I realize that important messages about female rivalry (among other things) were inscribed in those innocent-seeming Archie comics. Underneath the placid small-town exterior, the lessons came through loud and clear: Beauty is the most important factor in winning a man’s heart—except sometimes it’s better to be nice. Women must depend on each other for friendship—except when they’re competing, as they always do. Having more money doesn’t necessarily make you better than someone else (in fact, it might even make you worse)—but it does make you more desirable. In other words, the comics summed up
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