I Decide

I Decide

The 1970's were a time of numerous changes for women. They where taking on roles influenced by previous events, mainly World War II. The demand for female employees increased, as men where away at war. Women correctly began to feel that they played an important role in keeping society afloat. The attitude they had about themselves transformed completely. Power movements and feminism arose. At the same time, the media was becoming one of America's favorite past times, mainly television. Dow informs, "Media coverage, both in print and broadcast, is a key factor in the development of feminism's public identity, and the key year for media coverage is 1970". Women changed and television programs captured the women power that was uprising. Television in the 1970's reflected the progressions women as their occupation rate rose, became independent from men, and used their freedom of expression. The Mary Tyler Moore Show set in the 70's exposed how women had evolved. Mary was a single woman, also financially stable and acquaint. This was a disparity from the previous decades persona of a woman being a reliant, meek individual. Mary reflected women's actual role in the 70's using television as a medium.

Occupations soared in the 70's. "Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Census Bureau show that from 1955 to its peak in 1999, the labor force participation (LFP) rate for all women increased by 24.3 percentage points"Engemann. Events such as World War II and the Equal Pay Act attributed to the increasing women in the work force. In addition to war, Engemann asured the increasing technology of the 70's contributed to this increase because it granted time they could not spare before, "washing machines, vacuums and dishwashers-that greatly reduced the time needed for housework." Mary's character was a product of these changes. The show rarely has a scene where she cleans or is not at home. She helped introduce America to the working class girl. Tyler's show was one of the first that was set in a work place. The change of scenario was appropriate since many women of the decade spend a good part of the day at work. A woman in a work place was not the only contemporary view the show offered. Television had never seen a woman with a rank similar to Mary's, that of an associate producer of a news station. The clichÐ"© would have been getting hired as a secretary. This was a reflection of the women's movement going on at that time. When Marry got the position, her confidence was not high. This is comparable to women's initial doubt that they could be seen as equals alongside men. Through the progression of the show, Mary ranked higher than other men, not only proving competency for her job but also additionally getting promoted. At this point in the show, she was seen as a prosperous woman, who according to Toller is "a successful women's performance of high femininity requires that the women be nurturing, physically attractive and passive." These are all characteristics that Mary exemplified. She successfully persuaded American's that a woman is not synonymous with housewife. At the same time, Tyler was the perfect example of women being independent.

In the pilot episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Mary applies for a job with no professional experience and stands up to her fiancÐ"©e of ten years, making it clear she no longer wants to be with him. She did not need a man to survive. This was a woman protecting herself and believing she could find fulfillment in ways besides living with a man. The perspective Mary's character possessed was first seen in women when the founded of their organization. To be clear, "The National Organization of Women was founded in 1966 and the first Women's Liberation Groups formed in the Summer of 1967", Dow. The organization was owned and operated by females and its main purpose was to empower women while ensuring their rights as equals. Tyler conveyed the same purpose, as she was leading a life in which the only source of income was her own. Moreover, Mary made household decisions by herself. She decided how the house was to be decorated, when she would eat, and what time she would come home from work. Mary did not have to tend to a man or children, the only one she had to cater to was herself. Television instructed female viewers that they where not helpless. Specifically, Tyler's character was an accurate portrayal of women's effort to break from the chains society bound them to. Television exposed the reality that women could have aspirations and could be successful without being dependent or belittled by a man. Making this statement on television made women all the more powerful. Linder explained the influence media, like television, had on people by revealing a study conducted by Kilbourne in 1990. The results revealed "after being exposed to advertisements that depict women in stereotypical rolesÐ'...showed significantly more negative attitudes towards women than after being exposed to advertisements that depict women in professional roles" Linder. Mary