Reading 'Desperate Housewives': Beyond the White Picket Fence (Reading Contemporary Television) (Paperback)

by Janet McCabe (Co-editor), Kim Akass (Co-editor)
Key Phrases: desperate housewives, teenage gardener, confessional exchange, Mary Alice, Wisteria Lane, Bree Van de Kamp (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The darkly comic series about the secret lives of Bree, Gabrielle, Lynette, Susan and the other ladies living on Wisteria Lane became an instant breakthrough hit when it premiered in the fall of 2004. Reading Desperate Housewives offers a wide-ranging critical assessment of one of the most talked about shows on American television, dissecting its appeal and tapping into early responses to the show and the controversy surrounding it. Essays consider such diverse issues as its representation of the war of the sexes and how it illuminates contemporary feminism, Republican politics and the rise of the Right, gender and femininity, motherhood and marriage--as well as the rumors surrounding that notorious Vanity Fair cover shoot. Also including an episode guide, this enjoyable companion asks: Has this show done for suburban women what Sex and the City did for the single girl?

Book Description

The darkly comic series about the secret lives of Bree, Gabrielle, Lynette, Susan and the other ladies living on Wisteria Lane became an instant breakthrough hit when it premiered in the fall of 2004. Reading Desperate Housewives offers a wide-ranging critical assessment of one of the most talked about shows on American television, dissecting its appeal and tapping into early responses to the show and the controversy surrounding it. Essays consider such diverse issues as its representation of the war of the sexes and how it illuminates contemporary feminism, Republican politics and the rise of the Right, gender and femininity, motherhood and marriage--as well as the rumors surrounding that notorious Vanity Fair cover shoot. Also including an episode guide, this enjoyable companion asks: Has this show done for suburban women what Sex and the City did for the single girl?

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: I. B. Tauris (September 19, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1845112202
• ISBN-13: 978-1845112202
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #700,443 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Academic, dry, February 9, 2007

By	O. Brown "Ms. O. Khannah-Brown" (Twopeas, WA) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

***
I bought this book as a fan of Desperate Housewives. It is, however, inappropriate for most fans. It is a collection of 17 essays on DH, primarily feminist writings. I slogged through three essays and gave up. They seem to be well-written, but they were just too academic and dry for me.

The chapters are (1) Culture, (2) Sexual Politics, (3) Genre, Gender, and Cultural Myths, (4) Narrative, Confssion and Intimacy. All of these topics are of interest to me, but I still couldn't handle the writing style and content---just too dry and frankly, boring. If you are looking for very serious, academic writing, and are a DH fan, you could potentially enjoy this book.

The book includes an episode guide for seasons one and two, an extensive bibliography, an index, and a film and tv guide. The authors are all distinguished writers and critics. It seems to me that it would be a great resource for a graduate level media class. I would not ever recommend it for regular fans, however, even committed ones like me.
***