And Fox's Melrose Place has addressed--in its slippery, soapy way--life for women in the excutive suite. Award-winning advertising executive Alison Parker, played by Courtney Thorne-Smith, recently ousted Heather Locklear's Machiavellian Amanda Woodward as president of D&D Advertising. Within 24 hours of taking charge, Alison proved that she could be just as vicious a boss as her predecessor, and became an instant predator when she threw her top aide/ex-boyfriend on top of Amanda's old desk for a "Disclosure"-style seduction.
Of course, nasty bosses usually get their comeuppance: Thorne-Smith and Locklear are now squaring off in a battle of the boardroom to see who will retain power. Says Thorne-Smith, "I hired Amanda back in my old job, thinking that I could boss her around. It's a big mistake. She sabotages me in all sorts of ways. At the same time, I'm snapping at everyone. I'm a horrible boss, and I have no one to back me up." But who will be the winner in this corporate catfight? "I'm a little tiny kitten," says Thorne-Smith, "and I don't have a prayer."
But Thorne-Smith sees a strong message in her storyline. Alison is a great example of what not to be. "Alison is drunk on power--she got too much too soon, and she can't handle it. She is snapping . My sister is in advertising, and I watch her juggle 15 photo shoots, 17 stars, and 34 vendors with great ease. But poor Alison, when she can't find her pencil she's screaming at people left and right. Do I think she's a role model? Oh, man, I hope not."
