The show "Desperate Housewives," on ABC, relates to Rakow's Image and Representations approach. In this image, the characters appear to fulfill the stereotypical image of a housewife from around the time of World War II that Rakow mentions in her article, even though this series airs in today's society and is a weekly obsession for many. "Houswifey, passive, wholesome and pretty (187)" women are depicted in this picture, who as a whole represent America's modern, yet traditional housewife. The fact that these women still appear very similarly to women in the ads of the past supports and proves Fishburn's myth that the American woman have remained constant throughout the years to be somewhat true. However, the myth only addressed "white" women in the past, but this image marketing a TV show today represents all races as fitting into the stereotypical housewife to avoid racial objection. It is interesting that the women in this picture actually are far from the stereotypical housewife when in character in the actual show. This image is almost a facade, hiding their true personalities and flaws.
Does feminism have the same meaning today as it did during World War II? Are women fighting for the same respect and rights today as they were then? How has the stereotypical housewife and how they are depicted changed in today's society?
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