Book Review: Tomboys, Pretty Boys, and Outspoken Women: The Media Revolution of 1973

Abstract

Edward D. Miller Tomboys, Pretty Boys, and Outspoken Women: Media Revolution of 1973. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2011. 217 pp.Narratives about omnipresence of mediatized reality featuring real people instead of actors tend to offer simplistic accounts to explain ubiquity of phenomenon. From technologically deterministic tales of doom (let's blame it on YouTube and social media) to demographic cohort perspectives eager to label and generalize (Generation Y or Millennials or Generation Next or Echo Boomers . . . or whatever follows Generation X, if there is such thing), these narratives often fail to consider that overabundance of reality programs, faux documentaries, and usergenerated content today is not result of spontaneous generation. In Tomboys, Pretty Boys, and Outspoken Women, Miller addresses birth of mediatized this fixation on presenting episodes of reality, by pointing to early 1970s, when American media discovered entertainment value of nonfiction. . . . With discovery, writes Miller, contemporary media culture began (p. 1).It is impossible not to think of one of Tom Wolfe's most famous essays, The Me Decade and Third Great Awakening, which first appeared in August 1976 issue of New York magazine. In frontal assault of narcissism on social, cultural, and political spheres, according to Wolfe, lies explanation of certain grand puzzles of 1970s, period that will come to be known as Me Decade. But Miller proposes to move beyond indulgence of me decade, cautioning perspective diminishes gains fought for and won by gays, lesbians, and feminist women and underplays new forms of expressiveness and performance that make beginning years of so dynamic and influential (p. 7). Instead, author proposes to address especially transformative first years of 1970s, in attempt to provide a full understanding of importance of cultural experimentation that went on during decade (p. 7).Seen through lens of fashion, argues Miller, the early '70s emphasized individuality, sexuality, and reluctance to adhere to gender conformity (p. 11). As result, according to author, fashion marks shiftin American culture from politics of mass protest to culture of identity politics, shiftthat produced new voices and startling new appearances (p. 11). Each chapter of Tomboys, Pretty Boys, and Outspoken Women aims to provide an example of change in American popular media culture through close reading of particular cultural event, artifact, or person that portrays new ways in which gender and sexuality were viewed (p. …