Feminine and Feminist Transformation in Popular Culture

Abstract

Most communication research concerning women's magazines addresses the negative implications these popular culture artifacts have on women's identities in terms of constructing specific notions of femininity and appropriating feminist ideals. However, there has been little research on popular culture artifacts that explicitly contradict the messages of most contemporary women's magazines. This study applies and extends radical feminist Mary Daly's philosophical and rhetorical theories to a radically unique artifact, Bust magazine, to uncover the ways this magazine contributes to today's feminine and feminist transformation. The application of Daly's theoretical principles facilitates this study's conclusion: that Bust is situated in a new space that uses humor as a means of resistance and control, and employs the power of language to combat patriarchal social control. This exploration of Bust also extends Daly's theories to generate transformative strategies to address the specific demands of particular contexts, especially for the newest generation of young women.

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