bad mother what?
My paper is on media images of motherhood. I begin by analyzing and critiquing the problematics of corporate media's images of motherhood, which are often stereotypical and offensive. I then argue that feminists need to make and use their own forms of independent media to put forward more complex and positive counter-images.
Corporate media often shows motherhood as a series of idealized or demonized stereotypes. Mothers can be depicted as frumpy housewives, sexy MILFs or racialized, classed and pathologized welfare queens, but they are rarely shown as the complete or complex human beings they are.
Fortunately, corporate media is not the be-all and end-all of media. Independent media is very much alive and thriving, particularly in the technological age we live in. Forms of media such as blogs, vlogs, documentary video and digital stories are some of the ways that people who may not be heard by the mainstream media can put their voices and messages out there with relative inexpense and ease.
Feminist mothers can and must make their own media to can put forward their own images of motherhood, that show motherhood in all of its powerful, terrifying beauty and mothers in all of their intensity and complexity. These images can allow mothers to tell their and their childrens' stories. In doing so, they can show the world the ways that intersectional identities affect motherhood and vice versa, counter the stereotypes, and create a new narrative that can only have positive effects for them, their children, and motherhood itself.
Comments
You should post your paper. I'd read it.
Posted by: Debbie | May 6, 2008 3:20 PM
Interesting topic. Very thorough! Good job!
Posted by: Bethany Khan | May 6, 2008 3:20 PM
very different approach than the rest of the class but i like your ideas and thought about your final paper.
Posted by: Anonymous | May 6, 2008 3:26 PM