Feministe: Feminist Friendly Marriages on Television… Or Not
I’m on Feministe today with my article, “Feminist Friendly Marriages on Television… Or Not“:
One year ago, I got married. As a heterosexual woman who has identified as a feminist for her entire life, the idea of marriage posed many philosophical issues for me, mostly because marriage has historically been an institution into which women have been placed, often against their will, and subsequently erased. However, knowing that I wanted to spend my life with this man and always being open to a challenge, I decided to take the plunge. And, believe it or not, fighting against patriarchal norms that come with the idea of marriage has been a piece of (wedding) cake compared to what it has taken for me to define myself as a wife in the face of what pop culture tells us wives in heterosexual relationships are supposed to be.
Of course, there are a wide variety of problems with portrayals of marriage on television. Where are positive images of same-sex marriage? Interracial marriage? Romantic cohabitation? The list goes on.