Postive Depictions of Women - Media Role Models
We all recognize that the media frequently puts forth images of women that are unrealistic and, at worst, harmful. But often they are balanced by depictions that provide positive role models. These women may not be beautiful or glamorous, but they reflect who we are and how we want to be regarded - not as objects but as equals.
Diahann Carroll and "Julia"
Though few may remember, television history was made in 1968 when "Julia" went on the air, featuring the first African American woman to play a leading role in a TV series. Diahann Carroll played a single mother raising a son after her husband's death in Vietnam. Her character Julia, a registered nurse, introduced prime-time viewers to a non-stereotyped image of a middle-class African American.
Though few may remember, television history was made in 1968 when "Julia" went on the air, featuring the first African American woman to play a leading role in a TV series. Diahann Carroll played a single mother raising a son after her husband's death in Vietnam. Her character Julia, a registered nurse, introduced prime-time viewers to a non-stereotyped image of a middle-class African American.
Marlo Thomas and "That Girl"
The show may seem overly innocent today in a society re-educated by "Sex and the City." But "That Girl," starring Marlo Thomas, was one of the earliest TV depictions of a single working woman trying to establish her independence, and paved the way for later hits such as "The Mary Tyler Moore Show."
The show may seem overly innocent today in a society re-educated by "Sex and the City." But "That Girl," starring Marlo Thomas, was one of the earliest TV depictions of a single working woman trying to establish her independence, and paved the way for later hits such as "The Mary Tyler Moore Show."
Bea Arthur and "Maude"
A spin-off of the highly successful show "All in the Family," "Maude" featured a liberal progressive suburban woman, played by Bea Arthur, negotiating her life and her rocky fourth marriage. In its six-year run it tackled a number of highly charged topics such as abortion, birth control, depression, alcoholism, and feminism.
A spin-off of the highly successful show "All in the Family," "Maude" featured a liberal progressive suburban woman, played by Bea Arthur, negotiating her life and her rocky fourth marriage. In its six-year run it tackled a number of highly charged topics such as abortion, birth control, depression, alcoholism, and feminism.