1651 Spin Sisters by Myrna Blyth

Our November topic at book club will be Spin Sisters; how the women of the media sell unhappiness--and liberalism--to the women of America by Myrna Blyth (St. Martin's Press, 2004). It's not a heavy topic--our first two selections of the year were detailed biographies--and a quick read, because a lot of what the author says you've already thought (if you are a woman).

Blyth got a lot of criticism for this book, as I recall, because she was, and admits it, part of the problem. When she blew the whistle on her "sisters," they were understandably defensive. But I also noticed 4 or 5 references to 9/11 in the first 3 chapters, so I think that event had a huge impact on her evaluation of what she did for a living (she may discuss this--I haven't finished the book). Her critics are particularly in denial that the media (TV and women's magazines) lean to the left. I don't have any women's magazines lying around (except in my premiere issue collection), but I've leafed through enough to know that politics isn't limited to the cookie bake-off between the candidates' wives.

However, I want to clear up a misconception that I see when authors are leading up to the current woman's movement (ca. 1970). Blyth included--because she includes some background about what led up to magazines trivializing women's lives. What's her name, The Feminine Mystique lady, seems to have left the impression that women in the 1950s all stayed home and were bored watching kids and baking cookies for homeroom parties.

So, I thought about the adult women I knew growing up in a small town (2800) in Illinois. It was a little different, maybe, because it had a printing/publishing industry. But many younger people don't realize that small towns 50 years ago used to have businesses (before the days of malls), and many of these were owned and managed by husband and wife teams who employed other people and served the community. My own mother did not work outside the home, but here's what I saw (but never gave a second thought to) growing up:

Women in business with their husbands who were present and on the floor every day:
Furniture store
Ben Franklin store
Two drug stores
Hardware store
Appliance store
Dry cleaners
Bakery
Dry goods-shoe store
Dairy
two restaurants
Funeral home
jewelry store

Women who owned business not involving their husbands
two women's dress shops with employees
children's clothing store with employees
beauticians who owned their own shops and employed others

Professional women
teachers
nurses
librarians

Independents
Piano teachers
Avon and other door-to-door saleswomen
Soloists and performers at churches, concerts, weddings, etc.
Writers and reporters for publications

Clerical workers
telephone operators
dental assistants
medical office staff
nursing home staff
retail clerks
secretaries
tellers at the bank and savings and loan
variety of positions at printing plant, publishing house, magazine fulfillment agency

Other
Farmers
Auto mechanic (only one)
Waitresses
Youth workers at churches

No, I didn't know any women doctors, pastors, or bankers, but I didn't know any laundresses or cleaning women either.