Description
In this folkloric examination of mass-produced material culture in the United States, Jeannie Banks Thomas examines the gendered sculptural forms that are among the most visible, including Barbie, Ken, and G.I. Joe dolls; yard figures (gnomes, geese, and flamingos); and cemetery statuary (angels, sports-related images, figures of the Virgin Mary, soldiers, and politicians).
Images of females are often emphasized or sexualized, frequently through nudity or partial nudity, whereas those of the male body are not only clothed but also armored in the trappings of action and aggression. Thomas locates these various objects of folk art within a discussion of the post-women's movement discourse on gender.
In addition to the items themselves, Thomas explores the stories and behaviors they generate, including legends of the supernatural about cemetery statues, oral narratives of yard artists and accounts of pranks involving yard art, narratives about children's play with Barbie, Ken, and G.I. Joe, and the electronic folklore (or "e-lore") about Barbie that circulates on the Internet.
This book is a study of everyday, gendered sculptural figures, including Barbie and G. I. Joe.
About the Author
Jeannie Banks Thomas, an associate professor of English at Utah State University, is the author of Featherless Chickens, Laughing Women, and Serious Stories, winner of the Elli Koengas-Maranda Prize.
Reviews
"Drawing on detailed fieldwork and thorough historical research, Thomas builds a convincing investigation of oral traditions and behaviors surrounding material culture. Again and again her deft analyses stretch beyond the expected boundaries to reach new and compelling conclusions." --Jo Radner, editor of Feminist Messages: Coding in Women's Folk Culture
Book Information
ISBN 9780252071355
Author Jeannie B. Thomas
Format Paperback
Page Count 232
Imprint University of Illinois Press
Publisher University of Illinois Press
Dimensions(mm) 229mm * 152mm * 20mm
Images of females are often emphasized or sexualized, frequently through nudity or partial nudity, whereas those of the male body are not only clothed but also armored in the trappings of action and aggression. Thomas locates these various objects of folk art within a discussion of the post-women's movement discourse on gender.
In addition to the items themselves, Thomas explores the stories and behaviors they generate, including legends of the supernatural about cemetery statues, oral narratives of yard artists and accounts of pranks involving yard art, narratives about children's play with Barbie, Ken, and G.I. Joe, and the electronic folklore (or "e-lore") about Barbie that circulates on the Internet.
This book is a study of everyday, gendered sculptural figures, including Barbie and G. I. Joe.
About the Author
Jeannie Banks Thomas, an associate professor of English at Utah State University, is the author of Featherless Chickens, Laughing Women, and Serious Stories, winner of the Elli Koengas-Maranda Prize.
Reviews
"Drawing on detailed fieldwork and thorough historical research, Thomas builds a convincing investigation of oral traditions and behaviors surrounding material culture. Again and again her deft analyses stretch beyond the expected boundaries to reach new and compelling conclusions." --Jo Radner, editor of Feminist Messages: Coding in Women's Folk Culture
Book Information
ISBN 9780252071355
Author Jeannie B. Thomas
Format Paperback
Page Count 232
Imprint University of Illinois Press
Publisher University of Illinois Press
Dimensions(mm) 229mm * 152mm * 20mm
