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Mary Tyler Moore Show Research Paper

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Chapter 2: Women in the workplace: The New Era Women From The Mary Tyler Moore Show to Parks and Recreation.

The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Women in the 1960’s was limited in all aspects of her life from family and home to the workplace. A woman was expected to set out on the path that was created for her. Even if women were lucky enough to have a career, they were limited to a job as a nurse, teacher or a secretary and at the time there was only 38% of women who held a job in America. In 1962, Betty Friedan released the book The Feminine Mystique describing the frustration of a generation who felt unfulfilled and trapped. Calling on women to seek fulfillment in their lives outside of the home and forge a career for themselves. This book is what …show more content…

Second wave feminism was out in full force by the start of the 1970’s, although the concept of gender equality were now becoming more mainstream, television were still trailing behind the changing position of women in society. Although the television sitcom was trailing behind the feminist movement and it’s influence. The Mary Tyler Moore Show was the first sign of a new era of female representation being on the horizon for television. The era of new woman had replaced the likes of housewives like Lucy. The Mary Tyler Moore Show was widely regarded as “television’s first serious concession to a changed world where middle class daughters leave home, earn their living, and remain single”. Mary Tyler Moore had a very successful run until it ended in 1977 receiving high ratings and making history as the first show to receive 29 Emmy Awards nominations. The show followed the life of Mary Richards a single, career woman who worked as an associate producer at a local news network. Mary is frequently positioned as a foil to her wacky friends and coworkers, though she is not immune to the awkwardness and embarrassments of dating and romance, or the frustrations of being a woman in a workplace designed for and dominated by men. Although The Mary Tyler Moore Show bought a new groundbreaking perspective to television, the producers of the show were very careful to not …show more content…

Mary Richards was smart, sweet and full enthusiasm but her most important factor was her commitment to her friendships and her career, rather than being committed to a man. A study conducted by Bonnie Dow examined the Mary Tyler Moore Show and it’s long lasting impact on how women are depicted on television.Dow stated that the show was the example of the new era working woman and laid the groundwork for “what has come to be the most visible indicator of the influence and representation of feminism on television”. Dow coined the term lifestyle feminism, in that the character’s feminism is expressed through how they live rather than directly being involved in the feminist movement. Stating that The Mary Tyler Moore Show blended New Womanhood with the traditional True Womanhood. As Mary Richards, brought true womanhood to the workplace. All the while, retaining structure of the patriarchy of the domestic sitcom, but her lifestyle feminism and personality made her less of a threat to the audience, who were uncertain about the changes occuring in society. Although, the character still embraced new womanhood by challenging previous female representations in television. Even stating that “work was not just a prelude to marriage but could form the center of a satisfying life for a woman in the way that it presumably did for me”.The impact of The Mary Tyler Moore

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