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Watching Rape: Film and Television in Postfeminist Culture
Looking at popular culture from 1980 to the present, feminism appears to be "over": that is, according to popular critics we are in an era of "postfeminism" in which feminism has supposedly already achieved equality for women.
Not so, says Sarah Projansky. In Watching Rape, Projansky undermines this complacent view in her fascinating and thorough analysis of depictions of rape in U.S. film, television, and independent video. Through a cultural studies analysis of such films as Thelma and Louise, Daughters of the Dust, and She's Gotta Have It, and television shows like ER, Ally McBeal, Beverly Hills 90210, and various made-for-tv movies, Projansky challenges us to see popular culture as a part of our everyday lives and practices, and to view that culture critically. How have media defined rape and feminism differently over time? How do popular narratives about rape also communicate ideas about gender, race, class, nationality, and sexuality? And, what is the future of feminist politics, theory, and criticism with regard to issues of sexual violence, postfeminism, and popular media?
The first study to address the relationship between rape and postfeminism, and one of the most detailed and thorough analyses of rape in 25 years, Watching Rape is a crucial contribution to contemporary feminism.
Not so, says Sarah Projansky. In Watching Rape, Projansky undermines this complacent view in her fascinating and thorough analysis of depictions of rape in U.S. film, television, and independent video. Through a cultural studies analysis of such films as Thelma and Louise, Daughters of the Dust, and She's Gotta Have It, and television shows like ER, Ally McBeal, Beverly Hills 90210, and various made-for-tv movies, Projansky challenges us to see popular culture as a part of our everyday lives and practices, and to view that culture critically. How have media defined rape and feminism differently over time? How do popular narratives about rape also communicate ideas about gender, race, class, nationality, and sexuality? And, what is the future of feminist politics, theory, and criticism with regard to issues of sexual violence, postfeminism, and popular media?
The first study to address the relationship between rape and postfeminism, and one of the most detailed and thorough analyses of rape in 25 years, Watching Rape is a crucial contribution to contemporary feminism.
320 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2001
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About the author
Sarah Projansky
5 books7 followersSarah Projansky is Associate Vice President Dean for Faculty and Academic Affairs in the College of Fine Arts at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 5, 2014
Like the author states, this book is not THE examination of rape narratives in pop culture, but it is certainly an excellent start. In addition to rape, the book also examines broader sexualized violence as a part of the ubiquity of rape narratives. Definitely a valuable resource for researchers seeking to do their own examination of rape narratives in pop culture.
November 13, 2025
When I say this is a difficult book to read, I mean that in numerous ways.
Obviously given the subject matter, this was also going to be tough emotionally. I've long taken vehement issue with the way sexual assault is portrayed in media of all kinds, to the point that it is not merely my own history with it that makes me avoid most films or books which feature it, but also my frustration and disgust with how the topic is treated, often being diminished while also used for titillation, by nearly everyone in every corner of media. But I did quite appreciate this author really taking a fine-toothed comb to these portrayals and analyzing them through various lenses and methods of critique. She discusses many films that I've never seen, most of them from long before my time, but with enough explanation that I could fully understand the connections she makes amongst them and between them and the wider society in which they exist.
I especially appreciated the thorough and nuanced discussion of Thelma and Louise, and in particular how so many responses to and takes on that film miss the point either through ignorance or intention. Her analysis of the fact that rape and the responses to it are the key central aspect of the story was very meticulous and astute. Honestly, it makes me wanna rewatch the movie, because it's been quite a while and I think I could get a lot more out of that side of it after so many more years of life and experience, as well as with this author's scholarship in mind.
Now, speaking of scholarship, I do need to note that this book is also difficult to get through because it is very scholarly and academic. It feels more like a dissertation than a nonfiction book, meant to be read by university professors and the like rather than the general public. The first couple of chapters especially can be fairly dry and have a rather arm's-length feel to them, as though the author is observing the behavior of lab mice in a maze. I mean, it was published by NYU Press, so that's to be expected. But it does make it a tough work to consume as a layperson.
Obviously given the subject matter, this was also going to be tough emotionally. I've long taken vehement issue with the way sexual assault is portrayed in media of all kinds, to the point that it is not merely my own history with it that makes me avoid most films or books which feature it, but also my frustration and disgust with how the topic is treated, often being diminished while also used for titillation, by nearly everyone in every corner of media. But I did quite appreciate this author really taking a fine-toothed comb to these portrayals and analyzing them through various lenses and methods of critique. She discusses many films that I've never seen, most of them from long before my time, but with enough explanation that I could fully understand the connections she makes amongst them and between them and the wider society in which they exist.
I especially appreciated the thorough and nuanced discussion of Thelma and Louise, and in particular how so many responses to and takes on that film miss the point either through ignorance or intention. Her analysis of the fact that rape and the responses to it are the key central aspect of the story was very meticulous and astute. Honestly, it makes me wanna rewatch the movie, because it's been quite a while and I think I could get a lot more out of that side of it after so many more years of life and experience, as well as with this author's scholarship in mind.
Now, speaking of scholarship, I do need to note that this book is also difficult to get through because it is very scholarly and academic. It feels more like a dissertation than a nonfiction book, meant to be read by university professors and the like rather than the general public. The first couple of chapters especially can be fairly dry and have a rather arm's-length feel to them, as though the author is observing the behavior of lab mice in a maze. I mean, it was published by NYU Press, so that's to be expected. But it does make it a tough work to consume as a layperson.
June 19, 2025
Written 25 years ago, this book captures, at a good pace for the reader, the blend of academic knowledge around feminism with depiction of rape across some selected TV episodes and film. Sarah Projansky breaks new ground as well with a robust examination of race as it regards all aspects of storytelling - mostly but not entirely absent.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews