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Jennifer L. Pozner and Jessica Seigal, media mavens, debate on whether TV super-hit, 'Desperate Housewives' is a feminist pleasure or a sexist Hollywood crap. Seigal believes that this show skewers the myth of motherhood and suburban bliss with feminine mystique while Pozner feels it is more dangerous than a simple guilty pleasure with its backlash humor hawking conservative ideology.

JENNIFER L. POZNER: Your primary claim in Getting Even is that 'Over her working lifetime, a woman will lose between $700,000 and $2 million,' and that women still earn approximately [...]

Reality shows are increasing as these shows are narratives and they reflect and reinforce deeply imagined social biases about women, men, love, beauty, class and race. It's easy to understand what network execs see in reality shows due to high ratings, low production costs, and lucrative production-placement revenues.

Light on political theory but full of stories about the ways gender politics trickle into our daily lives, She's Not There, which became a New York Times bestseller, is subversive, [...]

Behind the hype and fluff, does either candidate offer anything to women? Feminists have been talking about the electoral gender gap since the early 1980s, but DC's power-brokers have finally [...]

The Fire This Time: Young Activists and the New Feminism edited by Vivien Labaton and Dawn Lundy Martin. New York: Anchor Books, 2004, 346 pp., 14.95 paper. According to the [...]

She's Not There: A Life In Two Genders by Jennifer Finney Boylan. New York: Broadway Books, 2003, 320 pp., $24.95 hardcover, $14.95 paper. When novelist James Boylan was a young [...]

Let's call it 'The Case of the Missing Gender Gap.' Ever since September 11, corporate media have denied that men and women have significant differences of opinion on terrorism and [...]

The article offers information on the relations between U.S. President Donald Trump and mass media industry in the U.S. It mentions views of television producer Mark Burnett on the strategies of Trump which led multiple companies and casinos into bankruptcy, and trial for fraud. It states the roles played by NBC news and MSNBC in raising ascent of Trump.

The US media has been very careful to present the official view of military action in Afghanistan. A wide range of information has been withheld, and reporters have aligned themselves with politicians.

The mainstream US media show support for President Bush for fear of losing access to the power that surrounds him. Major publications and television networks are choosing to play down any questioning of Bush's legitimacy, and are focusing instead on depicting images of his affability.

The mainstream media often enlists women to proclaim that the wage gap is either the fault of feminists (Kate O'Beirne's National Review article '59 Cents, and Other Rot--A took at [...]

Women's Review writers and readers let us know what they're reading in their spare time. Having just read several heavily documented condemnations of US journalism (The Exception to the Rulers: [...]

BY DANIELLE CRITTENDEN Yes: By marrying young, women will be happier as wives, mothers and employees. A beleaguered male friend of mine once joked, 'It's not what the modern girl [...]

An excerpt from the book "Reality Bites Back: How Guilty Pleasure TV is Making Us Sexist, Shallow, and Socially Irresponsible," by Jennifer L. Pozner is presented.

This article presents information on several feminist agendas including reproductive rights, health care, violence against women, poverty, global affairs and more in the U.S. The author reports that the election in the country was the end of the American left's failure to prioritize not only the systematic sidelining of the voices of women, people of color, labor and other public interest representatives in media but also structural and institutional biases within the mass media industry that includes deregulation, corporate consolidation, advertising and economic pressures and access and distribution issues. He refers to the book "Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women," by journalist Susan Faludi. It provided details as to how the religious right used the mainstream media to disrepute feminism through a coup by euphemism, in which repressive, regressive opposition to women's reproductive rights, sexual freedom and women's mass entry into the workplace was relabeled pro-life, pro-motherhood and pro-family.

Debates on the issue of early marriage as the best choice for women in the United States. Problem of modern women on reconciling the old with the new values; Discussion on New Traditionalism; Increasing financial need for work by middle-class women.

Focuses on the story of American woman aviator Jerrie M. Cobb and her aborted dream of being the first woman in space flight. Renewed interest in her story following the second space flight made by U.S. Senator John Glenn in 1998; Information on the program by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration that trained women astronauts, participated by Cobb; Role of Glenn in the termination of the Mercury 13 space program; Eagerness of Cobb to achieve her dream.

Focuses on the reputation and exposure of women on reality television programs in the U.S. Results of the growth of more profitable so-called unscripted reality programming shows; Reality programs viewed weekly on televisions; Impact of the shows on women's lives.

Interviews transsexual novelist Jennifer Finney Boylan. Expectations about becoming a female; Experience of going through second adolescence; Adoption of behavior associated with women; Discussion on her book "She Not Thee: A Life in Two Genders."

Interviews Jean Kilbourne, an ad critic and author of "Can't Buy My Love: How Advertising Changes the way We Think and Feel," regarding her thought about advertising's effect on women, children, media and society. Dependence of a film on product placements; Effect of media mergers on people's access to information; Accuracy of the equation of liberation with a pair of $150 sneaker.

Focuses on the involvement of United States presidential candidates George W. Bush and Al Gore on issues concerning women. Contradictions in the actions of Bush regarding women's rights to protection; Implication of feminist involvement in Gore's campaign; National debates within the feminist community.

Analyzes the significance of the appointment of Carly Fiorina as the CEO of Hewlett-Packard to sex discrimination in employment in the U.S. in 1999. Percentage of women in the U.S. labor force; Statistics of women executives in U.S. corporations; Promotion of women executives at Hewlett-Packard.

Reports on the recipients of the Second Annual Whopper Awards in the U.S. in 1999. Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation; National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; Federal Communications Commission.

Presents an excerpt from an article which appeared in the February 22, 1999 issue of "Insight on the News" magazine, regarding the points made by the book "What Our Mothers Didn't Tell Us: Why Happiness Eludes the Modern Woman."

Opposes an advertising campaign by right-wing groups' that claims they are persecuted by homosexual activists, the liberal media and the U.S. government. Approach used by anti-gay Christians to show they are motivated more by love than hate; Explanation for the debt of gratitude based on the advertisement; Claim on the acceptance of homosexuality by the U.S. due to decades of activism and societal growth.

Focuses on the depiction of feminism portrayed by Ally McBeal, the lead character of the television program "Ally McBeal." Personal qualities of McBeal; Opinions of women and feminists about her; Difference between McBeal and real women.

Presents information on several sources of information on the promotion of the feminist movement in the U.S. Magazines; Books; Motion pictures.

Focuses on the coverage of gender differences between men and women in the "Sex War" series of the NBC station. Goal of the series; Views of Republican strategist Jay Severin on sexual harassment in the workplace; Recommendations given to the station regarding its coverage of sexist topics.

The article discusses the reality behind reality television (TV) programs in the U.S. which include "Survivor," "The Amazing Race" and "American Idol." It notes that "Survivor" introduced the reality genre and was also a test case for the power of the new TV/radio/billboard conglomerate. According to author Jennifer Pozner, media conglomerates used their major news outlets as promotional vehicles for this particular genre of entertainment.

The article discusses the paper "Don't Marry Career Women: How do Women, Careers and Marriage Mix? Not Well, Say Social Scientists," by "Forbes" magazine editor Michael Noer. The paper offers pieces of advice for male readers concerning women. Some of the sources used by Noer in his paper are mentioned such as conservative-funded studies and widely debunked statistics.

The article focuses on film actor George Clooney's advocacy for international intervention in Darfur, Sudan. The TV news program "Good Morning America" provided a discussion on the concept of the celebrity's cause. NBC TV host Katie Couric portrays the liberal politics of Clooney as a personal liability. Added to that, a segment on donor fatigue in the wake of numerous natural disasters portrayed the actor's advocacy as bad for the U.S.

Reports that the United States corporate media have denied that men and women have significant differences in opinion on terrorism and war. Percentage of women who favor a broad military effort; Percentage of men who favored limiting retaliation to punishing the specific groups responsible for the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks; Alternatives to the post-September 11 events.

Features the participation of United States Press Corps in propagandizing the US war against terrorism. Influence of the media on the opinions of the public; Details on the patriotic duties of the media; Information on the gender gap in the media.

Focuses on the censorship issues faced by feminist singers Ani DiFranco and Sarah Jones in the U.S. Reasons of the producers of "The David Letterman Show," for canceling the scheduled performance of DiFranco; Lyrics of the songs "Subdivision," by DiFranco and "Your Revolution," by Jones; Allegations of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission against the song of Jones; Impact of increasing media mergers on mass media.

Focuses on the Global Democracy Promotion Act or global gag rule, an executive order issued by U.S. President George W. Bush which attempts to restrict the worldwide free flow of information about women's reproductive health options. Provisions of the gag rule; Rule on public information campaigns on abortion included in the executive order; Implications of the gag rule for national and international media reporting of abortion and reproductive health issues.

Discusses how the media trivializes women in politics in the U.S. by focusing on their physical appearance. Comment on the appetite of U.S. First Lady Laura Bush; Purpose of describing the physical appearance of women public officers; Reason behind the difference in the media coverage received by male and female public officers.

Explores the allegations of significant harassment of minority voters in Florida and in other areas in the U.S. during the presidential elections. Civil rights groups that requested the U.S. Department of Justice to pursue a federal investigation regarding the allegations; Provision of the Voting Rights Act of 1965; Forms of harassment witnessed by Charles Weaver, publisher of "Community Voice."

Discusses the challenges faced by progressive feminist news outlets and its impact on feminism. List of radio programs in the U.S. in 2000 hosted by feminists; Background on the conflict between "Democracy Now!" host Amy Goodman and the radio network Pacifica; Achievements of Goodman in the field of radio broadcasting; Significance of the radio program "Democracy Now!" of Pacifica to the women's movement.

Focuses on the controversy caused by John Paulk, an ex-gay and a staff at the antigay organization Focus on the Family, when he was seen on September 19, 2000 at the gay bar Mr. P's in Washington, D.C. Plans of antigay groups for launching the Truth in Love advertising campaign that promotes homosexual conversion; Excuse offered by Paulk for being at Mr. P's; Issue on homosexual conversion.

Criticizes an article featured in the September issue of the periodical "Men's Health." Overview of the article which ranked the most male friendly universities in the U.S.; Views of several male college students regarding the facilities offered by their universities; Comments against inaccurate statistical information featured in the article regarding the incidence of rape and sexual assault in campuses.

Discusses the rejection of a television advertising campaign produced by the Pro-Choice Public Education Project (PEP) by U.S. television networks in 2004. Background on advertising campaigns focused on pro-life movements; Information on the advertising campaign produced by PEP; Reasons of the networks for rejecting the advertising campaign.

Relates some media blunders published in U.S. periodicals in 2000. High death rates of children in low-income Brooklyn communities; Use of sex by young businesswomen to advance professionally; Theory on the occurrence of rape according to evolutionary psychologist Randy Thornhill and university professor Craig Palmer.

Presents information on several television programs that received the 1999 Fall Television Whoppers award as of January 2000. Reason actor Topher Grace of "That 70s show" got to play the lead character of the sitcom; Criticism given to Joss Whedon, creator of "Buffy: The Vampire Slayer"; Information on the edpisode of "Ally McBeal" about female psychosexual desires.

Interviews book author Susan Faludi about her book "Stiffed: The Betrayal of the American Man." Purposes of the writing of the book; Relations between men's and women's culture; Importance of men in the society.