THE FEMININE MYSTIQUE AND SOCIETY:
A LOOK AT NEW MEDIA REPRESENTATIONS
By Mia Moody-Ramirez, Ph.D.
Baylor Department of Journalism, PR & New Media
THE PROBLEM THAT HAS NO NAME
Friedan described “the problem that has no name” or the
widespread unhappiness of women who worked in the home in
the 1950s and early 1960s.
This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons
MEDIA MESSAGES
Betty Friedan examined the role of various
institutions in holding women back.
A CLOSER LOOK
•
•
•
•
Feminist Theory
Media Stereotypes
Pinterest
The Feminine
Mystique 50 years
later
This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons.
FEMINIST THEORY
The media function ideologically:
• to reflect
• to reinforce
• to mediate
existing power relations and ideas about how gender
is and should be lived.
STEREOTYPES
Stereotyping provides a way to acquire new knowledge.
They are ‘mental cookie cutters.’
This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons.
GENDER AND MEDIA
Media are a part of materially based social relations that create a solidarity
among men of all races and classes “who are united in their shared
relationship of dominance over their women” (Hartmann, 1981, p. 14-15).
GENDER AND MEDIA
Women are either invisible or
stereotyped.
COMMON STEREOTYPES OF
WOMEN
 Passive
 Submissive
 Dependent
Source: www.topnews.in
Source: www.internetweekly.org
Source: www.flickr.com
Elderly Subtypes
• The grandmotherly type is depicted as helpful, kindly, serene, severely
impaired, vulnerable, shrewish, and needy.
• The elder statesman is depicted as intelligent, competitive, handsome,
aggressive, and intolerant
Source: www.menshealth.co.uk
Source: hoardingdiary.blogspot.com
ASIAN WOMEN
Martial artists, obedient, beautiful, sexy and cunning.
Source: MSNBC.com
Usually end up with a white or non-Asian
mate
This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons
LATINAS
Sexy
•
•
•
•
•
Source: Sony Pictures Entertainment
This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons
Passionate
Argumentative
Illiterate
Domestic
Childlike
BLACK WOMEN
This is a poster for Waiting to Exhale.
This is a poster for Diary of a Tired Black Man.
Always Angry
Overly Independent
Jezebels
Welfare Recipients
Arab & Muslim Women
This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons.
This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons.
This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons
Belly dancers,
harem girls
Cloaked and silent
women
White Women
Happy
anorexic
Kate Moss in Calvin Klein underwear
campaign ad from 1990s.
This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons
.
Bimbo, Bombshell, Dumb
Blonde
Blondes have more fun!
You not worth noticing unless
you look like this!
This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons
.
http://www.twiggylawson.co.uk/fashion.html
Why we care…
Media send viewers, readers and listeners hidden messages
that suggest a story’s importance, and ultimately people’s
importance within society.
THE FEMININE MYSTIQUE
TODAY
Fifty years later as feminism enters into the fourth wave, the time is ripe to
study the book’s lasting impact on society.
THE ARTIFACTS
A pool of 100 Pinterest pins found by searching the keywords "Betty
Friedan and Feminine Mystique”
Pinterest allows members to “pin” products and other material they like or
want to remember along with a description on personalized boards.
PINTEREST
Pins link to various products and services, and blog entries that discuss
various topics
PINTEREST
New York Times columnist Gail Collins helped kick off the 50 th anniversary
of The Feminine Mystique with a spot titled, “Room for Debate.”
The panel discussed the strengths and weaknesses of the ageless book.
DOES IT STILL ROAR?
An NPR piece titled, “At 50, Does 'Feminine Mystique’ Still Roar?” explores the book.
The author states that she was surprised by Friedan’s anger as she systematically laid
out the case against a male-dominated society that was determined to keep women in
their place.
The article concludes that The Feminine Mystique is still relevant today especially when
it comes to our “understanding of women and domesticity.”
Leading supporters of the Equal Rights Amendment
march in Washington on Sunday, July 9, 1978,
urging Congress to extend the time for ratification
of the ERA. From left: Gloria Steinem, Dick Gregory,
Betty Friedan, Rep. Elizabeth Holtzman, D-N.Y., Rep.
Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., Rep. Margaret Heckler, R.
Mass. Dennis Cook/AP
FOUR BIG PROBLEMS
A pin featuring an article by The Atlantic focuses on “4 Big Problems with
The Feminine Mystique.”
Author Ashley Fetters highlights the views of black feminist theorists such
as bell hooks, who assert that The Feminine Mystique ignored the black
and lower-income women of the 20th century.
skinlikehoney.blogspot.com
policelink.monster.com
CONSUMERISM
Many pins linked to products and services such as art, fashion, the actual
book and T-shirts commemorating the Feminine Mystique.
Pinners include booksellers such as Barnes and Noble and Amazon.com.
ART
Artist Samantha Hahn uses Pinterest to post pins of her exhibit titled,
“Well-Read Women.”
Her collection of watercolor portraits includes paintings of Daisy
Buchanan, Ophelia, and other female leaders.
CONCLUSIONS
Study findings illustrate the significant impact the text has had
on society.
• Pins discuss and critique feminism, and commemorate the
five decades following the publishing of The Feminine
Mystique.
• Such activities keep alive valuable discussion on important
women’s issues.
SUMMARY
Historical analyst Peter Dreier summarizes the book well in this statement:
“The Feminine Mystique catalyzed the modern feminist movement, helped forever
change Americans’ attitudes about women’s role in society and catapulted its
author into becoming an influential and controversial public figure.”
“It was not only a best-selling book, but also a manifesto for change. Most
Americans now accept as normal the once-radical ideas that Friedan and others
espoused.”
QUESTIONS
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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Betty Friedan Biography. Encyclopedia of World Biographies. Accessed from http://www.notablebiographies.com/Fi-Gi/FriedanBetty.html
Cady, K. A. (2009). Labor and Women's Liberation: Popular Readings of The Feminine Mystique. Women's Studies In
Communication, 32(3), 348-379.
Chang, A. (2012). Should You Care about Pinterest? Macworld, 29(6), 60–61.
Coontz, S. (2011). A Strange Stirring: The Feminine Mystique and American Women at the Dawn of the 1960s.
Dreier, P. Betty Friedan's "The Feminine Mystique": 50 Years Later Sunday, 17 February 2013 Worldwide Hippies,
Farhi, P. (2010). Lost in the Woods. American Journalism Review , 32(1). United States.
Four Big Problems With 'The Feminine Mystique' Ashley Fetters FEB 12 2013, 8:11 AM ET. Several "grains of salt" deserve
consideration in any discussion of the 50-year-old book's legacy.
Galbraith, D. (2012). The path to Pinterest: Visual bookmarks and grid sites. Gigaom. http://gigaom.com/2012/05/28/the-path-topinterest-visual-bookmarks-and-grid-sites/
Kurs, K., & Cathcart, R. S. (1983). The Feminist Movement: Lesbian-Feminism as Confrontation. Women's Studies In
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Neary, L. (2013). “At 50, Does 'Feminine Mystique' Still Roar?” February 10, 2013 5:06 AM
Siegel, D. (2011). A Strange Stirring: Test Your Feminine Mystique Cliche Quotient! Girl w/Pen. Accessed from
http://thesocietypages.org/girlwpen/2011/02/01/a-strange-stirring-test-your-feminine-mystique-cliche-quotient/
Turner, L. H. (2013). The Feminine Mystique and Me: 50 Years of Intersections. Women & Language, 36(1), 67 -69.
Walker, L. (n.d.). The Visual Bookmarks List. A Guide to the Web's Top Visual Bookmarking Sites. About.com.
http://personalweb.about.com/od/contentsharing/a/Visual-Bookmarks-List.htm