Summary

Although women have historically been criticized for being difficult or “crazy,” cultural attitudes towards female difficulty has largely shifted to view it as an asset. With this development, celebrities have often become symbols against patriarchal judgement. For instance, “Britney Spears, initially glossed as a vapid, oversexed psycho, now seems perfectly sympathetic: the public required her to be seductive, innocent, flawless, and bankable, and she crumbled under the impossibility of these competing demands” (236). Similarly, Hillary Clinton was no longer viewed as an uncharismatic politician incapable of garnering trust, but rather an overqualified and ambitious public servant who was unfairly exposed to her opponents’ bigotry. However, Tolentino argues that this development has adversely affected cultural progress, because criticism of a woman is now perceived as fundamentally sexist. Consequently, it becomes increasingly difficult to find the line between valuing a woman in...