Saying goodbye to Betty is ugly

Last night, one of my favorite television shows of all time,   "Ugly Betty," aired its final episode.  For the last four years we've watched Betty Suarez go from the frumpy, nerdy assistant to the cute, nerdy junior editor at Mode magazine.  Betty Suarez, played brilliantly by America Ferrera, is an unlikely leading lady.  She is from a working class Latino family; she's short and, according to the fashion world, plus sized, not to mention she wore glasses and braces. 

But audiences embraced Betty because she was smart and driven and she didn't change herself just to fit into to the cut throat fashion world.  Betty didn't have connections or money when she embarked on her career.  She became a success by hard work and  on her own merits.  She evolved during the course of the show and finally got those braces off, but she stayed true to herself.

"Ugly Betty" was such a breath of fresh air when it premiered in 2006.  It was the perfect mix of drama and dark comedy.  It was also one of the few shows that featured a Latino family.  The cast also featured a colorful supporting cast of characters that included former Miss America Vanessa Williams as the supervillian Wilhemina Slater and TV veteran Judith Light as her nemesis Claire Meade.  The show featured an interesting mix of guest stars over the years such as Karate Kid Ralph Macchio as the love interest of Betty's sister Hilda, Mo'Nique as a sassy security guard, and Lindsay Lohan as a mean girl who tortured Betty in high school. 

Even though it was set in the world of fashion, the show managed to tackle complex issues involving family and relationships.  Unfortunately we won't get to see how the story involving Betty's teenage nephew Justin and his sexuality will play out. 

Bravo to the show for tackling the issue and showing what a teenager may go through when deciding to come out.  

Without "Ugly Betty," there will be a huge void in the television landscape because young girls will have very few realisitic and positive images on television.  Even though Betty is a fictional character, television characters have a huge impact on our culture.    I only hope Betty's cultural impact and message of self-acceptance has the same staying power as Rachel Green and Carrie Bradshaw.

Contact Cicely Tutson at tutson@marshall.edu.