June Cleaver Was a Feminist!

Long dismissed as ciphers, sycophants and Stepford Wives, a more careful assessment of how women were portrayed on primetime television during the 1950s through the 1980s, actually reveals the exact opposite. From smart, savvy wives and resilient mothers to talented working women to crimebusters and even criminals, American women on television were a diverse, empowered, individualistic, and capable lot, highly worthy of emulation and appreciation.