Listen, I’m highly aware that Ugly Betty hasn’t been on anyone’s minds in a long time. I’m even more aware that a lot of you haven’t even seen or heard of it.

This is what I have to say to that: Shame on you.

I recently started re-watching this late aughts’ gem on my morning/afternoon commute to school – it’s wonderful that streaming services (and the availability to download for remote watching) have opened up a wealth of pop culture treasures that would have otherwise faded into obscurity – and I realized that Ugly Betty is a beacon for female empowerment.

It’s one of the few television shows in the first decade of the 2000s that showcases a complex, atypical lead woman of colour. And although I thoroughly enjoy her, and she definitely defies many tropes, the eponymous Betty (America Ferrera) is far too likable to make the cut for the misandrist swill that is Unpleasant.

There was only one character wicked enough to inspire me to take this walk down memory lane, and her name is Wilhelmina Slater. According to many critics, myself included, Wilhelmina is a feminist icon.

Haven’t heard of her? Shame on you, times two.

As the top dog at Mode magazine (think TV Vogue), Wilhemina is smart, cold, calculated, and ambitious to a fault. She doesn’t care what anyone – man, woman, or child – thinks about her. Her confidence, self-assuredness, and dogged pursuit of success are certainly qualities to be admired.

And considering the current political and social climate in North America, I think discussing this particular character, an excellent woman of colour consistently undervalued in her industry, is very timely.

I’ve known for a long time that I need to inject some colour into my blog (Cristina Yang notwithstanding) and I had a few women of colour in mind for this long overdue post. (I can’t wait for a day that I won’t have to consider tokenism when writing these posts, and yes this is a slight against Hollywood for the uneven distribution of roles among white and non-white women). I’ve mentioned before that only recently have women of colour been allowed to showcase womanhood – in all its unpleasant forms – the way white women can.

As I continued watching Ugly Betty, it became increasingly clear that I had to write about Wilhelmina. Initially a cut-and-dry antagonist, her multitudes shone through as the seasons passed by, and that is in part to how well Vanessa Williams played her.

To be honest, half of the time I wish the writers would’ve just killed her off in some spectacular fashion-related freak accident. And while her choices are often infuriating and incredibly treacherous, they’re rooted in a need for fulfillment and recognition.

While most of the time she certainly makes it very difficult to like her, I don’t think we can blame her for (most) her toxic behaviour. Wilhelmina has been working as Mode magazine’s creative director for many years; she has sacrificed relationships with friends, men, and even her child for her career. She’s committed both moral and legal crimes to fulfill her dreams. More importantly than any of this, she’s actually very good at her job – Mode wouldn’t be Mode without Wilhelmina Slater.

Despite her skill and dedication (and incredible fashion sense), she is consistently overlooked for the coveted role of editor-in-chief at Mode. Wilhelmina is more than qualified for the job, yet a barrage of isms (nepotism, racism, sexism, ageism) stand in the way of this rightful promotion.

Wilhelmina is forced to go extreme lengths to combat this discrimination, from blackmail to stealing postmortem sperm. SPOILER!

However, through a lot of these despicable acts, we see (very infrequent) glimmers of real humanity in her, and it’s clear that she is a woman who has been hardened by a society that has consistently underestimated her.

Love her or hate her, Wilhelmina Slater represents a roadblock that generations of Black women have faced – you have to be twice as good to go half as far.

Some memorable Slaterisms™:

“I will not be constantly overruled by two silly white boys.”

“I could make an effort to be liked but I rather be hated than inconvenienced.”

“Please! I’m more of a man than you’ll ever be.”

“The only person in the world you can depend on is yourself.”

(Featured image courtesy of ABC/Bob D’Amico)