Freelancette

Image courtesy of NBC.com

I've been noticing a lot of unabashed, in-your-face cleavage on prime-time television lately. There's Tina Fey as Liz Lemon in her unbuttoned button-downs and plunging V-neck sweaters on "30 Rock"; Kristin Chenoweth and Anna Friel in low-cut frocks and push-up bras on "Pushing Daisies" (Friel recently acknowledged this to "People" magazine: "There's a lot of attention drawn to [costar] Kristin [Chenoweth's] and my breasts as the season goes on"); Julia Louis-Dreyfus in partially-unwrapped wrap dresses in "The New Adventures of Old Christine." On just about every channel, the ladies are busting out.

Stylists and wardrobe consultants have always tried to draw the viewer's eye to their clients' best assets, of course, but in the past, breasts were visual shorthand: Cleavage = bimbo. If the character was supposed to be smart and sexy, then maybe she'd reveal some leg, or the curve of a derrière in snug slacks, but she'd strive to remain brainy above the belt. This was especially true in the T&A-era of the late seventies: Sexy, spazzy Chrissy Snow pratfalled in tight T's and halter tops on "Three's Company" while sensible Janet stuck to collared polos, and the most clever of "Charlie's Angels," Sabrina Duncan, was far less likely to be karate-chopping in a bikini than co-angels Jill Monroe and Kelly Garrett. More recently, girl-"Friends" Rachel and Monica occasionally gave viewers an eyeful, but in the course of their daily squabbles, breakdowns, frolics and fantasies, they preferred to keep all eyes at hair-level. They were sophisticated, professional Manhattanites, after all.

The interesting thing about today's TV women is that they're baring more, but viewers are ogling less. All of this plunging, pushing and revealing seems to be flying under the radar. No one is making a big deal about breasts –- unless, of course, they're unavoidably enormous and patently fake, like the parting-shot pneumatic globes that belong to Michael Scott's girlfriend Jan on "The Office". But for most other characters, breasts have become irrelevant.

They certainly don't signify sexual prowess in the way that they used to. Christine's cleavage and Lemon's cantaloupes (I mean, check out the cleavage in this video) haven't been able to secure either of them a satisfactory partner. In an odd bait-and-switch (or a bad casting decision), Christine's supposedly sexy nemesis, "New Christine", is more covered-up than she is! Christine's ex-husband's new partner--a classic bimbette-- is often shown in sack-like shirts that reveal little more than a clavicle, while funny, take-charge "Old Christine" is practically popping out of her sweaters as she bops from her son's school, to her office at the gym, to (often disappointing) dates out at night. Christine is a stunning woman, but she doesn't use her looks or her figure to her advantage. Hmmm...maybe she should!

The same goes for Liz Lemon, the brilliantly funny and extremely capable TV producer on "30 Rock." Her wit and sass have made her top-dog on the set of her show, but not even her killer curves can get her a date with a decent guy. Listening to Liz's coworkers mock her looks, her age, and her semi-pathetic singleness makes us want to shake some sense into them. The woman is hardly mockable. She is smokin' hot! Am I the only one to notice this?

Over on "Pushing Daisies," cleavage is practically part of the uniform for women at The Pie Hole bakery, but the ladies aren't getting any bonuses for it. Waitress Olive Snook is constantly overlooked by her true love, Ned, despite her lovely, prominently-displayed wares (and I'm not talking about the pies). For Olive's sartorial sister and romantic rival, Charlotte "Chuck" Charles, those cute, low-cut dresses and snug cardigans pay off -- sort of. She got the guy, but he'll never be able to lay a hand on any part of her body (if he touches her, she dies). All that wasted décolleté!

These characters don't seem to have to worry about whether their sexy clothing choices will compromise their credibility or detract from their intelligence. In fact, Liz Lemon was recently shown wearing a loose-fitting but extremely low-cut J. Crew dress that I happen to own. I'm afraid to wear it to my casual office without a tank underneath, but Lemon wore it to NBC with pride, sans tank and sans bra. Instead of showing Liz in her cute, figure-flattering ensembles partying it up after work, the show makes a big point of telling us that Liz usually goes home alone, with only a meatball sub ("extra bread") as her companion. A nice rack doesn't hurt these women at the office (hooray for that!), but, unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be helping them much outside the office, either (what's up with that?).

It's almost as if cleavage has been de-sexualized -- on TV at least. Or maybe it's more that breasts have been put in their proper place, and are no longer the clues or props they once were. Producers and stylists have finally realized that women can be brainy and buxom, they can be sarcastic and sexy, they can be neurotic and nicely put-together, they can be voluptuous and...lonely. Or not. One thing is certain: you can't judge a woman by her cleavage. Today's female TV characters are more than the sum of their parts.