Feminine Influence on Contemporary American Media
Angela C Grondin
Kaplan University
CM202-04
Women plowed through Suffrage and The Women’s movement to command equal citizenship in American culture today. The benefits of equality for women can be traced through the accomplishments of many women in entertainment. Lucille Ball, Barbara Walters and Oprah Winfrey, to name a few, have not just provided a face or a personality to identify with, they have contributed to the richness of media today through ideas and values all their own. In my paper I will discuss some of the ways influential women in media have risen above their traditional roles to inspire change and establish the status of entrepreneur and media conglomerate.
The beginning of Feminine Influence on the American work force. It is difficult to believe that in America not very long ago, during debates, women were not only denied the right to speak up but also made to sit towards the back of the room. It took seventy two years of protesting and determination before the Nineteenth Amendment was passed on August 18, 1920 which simply allowed women to vote. Moving on to the sixties where inflation and the rising cost of living saw many women joining the American work force where they were finally able to prove their worth. Leading to “The feminist movement of the 1960’s and 1970’s opened many doors for the women of the twenty-first century.” (Loveday,P.4)
Lucille Ball. In 1951 Lucille Ball, who had a hit radio show at the time, was approached by CBS to be on TV. Little did they know Lucy would have demands that the networks were not so thrilled to accommodate. First, she wanted to star with her real life Cuban born husband, Desi Arnez. Second, she believed that in order to generate the best viewing for her show, three live cameras should be running at the same time and edited together. Last, she wanted the production to take place in Hollywood instead of New York, the original film capitol at the time. When the demands were refused by CBS Lucy and Desi borrowed the money and produced the show on their own, then sold the rights to CBS. ”In doing so the woman now best remembered as “that zany redhead” transformed the business and look of television.” (Baran p. 238) The outcome: filmed reruns evolved, which in turn created the off-network syndication industry, the TV Industry in fact moved from NY to Hollywood and weekly series could be produced more rapidly saving time and making them more cost efficient.
Barbara Walters. Native of Boston, Ms. Walters was born on September 25th, 1931 to famed entertainment impresario, Lou Walters. She began her journey in entertainment behind the scenes as a writer for TV then became a panelist on the NBC Today Show in 1964. “Though regulated at first to a restricted role as the ‘Today Girl,’ she grew to become a major female celebrity in the male-dominated world of TV Journalism, and in 1974 was declared the program’s first female co-host.” (Funk &Wagnall’s New World Encyclopedia). A few years later, Barbara was hired by ABC Evening News to make a seven figure income as a co-anchor. Between 1979 to 2004 Barbara worked as co-host on ABC news program 20/20. It was there that she realized she had better ratings as an independent interviewer on her own TV specials where she was able to interview top celebrities and news makers. “She has interviewed every President and First Lady since Richard Nixon.”(ABC.com). Some of her other accomplishments include very first interviews ever with then Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and President Bush following the catastrophic event of September 11, 2001. Barbara won the 1995 Peabody award for a feature on Actor Christopher Reeve and held the highest rated news program ever in 1999 for her interview with Monica Lewinsky. It was that same year she was honored the prestigious Muse award for Women in TV and Film then in 2000 awarded the National Academy of Arts and Sciences Lifetime Achievement Award. Most currently, in 1997, Barbara became co-owner, co-executive producer and co-host of ABC’s morning talk show, The View, which won the Daytime Emmy Award for ‘Outstanding Talk Show’ in 2003.
Oprah Winfrey. An African American female, born on January 29, 1954 in Mississippi, Oprah Winfrey “Rose from a disadvantaged childhood in the rural South to become one of the most broadly influential figures in popular culture, using her syndicated talk show to promote messages of empowerment and self-worth.” (Funk &Wagnall’s New World Encyclopedia).While in High school Oprah debuted as a radio announcer for a local radio station. At the young age of nineteen Oprah became the first African-American and the first woman to anchor TV news in Nashville, Tennessee. In 1976 after graduating college at Tennessee State University, she moved to Maryland and by early 1980 was co-host of popular “People are talking” Talk show. In 1984 Oprah took over a morning talk show known as “A.M. Chicago” which soon evolved as ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show.’ The weekday show, going on its 25th year, where she “…swore off confrontational talk show topics in 1994 and later launched what she called change-your-life television. Focusing on self-help segments and lifestyle makeovers.” In 1986 she founded her own production company, Harpo Inc., which produced the film Beloved in 1998 and since produced scores of made-for-television movies. In the process Oprah has received nine National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Awards, seven Emmys for outstanding Talk Show Host and a 1998 Lifetime Achievement Award. Oprah was inducted into the Women’s Hall of Fame in 1994 then received the George Foster Peabody Individual Achievement Award in 1996. The Oprah Book Club was formed in 1996 which guaranteed to boost most featured book sales to #1 Best seller just by being featured on the show. Oxygen Media LLC was formed in 1998 broadening her influence to cable network and creating web sites specifically for women. Also in 1998 Oprah was placed among Time Magazines 100 Most Influential People of the 20th Century. O magazine for Women’s personal growth came into production in 2000. Oprah, an active philanthropist, supported the National Child Protection Act to the point that it was dubbed the “Oprah Bill” and signed into law in 1993 by President Clinton. Oprah’s Angel Network to promote and reward charitable activity was established in 2007. Most recently Oprah established the Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa to provide quality education to under privileged girls in Africa.
The twentieth century has proven to be a very prosperous decade for Women in American society. Not only were we finally able to speak up but were also able to join the media workforce to influence society and create empires through our speech. One can only anticipate that which lies ahead for women and their influence on contemporary media? Maybe more distinguishing TV shows that impart change, break the mold and separate themselves from the norm? As with the great achievements of Lucille Ball, Barbara Walters, Oprah Winfrey and many others when given the chance women in media have not only achieved but far exceeded their roles in shaping its foundation.
References
Baran, Stanley J., 5th Edition (2009). Introduction to Mass Communication: Media Literacy and Culture. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Loveday, Veronica (n.d.). “Women’s Suffrage & The Nineteenth Amendment”. EBSCO. Great Neck Publishing. Retrieved on 15 April, 2009, from Academic Search Premier Database.
Walters, Barbara (2002). Funk &Wagnall’s New World Encyclopedia. EBSCO.
World Almanac Education Group, Inc. Retrieved April 15, 2009, from Academic Search Premier Database.
Walters, Barbara (2009). The View/Co-Hosts. Burbank, CA. American Broadcasting Company, Inc. Retrieved April 28, 2009 from the World Wide Web: https://www.abc.go.com/daytime/theview/cohosts
Winfrey, Oprah (2002). Funk &Wagnall’s New World Encyclopedia. EBSCO.
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