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A review by vicgolding
90s Bitch: Media, Culture, and the Failed Promise of Gender Equality by Allison Yarrow
3.0
Upon first glance, highly publicised events and progressions of the 90s may fool us into thinking that gender equality and real, stable change had finally arrived. 1992 had even been named the “Year of the Woman”. However, after further inspection of the pop culture, press and scandals of the day - these three always working in concert - Yarrow reveals how the progress was superficial and misleading. This and our blissful ignorance, argues Yarrow, paved way for contemporary manifestations of misogyny. Fast-forward to the 21st century and gender disparity is still as present as ever, just packaged differently.
My main takeaway from this book is that media does not simply pass us by. We internalise what we consume and the past informs the present. We must always be on the alert, always inquisitive and keeping in mind how our present will form the future. In the epilogue, Hilary Clinton’s failure in the 2016 election is presented as the paradigm for what will happen if we don’t.
What irks me about the epilogue is Yarrow’s failure to mention that 52% of non-college-educated and 45% of college-educated white women voted for Trump, as opposed to 95 and 98% non-college- and college-educated black women respectively, which strikes me as vital information and perhaps a key missing piece of the puzzle. For this reason, despite all her commendable efforts, I suspect Yarrow views gender inequality through a lens more white than whole.
My main takeaway from this book is that media does not simply pass us by. We internalise what we consume and the past informs the present. We must always be on the alert, always inquisitive and keeping in mind how our present will form the future. In the epilogue, Hilary Clinton’s failure in the 2016 election is presented as the paradigm for what will happen if we don’t.
What irks me about the epilogue is Yarrow’s failure to mention that 52% of non-college-educated and 45% of college-educated white women voted for Trump, as opposed to 95 and 98% non-college- and college-educated black women respectively, which strikes me as vital information and perhaps a key missing piece of the puzzle. For this reason, despite all her commendable efforts, I suspect Yarrow views gender inequality through a lens more white than whole.