Cupcakes, Pinterest, and Ladyporn: Feminized Popular Culture in the Early Twenty-First Century (Feminist Media Studies)

Media expansion into the digital realm and the continuing segregation of users into niches has led to a proliferation of cultural products targeted to and consumed by women. Though often dismissed as frivolous or excessively emotional, feminized culture in reality offers compelling insights into the American experience of the early twenty-first century. This book brings together writings from feminist critics that chart the current terrain of feminized pop cultural production. Analyzing everything from __Fifty Shades of Grey__ to Pinterest to pregnancy apps, contributors examine the economic, technological, representational, and experiential dimensions of products and phenomena that speak to, and about, the feminine. As these chapters show, the imperative of productivity currently permeating feminized pop culture has created a generation of texts that speak as much to women's roles as public and private workers as to an impulse for fantasy or escape. The book sheds new light on contemporary women's engagement with an array of media forms in the context of postfeminist culture and neoliberalism. Media expansion into the digital realm and the continuing segregation of users into niches has led to a proliferation of cultural products targeted to and consumed by women. Though often dismissed as frivolous or excessively emotional, feminized culture in reality offers compelling insights into the American experience of the early twenty-first century. Elana Levine brings together writings from feminist critics that chart the current terrain of feminized pop cultural production. Analyzing everything from Fifty Shades of Grey to Pinterest to pregnancy apps, contributors examine the economic, technological, representational, and experiential dimensions of products and phenomena that speak to, and about, the feminine. As these essays show, the imperative of productivity currently permeating feminized pop culture has created a generation of texts that speak as much to women's roles as public and private workers as to an impulse for fantasy or escape. Incisive and compelling, Cupcakes, Pinterest, and Ladyporn sheds new light on contemporary women's engagement with an array of media forms in the context of postfeminist culture and neoliberalism. | Cover Title Copyright Contents Acknowledgments Introduction: Feminized Popular Culture in the Early Twenty-first Century / Elana Levine PART I: PASSIONS 1. Fifty Shades of Postfeminism Contextualizing Readers' Reflections on the Erotic Romance Series / Melissa A. Click 2. ABC's Scandal and Black Women's Fandom / Kristen J. Warner 3. Television for All Women? Watching Lifetime's Devious Maids / Jillian Báez 4. Women, Gossip, and Celebrity Online: Celebrity Gossip Blogs as Feminized Popular Culture / Erin A. Meyers PART II: BODIES 5. Mothers, Fathers, and the Pregnancy App Experience: Designing with Expectant Users in Mind / Barbara L. Ley 6. Fashioning Feminine Fandom: Fashion Blogging and the Expression of Mediated Identity / Kyra Hunt 7. Women's Nail Polish Blogging and Femininity: "The girliest you will ever see me" / Michele White 8. Dance, Dance, Dance, Dance, Dance, Dance, Dance All Night! Mediated Audiences and Black Women's Spirituality / Beretta E. Smith-Shomade PART III: LABORS 9. Working Girls: The Precariat of Chick Lit / Suzanne Ferriss 10. After Ever After: Bethenny Frankel, Self-Branding, and the "New Intimacy of Work" / Suzanne Leonard and Diane Negra 11. Keeping Up with the Kardashians: Fame-Work and the Production of Entrepreneurial Sisterhood / Alice Leppert 12. Pinning Happiness: Affect, Social Media, and the Work of Mothers / Julie Wilson and Emily ChIve Yochim 13. Sweet Sisterhood: Cupcakes as Sites of Feminized Consumption and Production / Elizabeth Nathanson Contributors Index | "An enlightening consideration of the ways women consume media."— Bust "Taken as a whole, Cupcakes, Pinterest, and Ladyporn reads as a roundtable discussion on new roads ahead for feminist media and cultural studies more deeply concerned with issues of gender, race, and sexuality than ever."— The Velvet Light Trap " Cupcakes shows that the seemingly most traditional forms of popular culture, the sites that appear to simply reify normative femininity, are actually locations for complex and agentic negotiations of gendered, raced, and classed expectations in the often contradictory field of popular culture."— Signs | Elana Levine is an associate professor in the Department of Journalism, Advertising, and Media Studies at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. She is the author of Wallowing in Sex: The New Sexual Culture of 1970s American Television and co-author of Legitimating Television: Media Convergence and Cultural... Media expansion into the digital realm and the continuing segregation of users into niches has led to a proliferation of cultural products targeted to and consumed by women. Though often dismissed as frivolous or excessively emotional, feminized culture in reality offers compelling insights into the American experience of the early twenty-first century. Elana Levine brings together writings from feminist critics that chart the current terrain of feminized pop cultural production. Analyzing everything from Fifty Shades of Grey to Pinterest to pregnancy apps, contributors examine the economic, technological, representational, and experiential dimensions of products and phenomena that speak to, and about, the feminine. As these essays show, the imperative of productivity currently permeating feminized pop culture has created a generation of texts that speak as much to women's roles as public and private workers as to an impulse for fantasy or escape. Incisive and compelling, Cupcakes, Pinterest, and Ladyporn sheds new light on contemporary women's engagement with an array of media forms in the context of postfeminist culture and neoliberalism. | Cover Title Copyright Contents Acknowledgments Introduction: Feminized Popular Culture in the Early Twenty-first Century / Elana Levine PART I: PASSIONS 1. Fifty Shades of Postfeminism Contextualizing Readers' Reflections on the Erotic Romance Series / Melissa A. Click 2. ABC's Scandal and Black Women's Fandom / Kristen J. Warner 3. Television for All Women? Watching Lifetime's Devious Maids / Jillian Báez 4. Women, Gossip, and Celebrity Online: Celebrity Gossip Blogs as Feminized Popular Culture / Erin A. Meyers PART II: BODIES 5. Mothers, Fathers, and the Pregnancy App Experience: Designing with Expectant Users in Mind / Barbara L. Ley 6. Fashioning Feminine Fandom: Fashion Blogging and the Expression of Mediated Identity / Kyra Hunt 7. Women's Nail Polish Blogging and Femininity: "The girliest you will ever see me" / Michele White 8. Dance, Dance, Dance, Dance, Dance, Dance, Dance All Night! Mediated Audiences and Black Women's Spirituality / Beretta E. Smith-Shomade PART III: LABORS 9. Working Girls: The Precariat of Chick Lit / Suzanne Ferriss 10. After Ever After: Bethenny Frankel, Self-Branding, and the "New Intimacy of Work" / Suzanne Leonard and Diane Negra 11. Keeping Up with the Kardashians: Fame-Work and the Production of Entrepreneurial Sisterhood / Alice Leppert 12. Pinning Happiness: Affect, Social Media, and the Work of Mothers / Julie Wilson and Emily ChIve Yochim 13. Sweet Sisterhood: Cupcakes as Sites of Feminized Consumption and Production / Elizabeth Nathanson Contributors Index| "An enlightening consideration of the ways women consume media."#8212; Bust "Taken as a whole, Cupcakes, Pinterest, and Ladyporn reads as a roundtable discussion on new roads ahead for feminist media and cultural studies more deeply concerned with issues of gender, race, and sexuality than ever."#8212; The Velvet Light Trap " Cupcakes shows that the seemingly most traditional forms of popular culture, the sites that appear to simply reify normative femininity, are actually locations for complex and agentic negotiations of gendered, raced, and classed expectations in the often contradictory field of popular culture."#8212; Signs | Elana Levine is an associate professor in the Department of Journalism, Advertising, and Media Studies at the University of Wisconsin#8211;Milwaukee. She is the author of Wallowing in Sex: The New Sexual Culture of 1970s American Television and co-author of Legitimating Television: Media.. Though Often Dismissed As Frivolous Or Excessively Emotional, Feminized Culture Offers Compelling Insights Into The American Experience Of The Early Twenty-first Century. Elana Levine Brings Together Writings From Feminist Critics That Chart The Current Terrain Of Feminized Pop Cultural Production. Analyzing Everything From Fifty Shades Of Grey To Pinterest To Pregnancy Apps, Contributors Examine The Economic, Technological, Representational, And Experiential Dimensions Of Products And Phenomena That Speak To, And About, The Feminine.the Imperative Of Productivity Currently Permeating Feminized Pop Culture Has Created A Generation Of Texts That Speak As Much To Women's Roles As Public And Private Workers As To An Impulse For Fantasy Or Escape. Introduction: Feminized Popular Culture In The Early Twenty-first Century / Elana Levine -- Part I: Passions. Fifty Shades Of Postfeminism: Contextualizing Readers' Reflections On The Erotic Romance Series / Melissa A. Click -- Abc's Scandal And Black Women's Fandom / Kristen J. Warner -- Television For All Women?: Watching Lifetime's Devious Maids / Jillian Báez -- Women, Gossip, And Celebrity Online: Celebrity Gossip Blogs As Feminized Popular Culture / Erin A. Meyers -- Part Ii: Bodies. Mothers, Fathers, And The Pregnancy App Experience: Designing With Expectant Users In Mind / Barbara L. Ley -- Fashioning Feminine Fandom: Fashion Blogging And The Expression Of Mediated Identity / Kyra Hunting -- Women's Nail Polish Blogging And Femininity: The Girliest You Will Ever See Me / Michele White -- Dance, Dance, Dance, Dance, Dance, Dance, Dance All Night!: Mediated Audiences And Black Women's Spirituality / Beretta E. Smith-shomade -- Part Iii: Labors. Working Girls: The Precariat Of Chick Lit / Suzanne Ferriss -- After Ever After: Bethenny Frankel, Self-branding, And The New Intimacy Of Work / Suzanne Leonard And Diane Negra -- Keeping Up With The Kardashians: Fame-work And The Production Of Entrepreneurial Sisterhood / Alice Leppert -- Pinning Happiness: Affect, Social Media, And The Work Of Mothers / Julie Wilson And Emily Chivers Yochim -- Sweet Sisterhood: Cupcakes As Sites Of Feminized Consumption And Production / Elizabeth Nathanson. Edited By Elana Levine. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. "In a provocative return to a topic dominant in early feminist media and cultural studies, Cupcakes, Pinterest, and Ladyporn helps us to understand better the pleasures and politics of feminine popular culture at a time when its creators and consumers are negotiating both feminist and postfeminist sensibilities."--Mary Celeste Kearney "Cupcakes, Pinterest, and Ladyporn offers a concise, engaged, and fascinating set of analyses on things feminine, female, and feminist in the context of popular media culture. If you've ever wondered how new media forms like Twitter and Facebook have bigger implications for gender relations, this book is for you."--Brenda R. Weber "Levine has assembled a comprehensive set of smart, accessible, and interesting essays that truly capture f̀eminized' popular culture in the early twenty-first century United States. This will be the definitive volume on p̀ost-feminist' popular cultural productions for some time to come."--Rebecca Wanzo