Performance of feminine discourse indesigning women

Abstract

The performance of feminine discourse in the television situation comedy Designing Women blurs distinctions between public discourse and the often devalued “private talk” of women. Through narratives that are driven by the talk among four women, Designing Women emphasizes the potential of women's talk for challenging patriarchal definitions and attitudes and for empowering women who participate in it. As a public text, Designing Women also contains the potential to empower its female viewers through its positive depiction of typically female modes of communication and its sometimes radical analysis of women's issues. The feminist import of Designing Women, however, is tempered by hegemonic elements embedded within the program, illustrating the negotiation between hegemonic and progressive elements that is common for commercial television programming. Such negotiation can function positively as a strategic device that may augment the appeal of Designing Women’s empowering message for a diverse audience.