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Hellions: Pop Culture's Rebel Women
Who is the iconic rebel? Is it a character from the legacy of James Dean or Clint Eastwood, or maybe a Beat Generation writer? Is it a woman?
Modern pop culture and the media have distorted the notion of rebellion. Classic male rebels appear sexy, nomadic—naturally rebellious—while unorthodox women are reprimanded, made to fit unrealistic roles and body images, or mocked for their decadence and self-indulgence. In order to appreciate our legacy of female rebels—and create space for future cultural icons—the notion rebellion needs to be revaluated.
From Madonna and Marilyn Monroe to the reality TV stars and hotel chain heiresses of the twenty-first century, Hellions analyzes the celebration of pop culture icons and its impact on notions of gender. Looking at these past examples, Hellions expands upon the definition of rebellion and offers a new understanding of what would be considered rebellious in the celebrity-obsessed media culture of the twenty-first century.
Modern pop culture and the media have distorted the notion of rebellion. Classic male rebels appear sexy, nomadic—naturally rebellious—while unorthodox women are reprimanded, made to fit unrealistic roles and body images, or mocked for their decadence and self-indulgence. In order to appreciate our legacy of female rebels—and create space for future cultural icons—the notion rebellion needs to be revaluated.
From Madonna and Marilyn Monroe to the reality TV stars and hotel chain heiresses of the twenty-first century, Hellions analyzes the celebration of pop culture icons and its impact on notions of gender. Looking at these past examples, Hellions expands upon the definition of rebellion and offers a new understanding of what would be considered rebellious in the celebrity-obsessed media culture of the twenty-first century.
280 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2008
3 people are currently reading
225 people want to read
About the author
Maria Raha
3 books6 followersMaria Raha is the author of Cinderella's Big Score: Women of the Punk and Indie Underground. Her nonfiction work has also appeared in Young Wives’ Tales: New Adventures in Love and Partnership (Seal Press, 2001) and The W Effect: Bush's War on Women (Feminist Press, 2004). She is the managing editor of Swingset and a contributor to Bitch: Feminist Response to Pop Culture, among other publications. Maria currently resides in Philadelphia.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 28, 2008
YOU'VE GOT TO READ THIS FUCKING BOOK!
Then read her book CINDERELLA'S BIG SCORE!
By way of review let me share my blurb on the back of the book:
Raha blazes forth to embolden all the F words! One of our keenest cultural critics has done it again, her mind on the fierce poundings where our hearts lead us! Raha is proof that it takes a rebel to know one!
AND I MEAN EVERY FUCKING WORD!
RAHA RULES!
CAConrad
http://CAConrad.blogspot.com
Then read her book CINDERELLA'S BIG SCORE!
By way of review let me share my blurb on the back of the book:
Raha blazes forth to embolden all the F words! One of our keenest cultural critics has done it again, her mind on the fierce poundings where our hearts lead us! Raha is proof that it takes a rebel to know one!
AND I MEAN EVERY FUCKING WORD!
RAHA RULES!
CAConrad
http://CAConrad.blogspot.com
May 14, 2009
hellions had a lot of potential but it didn't exactly live up to it. i felt like her critiques and observations were very superficial, looking only at what's on the surface. there was no room for any other kind of readings of these women besides what the author thought. i was also extremely bothered by the fact that any woman who decided to have children and/or get married and/or find happiness in domesticity was considered weak and not a feminist. that frustrated me a lot and put a sour mood on the book for me.
a quick read about the idea of the rebel in american popular culture, with focus on some great women and female characters, but again...it could've been so much better.
a quick read about the idea of the rebel in american popular culture, with focus on some great women and female characters, but again...it could've been so much better.
December 31, 2008
I felt this author's message was a bit inconsistent. I also found she would creatively edit some of the information she referenced in order to butress her point futher which made me doubt the veracity of the book of the opinions she was expressing.
I was also disappointed that she did not blast HBO's Sex in the City, which I find to be one of the worst, sterotypical, pathetic portrayal of women to come in a long time. I saw they SATC picture towards the end of the book and was relishing reading her rip them to shreds only to have her let out barely a whimper on them. Hmpf!
I was also disappointed that she did not blast HBO's Sex in the City, which I find to be one of the worst, sterotypical, pathetic portrayal of women to come in a long time. I saw they SATC picture towards the end of the book and was relishing reading her rip them to shreds only to have her let out barely a whimper on them. Hmpf!
Read
April 4, 2014This book opened up with some great points about rebellion. But the author seemed too judgemental to certain rebels in history. Calling some 'female rebels' out for letting themselves become sexualized when the 'rebels' the author seemed to hold in high regard as authentic were sexualized characters in the exact same way. Not to mention the many other rebelious innovators and artists she denied a real backstory to or just excluded altogether.
July 31, 2009
I was expecting more, although I don't know why. Similar in style to Raha's other book, Cinderella's Big Score, which means a lot of personal opinion and not much meat.
January 23, 2010
reading now.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews