Geek Chic: Smart Women in Popular Culture

by Sherrie A. Inness (Editor)

Mainstream society has often had a deeply rooted fear of intelligent women. Why do brilliant women make society ill at ease? Focusing on the US, Sherrie Inness and contributors explore this question in the context of the last two decades, arguing that more intelligent women are appearing in popular culture than ever before.

Genres: Nonfiction, Pop Culture

213 pages, Paperback

First published May 15, 2007

Reviews

[Genna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I shouldn't put off writing reviews because I forget details, but my general impression was that I liked this book very much while, at the same time, noticing that some of the points it made were perhaps picking and choosing a bit more than is totally fair. I wish I could remember concrete examples of what I mean, but I remember thinking at a few points through this book that if the character they were using as an example had acted completely oppositely, the writer would still have found a way to criticize the way she was portrayed as a female character.

Also the chapter on Super Slacker Girls hit a bit close to home:

"The domestic and economic relationships that have created the new consciousness are not likely to improve... The choices for young people will be increasingly constricted. In a few years, a steady job at a mall outlet or a food chain may be all that's left for the majority of college graduates. Life is more and more like a lottery. Slacking is thus a rational response to casino capitalism, the randomization of success, and the utter arbitrariness of power. If no talent is still enough, why bother to hone your skills? If it is impossible to find a good job, why not slack out and enjoy life?" (p. 89)

[Elise · Rating 3 out of 5]

I approve of the overall idea. I would have appreciated this book much more if I had ever seen the shows mentioned. Originally, I picked this book up because of the Gilmore Girls reference and I enjoyed the chapters about Dead Like Me and Bewitched. But the rest? I get the gist of the show from the chapters.

Pop culture references aside, the idea that women are rarely portrayed as capable and intelligent is fascinating. I thoroughly enjoyed the explanations and research.

[Maddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the chapter about girls in the media with glasses, the chapter about lawyers, the chapter about women in politics in the media, and the chapter about Hillary Clinton. However the essays about female professors and slackers were terrible. I could barely suffer through them without dying of boredom.

Overall, this was a very informative book and opened my eyes to the portrayal of women in the media compared to portrayal of men in the same roles.

[Judith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm currently reading this collection of essays about "smart women in popular culture". I'm find the quality a bit variable--the essay of "Bewitched" was a huge disappointment, while the ones on "Gilmore Girls" and slacker young women ("Wonderfalls", "Dead Like Me" and "Joan of Arcadia") were terrific.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up because of the chapter that references Gilmore Girls, but all of the essays were thought-provoking, entertaining, and educational.