One Day at a Time Episode 2 Summary + Review

The second episode begins with Penelope waking up from a nightmare. Then, Penelope goes to work and has a meeting where her male coworker talks over her. Elena insists this is sexism and that Penelope should confront her coworker. Meanwhile, Lydia pressures Elena into wearing makeup, so that she will be taken seriously for her compost project. The next day, Penelope confronts her coworker when he tries to take credit for her idea. She gets angry when he says she takes too much time off because she's a mom. She also discovers he makes more money than her so she quits her job. However, her boss realizes he needs her and agrees to hire her back and give her a raise. Elena decides to not wear makeup again and becomes upset when her grandma tells her she is the granddaughter she always wanted when she wears makeup. Lydia apologizes to Elena and shows up in her room bare faced, which she never does. She says she won't pressure Elena to wear makeup again.

I thought this episode was good. Similar to the last episode, it discussed important topics such as sexism in the workplace, being a single working mom, and PTSD. These problems are rarely addressed in the media, especially in comedy or teen shows. If this show can bring up relevant social issues, it makes me think that shows like Full House and Friends can do better. I think this episode could be used in classrooms to begin discussions on sexism in the workforce, gender stereotypes and expectations, family diversity, and mental illness. I additionally liked how they discussed the topic of makeup. Some women like to wear makeup like Lydia whereas others do not like Elena. Wearing makeup does not mean you are doing it to please men or are conforming to societal expectations and not wearing makeup doesn't mean you're lazy. Makeup is a personal choice and form of expression and women should be able to choose whether or not they want wear it without judgement.

Resources:
https://www.rethinkingschools.org/articles/resources-for-sexism-unit

https://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Mental-Health-Conditions/Posttraumatic-Stress-Disorder/Support

http://www.welcomingschools.org/resources/lesson-plans/diverse-families/diverse-families-with-books/

https://www.niot.org/sites/default/files/Family%20Guide%20highres.pdf

http://www.open.edu/openlearncreate/pluginfile.php/272873/mod_resource/content/1/Classroom%20Activities%20on%20gender%20stereotypes%20and%20equality.pdf

https://education.alaska.gov/tls/cte/docs/nto/gender_equity.pdf

https://www.pcc.edu/illumination/wp-content/uploads/sites/54/2018/05/gender-role-boxes-glbtq-and-sexism-exercise.pdf

https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/12/14/gender-discrimination-comes-in-many-forms-for-todays-working-women/

https://www.equalrights.org/legal-help/know-your-rights/sex-discrimination-at-work/

https://www.tolerance.org/classroom-resources/tolerance-lessons/gender-and-jobswomen-in-the-workforce