They came on the air promising real stories of real women. Now they're just embarrassing.
Real stories about real women? Oh, boy, I hope not.
When "women's networks" started popping up, there was hope that finally there would be TV shows telling the real stories of real women.
Then this happened. Women's History Month, 2015.
It had an uplifting theme.
So exciting. Great stories to be told.
Right?
Well, um, things worked out a little differently than we expected.
[SARCASM ALERT] We should all express our gratitude to these networks...
...for uplifting shows that taught us what womanhood is all about.
Of course, womanhood isn't really about any one thing. There are all sorts of women in all sorts of situations. It's just that TV producers seem to be kind of single-minded in showing women in trumped-up stress nightmares that could make anyone crack. Maybe we should actually feel sorry for these women more than anything else.
...for celebrating the strength of women as communicators.
Women are great communicators. But no one's at their best all the time, especially when they've been set up. A show without extreme conflict is dramatically kind of dull, so producers do their best to make sure that never happens, and away we go.
...for showing women at their inspiring best.
It's almost as if these so-called "women's networks" are out to make women seem as unhinged as possible. Unnatural situations, check. Unnatural obstacles, check. Just turn on the cameras and watch the fireworks.
...and as they really are.
OK, first:
This is not how women really are. Maybe it's about how some women can be when they've been pushed to the point where normal rules of human behavior no longer seem to apply.
Second, and worse:
This fight and others like it are serious, with people getting hurt. It's no joke. If two guys on a reality show got into it like this, they'd be escorted from the set. But there's a double standard here that sees woman-on-woman violence as entertaining. Huh? This is not the type of thing you'd expect of a network for women.
Seriously.
It would be awesome if women's real stories could be on TV all the time. Great tales of amazing women from history. Accounts of women doing remarkable things today. It would provide inspiration and lead to a richer understanding of women for everyone.
Oh, well. Nice idea.
It's not like there's just one kind of women's story that can be told, either. There's room for all kinds of stuff. But it's just not OK when trumped-up sensationalism's pretty much all you see.
Beaver in water. Photo by 
An actual beaver dam on the now-thriving Price River
Not just coworkers—family, friends, strangers, kids… 
Imagine having to go so badly but being out of euros. 
Anything hobbit-esque can't be wrong. 
But what if you need pain meds AND mascara?!
Imagine how this would affect childcare.
Honestly…where's the lie? 
A brown buddha statue sits near a green mountain. Photo by 
Urgent dash to the bathroom! 🚪🏃♂️
Ladybug unexpectedly found during colonoscopyPhoto credit: 
Close-up of bottom of ladybug found in colonPhoto credit: 
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."