The set-up: Shallow-but-sweet model Deb dies in a car crash, then due to a mix-up in the afterlife, her soul ends up in the body of an about-to-kick-it, plus-sized, brilliant lawyer named Jane. The upshot: A girl who’s gotten everything she wanted because of her genetic gift of a figure and pretty face has to learn to survive on brains instead of beauty. But does Lifetime’s new lawyer dramedy “Drop Dead Diva” teach us important lessons or just trot out the worst of female stereotypes? We debate the weighty issues.

Feminist! The premise sounds like a recipe for offense — I actually watched thisready and willing and nearly determined to mock it. But lo and behold, the light touch (death is no big deal if it leads to hanging out with a Scott Baio-at-his-cutest-type angel), the deft writing, and the subtle charm of Brooke Elliott as Jane elevate this Television for Women beyond standard schlock. And more to the point here, the sensitive handling of the body images at the show’s core illuminate some important points: Most notably, the ways in which our God-given bodies, for better or worse, shape our lives. Is it possible the thin model would’ve been smarter if people had demanded more of her? Did Jane even appreciate her own brains, or did she take her own gifts for granted while berating herself for loving doughnuts and searching for confidence in self-help books? While most of us fall somewhere in between the two extremes, everyone can relate. And P.S.: God bless any show keeping Margaret Cho employed. —Jennifer Armstrong

Not! While “Drop Dead Diva” addresses issues of body image and discrimination, it does so mostly through Deb’s eyes, as though the experiences of a larger woman matter only if she is literally a thin person trapped inside a fat one. That makes for an interesting spin on the diet-ad cliché, but it is not a feminist statement. Indeed, what little we know of the original Jane conforms to stereotypes of larger women. She forgets to change suits after pulling an all-nighter, though she has a full wardrobe in her office, thus supporting the image of the slovenly plus-size woman. She also fulfills the stereotype of the self-hating fat woman: Her reliance upon self-help books is overemphasized. Even her Porsche becomes a sign of low self-esteem rather than success, as her assistant explains that she bought it after reading one such book. Finally, with Jane’s body, Deb receives her reasoning ability and knowledge, though not her personal memories. These, earned through experience, remain with the soul, while abstract knowledge is treated like a gift bestowed by external forces. This disrespects women who have chosen to sacrifice time in order to learn, while also discouraging women who find learning difficult. — Elizabeth Switaj

What do you think? Is “Drop Dead Diva” feminist or not? Debate on our message boards below.

For further reading: Feminist or Not?: The Girl-on-Girl on “Grey’s Anatomy”

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Tags: drop dead diva, entertainment, Feminist or Not, television

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