henry, has gotten his ex pregnant and must leave town as soon as the baby is born. UGLY BETTY is funny, touching and inspirational, and I highly recommend it as an addition to your Thursday night entertainment.