Helford, E: Fantasy Girls

A new collection on women in American television in the 90s uncovers a cultural obsession with tough yet sexy heroines in mythical pasts, the 'girl power' present, and utopic futures. Xena, Buffy, Sabrina, and a host of other characters have become household words, as well as icons of pop culture 'feminism.' Their popularity makes for successful programming, however, how much does this trend truly represent a contemporary feminist breakthrough? And what does it mean for feminism in the next few decades? Fantasy Girls: Navigating the New Universe of Science Fiction and Fantasy Television seeks to explore as well as challenge the power and the promises of this recent media phenomenon. Such TV programming offers the exciting opportunity to rethink established gender norms, but how far is it really pushing the limits of the status quo? Amidst the exuberant optimism of fanzines and doting fan websites, the contributors to this volume endeavor to provide us with a much needed critical analysis of this contemporary trend. These essays explore the contradictions and limitations inherent in the genre, forcing readers to take a fresh and critical look through a variety of lenses including girl power, postfeminism, cyborg feminism, disability politics, queer studies, and much more. Programs covered are Babylon 5, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Disney's Cinderella, Lois and Clark, Mystery Science Theater 3000, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Star Trek: Voyager, The X-Files, Third Rock from the Sun, and Xena: Warrior Princess.

Fantasy Girls seeks to explore as well as challenge the power and the promises of this recent media phenomenon. Such TV programming offers the exciting opportunity to rethink established gender norms, but how far is it really pushing the limits of the status quo? Amidst the exuberant optimism of fanzines and doting fan websites, the contributors to this volume endeavor to provide us with a much needed critical analysis of this contemporary trend. These essays explore the contradictions and limitations inherent in the genre, forcing readers to take a fresh and critical look through a variety of lenses including girl power, postfeminism, cyborg feminism, disability politics, queer studies, and much more. Programs covered are Babylon 5, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Disney's Cinderella, Lois and Clark, Mystery Science Theater 3000, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Star Trek: Voyager, The X-Files, Third Rock from the Sun, and Xena: Warrior Princess.

Chapter 1 Acknowledgments Chapter 2 Introduction Chapter 3 Speculating on the Present Chapter 4 Sabrina the Teenage...?: Girls, Witches, Mortals, and the Limitations of Prime-time Feminism Chapter 5 The Cartesian Noveum of Third Rock from the Sun: Gendering Human Bodies and Alien Minds Chapter 6 Scully Hits the Glass Ceiling: Postmodernism, Postfeminism, Posthumanism, and The X-Files Chapter 7 Lois? Locks: Trust and Representation in Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Chapter 8 Dabbling in the Fantastic Chapter 9 What?s Happening on Earth?: Mystery Science Theater 3000 as Reflection of Gender Roles Attitudes toward Women Chapter 10 Feminism, Queer Studies, and the Sexual Politics of Xena: Warrior Princess Chapter 11 To Be a Vampire on Buffy the Vampire Slayer?: Race and (?Other?) Socially Marginalizing Positions on Horror TV Chapter 12 Biology Is Not Destiny; Biology is Fantasy:Cinderella, or to Dream Disney's Impossible/Possible Race Relations Dream Chapter 13 Projecting the Future Chapter 14 Science, Race, and Gender in Star Trek: Voyager Chapter 15 The Construction of Feminine Identity in Babylon 5 Chapter 16 No Ramps in Space: The Inability to Envision Accessibility in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Chapter 17 Contributor's Notes Chapter 18 Index