Gilmore Girls and the Politics of Identity: Essays on Family and Feminism in the Television Series (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780786437276)

This work examines the Gilmore Girls from a post-feminist perspective, evaluating how the show's main female characters and supporting cast fit into the classic portrayal of feminine identity on popular television. The book begins by placing Gilmore Girls in the context of the history of feminism and feminist television shows such as Mary Tyler Moore and One Day at a Time. The remainder of the essays look at series' portrayal of traditional and non-traditional gender identities and familial relationships. Topics include the hyper-real utopia represented by Gilmore Girls' fictional Stars Hollow; the faux-feminist perspective offered by Rory Gilmore's unfulfilling (and often masochistic) romantic relationships; the ways in which ""mean girl"" Paris Geller both adheres to and departs from the traditional archetype of female power and aggression; and the role of Lorelai Gilmore's oft-criticized marriage in destroying the show's central theme of single motherhood during its seventh season. The work also studies the role of food and its consumption as a narrative device throughout the show's development, evaluating the ways in which food negotiates, defines, and upholds the characters' gendered and class performances. The work also includes a complete episode guide listing the air date, title, writer, and director of every episode in the series.

Author: Ritch Calvin
ISBN-10: 0786437278
ISBN-13: 9780786437276
Publisher: McFarland and Company, Inc.
Language: English
Published: 06/01/2008
Pages: 229
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.72lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.55w x 0.54d