Girl Crush (A girl talking about girls): Life As Liz Lemon

The Prime-Time Dating Rules
 
   One of my favorite television shows is 30 Rock. In fact, I pretty much adore all quirky, witty television shows featuring strong female characters. However, out of all of these shows, the character Liz Lemon, resonates with me the most.
   Liz is a career-driven, food-loving, successful, smart, funny, yet very morally conflicted character. Liz’s primary story line involves her attempting to live out the American dream by “having it all” (and if you haven’t seen the show – yes there are musical numbers that attest to this goal). She struggles to discover a balance between a successful career and her personal life. However, she rarely compromises anything to achieve this. Obviously, because it is impossible for a successful woman to use her inferior brain to accomplish this difficult task, her social life wilts like an abused and ignored bouquet of poorly chosen carnations while her professional life often thrives like a lush patch of hearty Iowa corn. Because of this inability to “have it all” Liz appears to be an immature, childish harpy who is afraid of sex and traditional life.
   I freaking love Liz Lemon, but whenever she seems to be solving her problems or is on the top of her proverbial professional peak someone either mentions her personal life, or she gets dragged down by her personal life. Then Liz falls and fails, only to attempt to stumble back up by the end of the episode (For example in a season one episode, after Liz is repeatedly set up on terrible and awkward blind dates, Liz finds the perfect match. At work, she is chosen to pitch an idea to NBC. But she gets distracted her new love and misses the meeting, loses her love temporarily and does not gain any accolades from her office). So even though Liz holds a position of power, she is not a woman to be admired. So why have I gone on this rant about a fictional character on a television show with low ratings? Like Liz, I believe that a successful woman shouldn’t have to sacrifice in order to “have it all”. Yet the show and many others clearly have a polar view on this issue.

Personal Note
   I have had the same goals since the 8th grade. Yeah, I am single-minded to the point of recklessness. Obviously I am not going to be deterred or distracted by anything, even if this means compromising my sole-duty in life of making lots of wailing infants who will grow to resent me.
   However, this single-minded steely determination has branded me as too immature to pursue an actual relationship. So, by this logic, the women and men who are attending college just to get by or with no ultimate goal are more relationship-ready than I am. I want to be successful clearly, but because I want to be too successful, I am unable to fit in with the standards of the societal standards of who needs a relationship. I am too comfortable with myself. FTS. Or, as Liz Lemon would say, “Nerds!”