Abstract

This research thesis focuses on the 1980s and how postfeminism in media was established during this period. Postfeminism as an ideology believes that feminism "died," or at minimum completed and no longer functions as necessary, as women seem to have legal equality now. This thesis looks at postfeminism through the lens of superhero stories from the 1980s. Ultimately, the stories presented show how the overall rejection of the ideology of feminism in favor of postfeminism after the "success" of the second wave affected superhero comic culture in America. Additionally, this thesis looks at the inclusion of this ideology around women's rights in the 1980s in a part of pop culture traditionally produced for men. Superhero stories as a medium were more gender-biased toward men in the 1980s because men were the primary consumers of this type of media, so the inclusion of feminism (or the lack thereof) demonstrated how second-wave feminism and postfeminism impacted the presentation to several groups, including those that were not necessarily affected by these movements.

Keywords: postfeminism, superheroes, comic books, watchmen, she-ra, shera, wonder woman, second wave feminism, 1980s, postfeminist media

How to Cite:

Johnson, L. E., (2022) “Holding Out For a Hero(ine): A Postfeminist Analysis of Superhero Stories from the 1980s”, Iowa Historical Review 9(1): 3. doi: https://doi.org/10.17077/2373-1842.31401

Rights: Copyright © 2021 Lauren Johnson