Feminism and Pop Culture

by Andi Zeisler

Whether or not we like to admit it, pop culture is a lens through which we alternately view and shape the world around us. When it comes to feminism, pop culture aids us in translating feminist philosophies, issues, and concepts into everyday language, making them relevant and relatable. In Feminism and Pop Culture , author and cofounder of Bitch magazine Andi Zeisler traces the impact of feminism on pop culture (and vice versa) from the 1940s to the present and beyond. With a comprehensive overview of the intertwining relationship between women and pop culture, this book is an ideal introduction to discussing feminism and daily life.

Genres: Feminism, Nonfiction, Pop Culture, Gender Studies, History, Sociology, Essays

208 pages, Paperback

First published October 14, 2008

About the author

Andi Zeisler is a co-founder and creative/editorial director of Bitch Media, a nonprofit feminist media organization based in Portland, Oregon. Zeisler's writing, which focuses mainly on feminist interpretations of popular culture, have been featured in a variety of publications including Mother Jones, The San Francisco Chronicle, Utne Reader, The Women's Review of Books, and Ms. She is a former pop-music columnist for the SF Weekly and the East Bay Express, and also contributed to the anthologies Young Wives' Tales, Secrets and Confidences: The Complicated Truth About Women's Friendships (both from Seal Press), and Howl: A Collection of the Best Contemporary Dog Wit (Crown). She is the coeditor of BitchFest: 10 Years of Cultural Criticism from the Pages of Bitch Magazine, and recently finished a book about feminism and popular culture for Seal Press, Feminism and Pop Culture. She frequently speaks on issues of feminism and popular culture on college and university campuses.

(from Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Julie Ehlers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Feminism and Pop Culture is kind of an uneasy hybrid. It's meant to be an overview of how feminism has been portrayed in popular culture, and also how feminism has influenced pop culture, and it does a decent job of that. However, its author, Andi Zeisler, is an influential and highly opinionated feminist writer and thinker (she's a founding editor of the magazine Bitch: Feminist Response to Pop Culture) and you can just feel her wanting to inject her own views and opinions into what is meant to be a somewhat more objective text—and sometimes she does. I'm not complaining about that; Zeisler's opinions are always worth reading. But it means the book is sort of half-objective, half-subjective, and as a result mostly unsatisfying. If you're truly clueless about these topics, this is a decent starting point. As for me, I'm going to read Zeisler's new book, We Were Feminists Once, where she seems to address the same topics, but with her own views mercifully unfettered.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book would be a good pick for the first week of class in an intro-level course. There's nothing major that I find wrong with it, but it does lack both (1) depth and (2) a strongly voiced point of view. I can read more incisive pop culture commentary every day on Jezebel. When it does have a point of view, it's a rather banal one: "You wouldn't know it now, but MTV used to stand for Music Television." How cutting! Also, some of her aside jabs are reductive to the point of being absurd; I don't know what malls she's been going to, but I certainly wouldn't use the phrase "girl power" to describe Hot Topic's sensibility.

I have trouble figuring out who the audience of this book is supposed to be. She manages to talk down to the reader by attempting to define pop culture, rather poorly, in the first chapter; later, she explains what gangsta rap is. (as an aside, does anyone who actually listens to rap ever use that particular term, or is it one of those phrases preferred by white journalist types? I'm actually curious) The author herself seems to come from a comparatively old-school feminist pedigree; most of the texts she cites most thoroughly come from the early 1990s and she handwaves most of the Third Wave as being ill-defined. Yet, although I can't find a firm birthdate for her, pictures seem to place her in her late thirties to early forties at the oldest.

I'm writing my most critical observations here but like I said, overall there's nothing particularly WRONG with the book, it just lacks nuance. In part this is due to the rather enormous scope of the book, which tackles film, music, television, advertising, magazines, and politics as well as the bullet points of feminist history from the 1920s to the present. I think a better approach might have been for her to select a single representative work from each era and focus more deeply, rather than covering absolutely everything, which results in absurdities like trying to explain Buffy the Vampire Slayer's feminist resonance in a single paragraph.

I did like the enormous list of references and recommended reading.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Feminism and Pop Culture by Andi Zeisler had what I imagine was an unintended effect on me. Yesterday I sat down and read my first ever Wonder Woman comic book. Okay, it was a "graphic novel" entitled Love and Murder, and the storyline was written by Jodi Picoult--yes that Jodi Picoult, author of so many sob-stories she practically has her own section at Borders.

I haven't finished that yet, but the fact is that this relatively thin text has been incredibly inspiring and infomrative for me. I've always been rather observant, but in a relatively unfocused way. Zeisler's astute summary of the various waves of the feminist movement gives me something to look out for.

This book is for any feminist, any woman, or any man who is affected by pop culture. Which is basically everyone, because if you don't pay attention to the images, that doesn't mean they still aren't coming out on the internet and the airwaves. Oh, and so far, Wonder Woman is pretty awesome.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a really good primer on approaching tropes in pop culture from a feminist perspective, and provides some really useful background on television before the 1970s that I actually hadn't encountered before. If you've taken gender studies and read a lot about pop culture already, you'll find repeats here, although I think it's always good to build on that knowledge, and who doesn't need a reminder of how barbaric the rise of reality TV often was to women in the late-90s/early 2000s? As a person who is a feminist and also obsessed with pop culture, I wanted this to read more fresh than it did, but if I were an 18-year-old art student just learning about these things, just beginning to deconstruct pop culture, this would be the ideal text, and given how dense and inaccessible so much of gender studies texts are, this is no small thing. I only wish I'd read it in time to teach it in my class.

[Lea · Rating 2 out of 5]

Even though it was published in 2008, it is a bit dated, not on the issues per se but on the references. It can be quite grating to read a book about pop culture mentioning Paris Hilton, livejournal and myspace. Were they even relevant anymore in 2008?

All in all, one does get the impression that the author's forte is pre-00's. Not exactly groundbreaking.

[Margaret · Rating 1 out of 5]

Save yourself the time and netflix "Killing Us Softly". No new info or groundbreaking discoveries here.

[Cameron Sauschuck]

For class

[Elevate Difference · Rating 4 out of 5]

No matter how sophisticated you believe yourself to be, consuming pop culture is often inevitable in modern life. From reacting to coverage of major news events to understanding how advertising permeates our media landscape, chances are most self-identified feminists have considered how so-called low culture affects our perceptions of our selves and our world. As the lines between high and low culture have increasingly blurred over the past several decades, feminists – both polished academics and dilettantes – have begun to examine how mainstream media affects our activism and how we have become necessary agents in the deconstruction of pop culture.

In Feminism and Pop Culture, Bitch magazine cofounder Andi Zeisler is able to do what does not regularly happen in the pages of the magazine. Introducing readers to the reasons why the relationship between feminism and popular culture is important, example after example illustrates how feminist interpretation of television, music, film, and news events has progressively become an important part of understanding our world. While many know Bitch as a “feminist response to pop culture,” some do not always recognize the value in making celebrity gossip, B movies, and shoddy mainstream reporting the locus of activism and (re)action. If you haven’t spent years sifting through Bitch magazine archives, or haven’t read BitchFest, Feminism and Pop Culture will shine new light on these relationships. If you’re already immersed in the language and analysis of the B-word, here you’ll find one more piece of Zeisler’s Bitch-y empire in which she continues to find comprehensive ways to state her purpose.

Feminism and Pop Culture traces the history of popular culture from the 1920s to today, drawing on a wealth of resources and debunking cultural myths about women along the way. An easily digestible read with helpful fact boxes and sidebars, we come to understand the importance of Bridget Jones alongside theoretical concepts like the male gaze. The book does not just explain the relationships between theory and practice. It slowly introduces readers to the not-so-secret techniques of feminist critical analysis and equips them to begin interpreting popular culture for their own empowered selves.

Zeisler makes feminist theory applicable and accessible, so while this book is the first in the Seal Studies series and will arguably to be utilized in introductory Women’s Studies and media theory courses, it retains an approachable quality. Feminism and Pop Culture explains the necessary truth about our frivolous media consumption: popular culture is about fun and pleasure, yet it is because of this that it retains and wields such power.

Review by Brittany Shoot

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

“We should also keep in mind that we probably wouldn't even be thinking about what life would be like with new lips or perkier breasts or shapelier inner thighs if it weren't for a long-standing cultural ideal that rewards those who adhere to it with power that often doesn't speak its name, but is instantly recognizable to those who don't have it.”

Feminism and Pop Culture is a great introduction to Feminism and the role it has played throughout the history of Western pop culture. At many points it can be scatter shot in style and subject but it must be acknowledged that it is an overview and not an in depth study. It delves into many thought provoking questions regarding society’s cultural “norms.” It’s an incredible outline that dissects many issues and reminds you, there is so much still to fight for.

[Matt Chisling (MattyandtheBooks) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sharp, breezy introduction to the history of feminism as it relates to pop culture. Ziesler's collection reads like a tighter survey than the work of someone like Susan Douglas, but the trade-off involves a lack of depth and analysis of any of the events. This book is a quick read, which makes it perfect for someone who wants to become aware, but not necessarily knowledgable on the subject. The strongest chapters are the first and the last - Here, Ziesler is able to stray from the script and offer some fresh new ideas and insights to the complicated relationship that feminists have with pop culture. I agree with the above comments, though - a lot has changed in 5 years, and it's time for a second edition of this book!

[Nicki · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an incredibly fast read, first of all.
I think this book is very introductory - it'd be great for individuals who have an interest in feminism and pop culture and it offers some guidance on where to begin in learning about the topic.
I don't really fall into the "beginner" category so for me, this book could have been much more thorough. It didn't really offer detailed criticisms or new insights, but it did point me into the direction for further reading and research.
All in all - if you're interested in the topic: give it a read. If you're already knowledgeable about the topic and are wanting more analysis into the topic, I'd skip over this one.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, it is good in a general way. Yet it is also limited because it is general. It is a good overview or general introduction. But I have to wonder why Palin’s treatment at the hands of the media wasn’t also included with Clinton’s during the discussion about women and political races. It’s not like Palin’s the poster child for intelligence and what not, but the way some media outlets treated her was like they treated Clinton. So why not mention that? Because Palin is idiotic and a republican?

[Meredith Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

i enjoyed this book but it is much more suited to someone who is just beginning to learn more about feminism & popular culture. most of what's featured in the book, i've learned about in classes or read about in books (or in bitch, which the author co-created). still, it is a book i'd like to give people who want to know more about the relationship between feminism & pop culture but don't know where to start.

[Nicki · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an incredibly fast read, first of all.
I think this book is very introductory - it'd be great for individuals who have an interest in feminism and pop culture and it offers some guidance on where to begin in learning about the topic.
I don't really fall into the "beginner" category so for me, this book could have been much more thorough. It didn't really offer detailed criticisms or new insights, but it did point me into the direction for further reading and research.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is well-written, well-researched and absorbing. The only reason I didn't give it five stars is I felt that a lot of the information and even examples have been covered by other mainstream feminist texts, such as "Manifesta," "When Everything Changed" and of course Bitch Magazine (of which Zeisler is a co-founder). However, this is a great primer for anyone developing an interest in feminist critique of pop culture.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really fun book to read! Talks about how feminism influenced pop culture and vice versa. I particularly enjoyed learning more about what pop culture was like in the 40s-70s (I feel like I have a decent grasp on 80s-present) and the different cycles in which we see women in media (one might expect the progress would be linear, but it actually wasn't)

[Arna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This raised a number of interesting points - although nothing new. Clear and concise, excellent references. My main criticism, and I suppose it is to be expected that "pop culture" was American culture, and other than a passing reference to Bridget Jones and the Spice Girls, the rest of the West was ignored.

[Cel Red · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sirve como un acercamiento a la cultura pop desde el punto de vista feminista y aunque trae muchas citas y buenas discusiones le hace falta profundidad. La parte fuerte es la de los 40s y hasta los 70s, la más floja es la actual.

Eché de menos alguna discusión sobre Disney, porque no se puede negar la gran influencia que tiene en la cultura pop.

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zeisler discusses feminism through the lens of American popular culture. If you dig Bitch: Feminist Responses to Pop Culture, the magazine Zeisler co-created, you'll similarly dig this easy to read book from the Seal Series.

[Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Feminism and Pop Culture is an introduction to both feminism in general and how women are treated/viewed in pop culture. The book is informative and, I believe, a type of book important for any woman to read. However, the book is extremely dry and I found myself incredibly bored through parts.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy and fascinating non-fiction read. An in-depth look at how women's have been represented in pop culture. If you are interested in media studies or feminism (or both), this is a great starting point.

[Joslyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great primer on how feminism relates to what we take in every day. Also a great explanation of why pop culture should matter to feminists.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent, thoughtful, highly readable analysis of American pop culture from a feminist angle. Could use more multicultural analysis. Eminently accessible for the young adult and adult reader.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

A basic but thorough overview of feminism and popular culture. Accessible and doesn't go into too much depth on any one topic, but I still got a lot out of it.

[Angelica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am in a FRENZY over this book. Definitely checking out some of the recommended reading at the back of this book for more background info.

[Shambhavi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very well put-together book. I loved every bit of it. Wish I'd had it when I was in high school, it would've done me a world of good.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent and insightful overview.

[Jean Coltharp · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is perfect for new feminists. It goes through the history of feminism (not just in pop culture) and gives you a good foundation of where we've come.

[Guilherme Smee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Este livro foi publicado em 2008 e, claro, de lá para cá tivemos muitos avanços e retrocessos tanto no feminismo como na cultura pop, como no que une os dois conteúdos. Entretanto, longe de ser uma análise aprofundada dos impactos do feminismo na cultura pop ou o contrário, este livro tem mais o conteúdo de um almanaque. Ele funciona assim também na sua estrutura, dando highlights dos dois movimentos em boxes, mas também apresentando no final do livro "recursos para os leitores" como sites e livros em que possa se inteirar melhor nos assuntos abordados aqui. Além de apresentar questões para pesquisas posteriores. O livro nem chega a abordar a influência da internet no feminismo ou na cultura pop e isso que é de 2008 e já existia até Facebook e Twitter naquela época. Então é isso, o livro tem muitos furos e deixa de debater mais profundamente dois assuntos que dão muito pano para manga. Uma abordam tão generalista deixa muito a desejar... (Comprei em promoção da Amazon).

[Fiona Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting look into the portrayal of women in media during a time where they were trying to change the status quo. Each chapter was a different decade and broke down the information beautifully and in a way that made the reader appreciate how far we’ve come but also understand how much farther we need to go.