The Big Picture
- Marrying a doctor has traditionally been seen as prestigious, but the focus has shifted to high-powered female doctors and their spouses.
- Married to Medicine’s Dr. G’s new wife, Sweet Tea, captured his attention with simplicity and submission, unlike his previous marriage.
- While Sweet Tea’s approach may be criticized by the other women on the show, her tactic of landing a rich man strategically outsmarted others.
Marrying a doctor has been considered a badge of honor for centuries as the profession provides a comfortable life and suggests a superior level of intelligence and discipline. When Married to Medicine premiered in 2013, audiences were elated to have a glimpse into the affluent lives of physicians and their spouses. Instead of following the stereotypical picture of a rich doctor with his trophy wife, the series shifted the focus to high-powered female doctors and their spouses along with a few male physicians and their wives. Dr. Jackie Walters and Dr. Simone Whitmore were fast favorites along with socialite Quad Webb and her psychiatrist husband Dr. Greg Lunceford. The couple was a hit aesthetically, but the internal dynamic was toxic and the marriage ended in a nasty divorce. Dr. G left the cast and was unheard of for several years. Quad continued on solo in the series and rebuilt her fortune on her own. Instead of seeking another power-house spouse, Dr. G popped back up in the current season with a new fiance’, a complete polar opposite of his ex. Lateasha aka Sweet Tea snagged the distinguished doctor leading with simplicity and submission as opposed to progression and professionalism.
This current 10th season’s focus on Dr. G Sweet Tea rages against the show’s premise of a societal shift in women’s value being correlated to their personal accomplishments as opposed to the pedigree of the man they marry. It also reiterates the idea that rich and powerful men prefer a woman who tends to their primal needs over a woman whose intellect and professional abilities complement their own.
Sweet Tea Snagged Dr. G With a Simple DM Promising to Give Him Love, Lust, and a Baby
While the career-driven ladies in the cast were puzzled by Dr. G’s attraction to Sweet Tea, the men on the cast voiced how happy the good doctor appeared in his new relationship. While Phaedra Parks poked fun at Sweet Tea’s natural body and Dr. Heavenly Kimes questioned her home being decorated poorly, Sweet Tea was serving up home-cooked meals and rubbing Dr. G’s bald head. The remaining ladies tried to figure out how the two found each other and Dr. G revealed Sweet Tea slid in his DM’s on Instagram with a simple heart and baby emoji. Her message was clear: Sweet Tea was ready and willing to have babies and cater to Dr. G’s every need. When Dr. G questioned her not living in Georgia, Sweet Tea soothed his worries, assuring him he was worth the frequent flyer miles. Sweet Tea’s simple bait did the trick and she relocated from another state to Georgia and became a series regular on a hit reality show alongside several extremely accomplished and wealthy women. When asked what was the best thing about being engaged to Dr. G, Sweet Tea responded matter-of-factly. “More access to the money,” she shared.
Sweet Tea Prides Herself On Preparing Home-Cooked Meals and Catering to Her Husband
Serving her accomplished husband is Sweet Tea’s number one priority and, while the other women on the show are distracted from home by demanding work schedules, issues with their adult children, and other responsibilities, Sweet Tea is committed to smiling at Dr. G when he walks through the door after work and serving him a country meal plated on real china.
It will be interesting to see if Sweet Tea is cut for the competitiveness and ugly side of reality television. During her first episode, she was reduced to tears while being compared to Dr. G’s ex-wife, Quad and she seems overwhelmed having to plan a wedding with Dr. G’s unlimited checkbook. Because of her simple nature and lack of sophistication, she’s certain to be criticized by the other women on the show, but considering she outsmarted hundreds of beautiful, accomplished bachelorettes, there is something almost strategic in her elementary approach to landing a rich man. For Dr. G his commitment to Sweet Tea seems unpenetrable even in the face of criticism from friends and colleagues. When Phaedra Parks confronted him with questions about Sweet Tea’s motives, Dr. G waved her off, still glowing from being in his wife’s sweet embrace. Hearing that Sweet Tea admitted to joining a support group for young women dating much older men, he didn’t blink an eye, assuring his old friend that he was happy and moving forward with the marriage.
The Doctors Labeled Sweet Tea A Sugar Baby for Her Age Gap Romance with Dr. G
Their 23-year age gap doesn’t seem to be a deterrent to Dr. G, quite to the contrary, he seems elated that this much younger woman is devoted to him and to the possibility of having babies with him. Dr. G’s choice of a new bride sends a very strong message, specifically on a show that celebrates high-achieving women. For some men, working alongside intelligent, powerful women is a coup, but they prefer to come home to something very different. For Dr. G the polar opposite of his ability to earn a doctorate in psychiatry and build a thriving practice, but instead of coming home to an intellectual equal ending the day with softness and being catered to, was the right decision for him.
Dr. Heavenly has predicted that Sweet Tea will eventually get tired of catering to Dr. G and will begin to adopt the habits of her cast mates that are driven by their professional achievement and creating multiple streams of income, but only time will tell if the doctor’s wife will trade in her apron for a corporate Chanel suit and a pair of business-savvy Louboutins. It’s interesting that on a show that challenges the patriarchal tropes the feminist movement has rallied against for years, it still comes down to powerful men preferring a woman who enjoys being home cooking and serving meals over a woman who prides herself on being able to earn them alongside him in the workplace. It will be interesting to see if that conventional role is enough to satisfy a woman named after a simple sweet country drink, after she is exposed to so much more than the simple life on the bright alluring stage of reality TV.
Married to Medicine airs every Sunday on Bravo at 8 PM EST. Next-day airing is available to stream on Peacock.
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