03.25.07
Post-Feminism
In her article “Post-Feminism and Popular Culture,” Angela McRobbie defines post-feminism as “an active process by which feminist gains of the 1970’s and 80’s come to be undermined…[and] elements of contemporary popular culture are perniciously effective in regard to this undoing of feminism, while simultaneously appearing to be engaging in a well-informed and even well-intended response to feminism”(255). She argues that this is accomplished through the false belief that feminist goals have already been achieved, rendering feminism obsolete. McRobbie points to 1990 as a turning point in feminist theory where, “there is a shift away from feminist interest in centralized power blocks…[where] the body and also the subject come to represent a focal point for feminist interest” (256). It was also the period in which feminism achieved popular representation and expression. McRobbie identifies Bridget Jones’ Diary as a “more gentle denunciation of feminism” (257), but nevertheless, believes the film has contributed greatly to the fact that “feminist effectivity…has [been] cast out, entombed for social organization to once again become intelligible” (258). Today, McRobbie bots, the media is the primary source for defining the rules of sexual conduct. McRobbie believes, as a result, “a specter of feminism in invoked so that it might be undone; for male viewers tradition is restored or as Beck puts it there is ‘constructed certitude, while for the girls what is proposed is a movement beyond feminism, to a more comfortable zone where women are now free to choose for themselves” (259). McRobbie then briefly discusses the idea of female individualism in the theories of Ulrich Beck and Elisabeth Beck-Gernsheim, Zygmunt Bauman, and Nikolas Rose before moving to a discussion of Bridget Jones. McRobbie believes “Bridget portrays the whole spectrum of attributes associated with the self-monitoring subject; she confides in her friends, she keeps a diary, she endlessly reflects on her fluctuating weight, noting her calorie intake, she plans, plots, and has projects. She is also deeply uncertain as to what the future holds for her” (261). McRobbie reads the scene where Bridget fantasizes about her wedding to Daniel Cleaver as Bridget fantasizing about tradition as a result of “the burden of self-management so apparent” (262).
This article confused me quite a bit, mostly because I believe the author contradicted herself throughout the article. Its pretty short, and interesting, so if someone else would like to read it and let me know what they think, I’d really appreciate it!