The season of the vagina : a third-wave feminist analysis of the television series New girl and Girls
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Authors
Tully, Meg E. (Margaret E.)
Advisor
McCauliff, Kristen L.
Issue Date
2013-05-04
Keyword
Degree
Thesis (M.A.)
Department
Department of Communication Studies
Other Identifiers
CardCat URL
Abstract
This thesis examines two of the female-driven sitcoms from the 2011-2012 season, New Girl and Girls. I analyze both series from a third-wave feminist perspective, looking at how each series portrays its respective lead character, Jess and Hannah, and how each series portrays funny women in general. Through these analyses, I ultimately argue that Jess on New Girl represents a much more promising feminist icon than Hannah on Girls. This is mainly because Jess is driven by self-love and self-confidence while Hannah is so defined by her self-hatred that she becomes difficult for viewers to relate. Most disappointingly, I find that female-driven sitcoms use humor as a weapon to discipline its characters.