Challenging images of women in the media

the long version

Challenging Images of Women in the Media: Reinventing Women's Lives, edited by Theresa Carilli and Jane Campbell, contains fifteen chapters addressing the status of women through an examination of depictions of women in the media. This in-depth study shows how mixed messages from the media often muddle attempts at breaking the "glass screen, " in turn causing women to constantly question their role in global culture. With cake ads followed by diet commercials, the media's message to women is both confusing and contradictory. While more and more women have begun to contribute to the media as respected anchors, talk show hosts, and commentators, these roles are counteracted by music videos and reality television shows such as Jersey Shore. This collection seeks to analyze these depictions and their effects on women and culture. The contributors to this anthology hail from such diverse locations as Japan, Australia, Pakistan, India, China, Bulgaria, and the United States. With this global focus, Challenging Images of Women in the Media scrutinizes issues of race, ethnicity, class, and sexuality through a study of gendered media portrayals. By challenging the status quo of media images, the contributors to this essential volume invite a dialogue about women's lives.