Working Girls: Gender and Sexuality in Popular Cinema [Paperback]

Yvonne Tasker (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 24, 1998 | ISBN-10: 0415140056 | ISBN-13: 978-0415140058

Working Girls investigates the thematic concerns of contemporary Hollywood cinema, and its ambivalent articulation of women as both active, and defined by sexual performance, asking whether new Hollywood cinema has responded to feminism and contemporary sexual identities.
Whether analysing the rise of films centred around female friendships, or the entrance of pop stars such as Whitney Houston and Madonna into film, Working Girls is an authoritative investigation of the presence of women both as film makers and actors in contemporary mainstream cinema.

Editorial Reviews

Review

[Tasker's] insights are brilliant and compelling. She demonstrates conclusively that, although roles for women are still not plentiful, their representations are far more proactive than before the era of feminism. Another strength of the book is the writing: Tasker's style is accessible and elegant. This book is hard to put down. This reviewer finished it with a long list of films and shows to watch or rewatch. A must for every academic and public library.
–Choice, 3/99

About the Author

Yvonne Tasker is Senior Lecturer in Film and Cultural Studies at University of Sutherland. She is the author of Spectacular Bodies (Routledge, 1993).

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Routledge (May 24, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415140056
• ISBN-13: 978-0415140058
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #753,557 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Working Girls, April 7, 2000

By 

Sbowers - See all my reviews

This review is from: Working Girls: Gender and Sexuality in Popular Cinema (Paperback)

The best thing about Yvonne Tasker's newest book, "Working Girls" is the clarity with which she discusses her subject. Too many film theorists get bogged down in discussing "theory for theory's sake," but Tasker illustrates each of her theoretical points-- for instance, the idea of "transvestism of class"-- with concrete examples from a number of films (in this case 'Working Girl' and 'Up Close and Personal'). This makes her larger and more abstract points more accessible to people who are interested in the cultural phenomenon of film, but who are "self-taught." Every time I pick up one of Tasker's books (she also wrote a fascinating study of gender and the action film called "Spectacular Bodies") I come away from it feeling educated and a little more confident in my ability to understand film and the ways in which it moves me. I look forward to her next endeavor.