Blog #3-The Feminine Mystyique

The feminine mystique is the notion that society has made women feel that they must "adjust to the feminine role" and continue to live with the problem that has no name. Both men and women promote the feminine mystique, but the advertising industry is one of the main culprits guilty of exploiting women. According to Friedan, “Ads glorify her ‘role’ as an American housewife–knowing that her very lack of identity in that role will make her fall for whatever they are selling.” It is the American housewife who suffers, because she is sucked into these advertisements and must buy all the food, drug and beauty products advertised in order to fulfill her role in the home.

Friedan was a magazine writer, and she delved into the true meaning behind women’s dissatisfaction with their lives. She could sense the problem, not as a reporter, but as a suburban housewife herself. She understood the problem that had no name once she started interviewing other housewives. She realized through these interviews the psychological effect society had on these women, and how it had altered their lives.

Feminism has made significant strides in minimizing inequalities, but it continues to be an ongoing battle. Women continue to analyze body images in the media and realize that they will never look like that. In a way, women are feeling a different “problem that has no name” regarding body image. This problem is that women continue to feel dissatisfied with their bodies, even if they know that images in the media are not realistic. I think feminism is definitely held hostage to “the beauty myth,” because society is telling women that there are always improvements to be made concerning their body image.