Besides the serious plot holes and clichéd predictability of the first season of 24, something else really stuck me; every single female character was portrayed in a poor light. I don’t understand how this kind of sexism can exist in such a popular show. Do people choose to not think about things? That must be a nice existence. I, unfortunately, couldn’t trick myself into ignoring the problem. So, here’s a list of every female character. The order will make sense to only me: I’m going to try and do it chronologically (which I’m sure I’ll butcher), but I’ll save the big ones until the end.

• The first minor woman we come across is the terrorist who blows up the plane and steals the ID of the photographer. I found it degrading to women that she was forced to use sex to accomplish her goal of getting the pass. It’s an underlying theme that women are sex objects and that they have to sleep their way to the top. What if the photographer had also been a woman? Would this person have failed in her mission? Or, heaven forbid, what if the terrorist wasn’t attractive? It would have been better if the woman could have actually used her intelligence to pull off the job, but instead, all she could use was her looks. Oh yeah, as a 2^nd point, she did blow up a plane full of innocent people.
• Her girlfriend then blows the deal getting greedy and asking for more money from the guy who organized the deal. She had no idea what she was doing, and her haste and greed ultimately got her killed. If she hadn’t been so nagging and selfish, she might have lived through it.
• Janet (kim’s friend): She’s very helpless and borderline worthless. Her promiscuity and poor judgment is what starts the change of events for Kim. She was continuously drunk/high.
• The woman who was Palmer’s aid and unknowingly dated the would be assassin. This was probably the most overtly sexist character in the entire season. When she realizes that the person she has been seeing is the assassin, she comes forward. When she explains that she doesn’t really know him too well, the men imply that she is a slut. She has to defend herself by explaining that the road is lonely. I wonder if a guy in the same position would have to make the same defense. Anyway, when she’s attempting to place the bug in his wallet, he tells her he loves her. She then diverts from the plan and decides to try and kill him. See, women are so irrational and love-crazed that they can’t be trusted to get the job done. This woman will go away for attempted murder because she needed to be loved so desperately.
• The first mole. I can’t remember her name but I’m going to guess that it’s “Mandy”. First of all, I unfortunately realized she was a mole from the beginning because she was unattractive. It’s easier to dislike someone who is ugly, and besides, no TV show would cast someone that unattractive to be a heroine. And of course, when we find out she’s a mole, we learn that she needed the money because her husband left her and she has a son to raise. Could this be anymore clichéd? The ultimate indignation is that her services were estimated to be worth 1 to 2 million, but she was only getting 300,000. So, she not only prostituted herself, but she didn’t even get market value.
• The news-reporter who first discovers the story of Palmer’s son and the alleged murder - She loses all her journalistic integrity and ambition when she’s threatened by those in power. Neither Palmer or his son back down, but she does. I guess women aren’t strong enough to handle the stress.
• The black woman who was temporarily in charge while Jack was MIA. She was the stereotypical “black bitch”. The way she glared at her coworkers, the way they glared back, all fed on this stereotype. She doesn’t know how to relate to her coworkers and instead just barks orders at them. She apparently also had personal problems with Mia from their previous job. Ca-ca-ca cat fight. So typical.
• Palmer’s speechwriter – She risks (and loses) her entire professional career to try and sleep with her boss. And the worst part is that she is provoked into doing this by another woman. It’s sad and tragic how this otherwise intelligent and strong woman completely and utterly sells out. But I guess women have no self control.
• Palmer’s daughter – this show even has to bash rape victims. During a dinner conversation between her family members, she crumbles into a ball and starts shaking violently. Instead of allowing her to portray a victim realistically, they turned her into mush. And, I’m not even sure if you can even relate it to the rape…her reaction was more directly the result of the family fighting over later, indirect, consequences of it (7 years later).
• Rick’s girlfriend – She hates Kim before she even knows her. Why? Because Kim is a woman and all women are competition. She unfairly assumes that Kim is after Rick, and tries to destroy her (by lying to the cops). They get into a catty fight while in the holding cell, and only comes around after Kim saves her. Women hate other women apparently.
• The woman that Dennis Hopper’s character shoots. She was the daughter of his friend. She was very “old world”ish in that she prepared the meal, served the men, and was generally viewed as disposable. Dennis Hopper kills her just so Jack doesn’t have a viable option as a hostage.
• Ok, unless I’m missing someone, all we have left are: Kim, Teri, Mrs. Palmer, and Mia. I’ll get to them tomorrow. Needless to say, the only one of them who has even a sliver of a redeeming quality is Kim….and that’s a stretch.