You've Come a Long Way, Baby

by Goren, Lilly

• ISBN13: 9780813125442
• ISBN10: 0813125448
• eBook ISBN(s): 9780813139074
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2009-05-01
• Publisher: Univ Pr of Kentucky
• More Book Details

Summary

The landmark 2008 presidential and vice presidential campaigns of Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin brought the role of women in American leadership into sharper focus than ever before. These women and others such as Nancy Pelosi and Katie Couric who are successful in traditionally male-dominated fields, demonstrate how women's roles have changed in the last thirty years. In the past, the nightly news was anchored by male journalists, presidential cabinets were composed solely of male advisors, and a female presidential candidate was an idea for the distant future, but the efforts of dedicated reformers have changed the social landscape. The empowerment of women is not limited to the political sphere, but is also echoed by the portrayal of women in film, television, magazines, and literature. You've Come a Long Way, Baby: Women, Politics, and Popular Cultureinvestigates the role of popular culture in women's lives. Framed by discussions of contemporary feminism, the volume examines gender in relation to sexuality, the workplace, consumerism, fashion, politics, and the beauty industry. In analyzing societal depictions of women, editor Lilly J. Goren and an impressive list of contributors illustrate how media reflects and shapes the feminine sense of power, identity, and the daily challenges of the twenty-first century. Along with a discussion of women in politics, various contributors examine a range of gender-related issues from modern motherhood and its implications for female independence to the roles of women and feminism in pop music. In addition, Natalie Fuehrer Taylor outlines the evolution of women's magazines fromLadies' Home JournaltoCosmopolitan. The impact of television and literature on body image issues is also explored by Linda Beail, who draws on trendy chick lit phenomena such asGossip GirlandSex and the City, and Emily Askew, who analyzes the effects of image transformation in programs such asThe SwanandExtreme Makeover. As comprehensive as it is accessible,You've Come a Long Way, Babyis a practical guide to understanding modern gender roles. In tracing the different ways in which femininity is constructed and viewed, the book demonstrates how women have reclaimed traditionally domestic activities that include knitting, gardening, and cooking, as well as feminine symbols such as Barbie dolls, high heels, and lipstick. Though the demand for and pursuit of gender equality opened many doors, the contributors reveal that fictional women's roles are often at odds with the daily experiences of most women. By employing an open approach rather than adhering to a single, narrow theory,You've Come a Long Way, Babyappeals not only to scholars and students of gender studies but to anyone interested in confronting the struggles and celebrating the achievements of women in modern society.

Author Biography

Lilly J. Goren is associate professor of politics and global studies at Carroll University in Waukesha, Illinois.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. vii
Introduction: Feminism, Front and Center	p. 1
Feminism and the Idea and Constraints of Freedom
Extreme Makeover and the Classical Logic of Transformation	p. 15
Smart, Funny, and Romantic? Femininity and Feminist Gestures in Chick Flicks	p. 35
From Madonna to Lilith and Back Again: Women, Feminists, and Pop Music in the United States	p. 53
Housewives and Presidents: Cultural Understandings of Television Dramas
The Reformer and Her Work: Transgression, Alienation, and Feminine Identity in the Police Procedural	p. 73
The City, the Suburbs, and Stars Hollow: The Return of the Evening Soap Opera	p. 93
Why Are All the Presidents Men? Televisual Presidents and Patriarchy	p. 115
The Mommy Brigade
Baby Lit: Feminist Response to the Cult of True Motherhood	p. 137
Supermom: The Age of the Pregnant Assassin	p. 159
The Mommy Track versus Having It All: The Reality of the Modern Workplace	p. 177
What Do Women Want?
It Was Chick Lit All Along: The Gendering of a Genre	p. 201
The Personal Is Political: Women's Magazines for the "I'm-Not-a-Feminist-But" Generation	p. 215
The Money, Honey: The Rise of the Female Anchor, the Female Reporter, and Women in the News Business	p. 233
Selected Bibliography	p. 253
List of Contributors	p. 261
Index	p. 265
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