Motherhood Misconceived

Representing the Maternal in U.S. Films

By Elaine Roth, Heather Addison, Mary Kate Goodwin-Kelly | Publisher: State University of New York Press

About the book

As celebrities sporting \"baby bumps,\" politicians, Olympic athletes, and talk show guests, mothers are ubiquitous throughout U.S. media and popular culture. Like lightning rods, these high-profile mothers attract accolades and judgments associated with ideals of female sexuality, gender roles, and constructions of contemporary families. Motherhood Misconceived explores this widespread cultural fascination with motherhood through analyses of mothers in contemporary U.S. film, including both mainstream and independent cinematic representations. The contributors draw on a variety of critical approaches to consider the spectacle of pregnancy; mother-daughter relationships; mothers as predators, narcissists, and absent victims; and the ways in which cultural anxieties are displaced and projected onto marginalized mothers in films such as Fargo; Transamerica; Gas, Food, Lodging; Ordinary People; and Scream. Ideal for women's studies or film studies classes, Motherhood Misconceived will help students contextualize current debates about motherhood as they play out in popular and independent film.

Editions of Motherhood Misconceived

Hardcover
ISBN 9781438428116
Paperback
ISBN 9781438428123
PDF
ISBN 9781438428154

Read an Excerpt

As celebrities sporting \"baby bumps,\" politicians, Olympic athletes, and talk show guests, mothers are ubiquitous throughout U.S. media and popular culture. Like lightning rods, these high-profile mothers attract accolades and judgments associated with ideals of female sexuality, gender roles, and constructions of contemporary families. Motherhood Misconceived explores this widespread cultural fascination with motherhood through analyses of mothers in contemporary U.S. film, including both mainstream and independent cinematic representations. The contributors draw on a variety of critical approaches to consider the spectacle of pregnancy; mother-daughter relationships; mothers as predators, narcissists, and absent victims; and the ways in which cultural anxieties are displaced and projected onto marginalized mothers in films such as Fargo; Transamerica; Gas, Food, Lodging; Ordinary People; and Scream. Ideal for women's studies or film studies classes, Motherhood Misconceived will help students contextualize current debates about motherhood as they play out in popular and independent film.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Motherhood Misconceived about?

As celebrities sporting \"baby bumps,\" politicians, Olympic athletes, and talk show guests, mothers are ubiquitous throughout U.S. media and popular culture. Like lightning rods, these high-profile mothers attract accolades and judgments associated with ideals of female sexuality, gender roles, and constructions of contemporary families. Motherhood Misconceived explores this widespread cultural fascination with motherhood through analyses of mothers in contemporary U.S. film, including both mainstream and independent cinematic representations. The contributors draw on a variety of critical approaches to consider the spectacle of pregnancy; mother-daughter relationships; mothers as predators, narcissists, and absent victims; and the ways in which cultural anxieties are displaced and projected onto marginalized mothers in films such as Fargo; Transamerica; Gas, Food, Lodging; Ordinary People; and Scream. Ideal for women's studies or film studies classes, Motherhood Misconceived will help students contextualize current debates about motherhood as they play out in popular and independent film.

What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Motherhood Misconceived?

Society and Social Sciences > Society and culture: general > Social groups, communities and identities > Gender studies, gender groups > Gender studies: women and girls

Where can I read a sample of Motherhood Misconceived?

You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781438428116

How long is Motherhood Misconceived and how many pages does it have?

Motherhood Misconceived has 277 page(s)

Who is/are the Author/s of the book Motherhood Misconceived?

Elaine Roth, Heather Addison, Mary Kate Goodwin-Kelly

Who is the Publisher of the book Motherhood Misconceived?

State University of New York Press

What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?

Motherhood Misconceived is available as hardcover(ISBN 9781438428116) and paperback(ISBN 9781438428123) and pdf(ISBN 9781438428154)

Where can I buy Motherhood Misconceived online or support local independent bookshops?

You can buy Motherhood Misconceived from below

Where can I buy Motherhood Misconceived?