A Critical Forum on Media and Culture
Bonnie J. Dow looks at the legacy of Mary Tyler Moore and feminism, the feminist movements of the 1970’s, and the Women’s March of 2017, and reminds us of the importance of strong female communities.
Elana Levine traces the slow pace of social change on 1970s sitcoms, exploring the connections between MTM, Maude, One Day at a Time, Alice, Charlie’s Angels, and Wonder Woman.
Jane Feuer looks back on what The Mary Tyler Moore Show meant to her as a college student and then as a television scholar.
Emily Hoffman discusses the ways in which The Mary Tyler Moore Show demonstrates the possible messiness of motherhood and daughterhood without relying on sitcom conventions.
Remembering Mary Tyler Moore, Gerald Walton addresses the personal possibilities and pitfalls of identifying with the character of Mary Richards from a queer perspective.
Jennifer Fogel explores an often overlooked aspect of Mary Richards’ personality: her vulnerability. Mary waffled, wobbled, and “made it on her own”–a lesson still valuable to contemporary viewers.
Charisse L’Pree examines the historical representation of women in the sitcom and traces the development of what she terms the “Single City Girl” archetype.
