Short Response to "Fantasies of Power"

While reading "Fantasies of Power" by Susan Douglas, I realized that I, along with many of my girlfriends, have been duped by the belief that sexism is obsolete, a thing of the past. I believed that women can work hard and achieve great things, regardless of their sex, sexual orientation of social status. However, while I still believe this is true, I see how my obsession with trashy TV shows such as The Real Housewives of New York, perpetuate the steriotypes about women and rob me of the valuable lessons I have learned like self empowerment and "girl power." Glued to the TV, I watch these women clad in designer duds trashing each other's reputations, only to make up the next episode so as to maintain their acception into an "exclusive" clique. As a believer in feminism and a person who views herself as valuable and just as important as any male out there, I have overlooked these dipictions of women who have "made it," as women who are caddy and obsessed with their appearance. While these women take control in their lives, they are the perfect representation of enlightened feminism, which Douglas criticizes.

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Julie Tarallo