Media plays an increasingly more central role and importance in our lives because of the diverse outlets and technology that are becoming imperative in people’s lives. The content of media reflects societal values and can display the patterns of change in society. Media encompasses everything from books to music to television shows like the very popular Sex and the City. Sex and the City showed a change in society value and was a catalyst of sorts for societal change that particularly benefited women. Cashmere Mafia is the newest attempt to recreate the success of Sex and the City, but focuses on different issues and societal values. Cashmere Mafia is centered on four successful business women that face a multitude of issues that do not have a correct solution or choice because of the contradictory nature of the issues. The group is composed of chief operating officer Juliet, who is having marital issues; magazine publisher Mia, “who is facing off with a lover for a top publishing gig; [marketing executive] Caitlin, who, after a parade of guys, is suddenly attracted to a woman; and [investment banker] Zoe, a working mom forced into a competition to nab the right nanny” (Lowry1). Cashmere Mafia incorporates some double binds that women face in today’s and has the potential to be a feminist text, but does not seem to have the societal implications as its closely linked sister show, Sex and the City.
In the Cashmere Mafia television series, the main characters find themselves facing a common double-bind pertaining to their ability to have a family and a successful career. These double binds can be found in the workforce or in the society at large. Cashmere Mafia is centered around a group of women that have been friends since their years spent at business school together and they find common ground in the fact that they
These women realize that they can not have the ideal family and ideal career because of the various forces at work. In the very first episode, Mia, who is the magazine editor, is competing against her fiancé for the head editor position of the magazine they work for. Prior to competing, they agree to not let work or the outcome of this competition affect their relationship, but when Mia wins the position that is not the case. Her fiancé leaves her claiming that he only made that promise because he assumed he would win and that he can not handle working beneath her. In the very first episode, viewers presented with the lesson that women should be successful, but to avoid being as successful as or more successful than their significant other. In another episode, Zoe, who is the financial banker, finds it difficult to balance between her demanding job and her family, which leaves her husband to watch their two children. Zoe faces social repercussions from other stay at home moms, who use guilt to make her feel bad about having a career because that means she is unable to attend every event or be part of every
committee at school. On the job, Zoe is a very driven and successful employee that does well balancing the overwhelming demands in her life. Despite the sacrifices she makes for her job and the clients she wins, Zoe gets passed over for a promotion and left out of deals because of the demands perceived by men of her being a mother. Cashmere Mafia shows that “successful, privileged and glamorous women balancing families and high-powered careers are [being] taught- by cheating husbands; conniving young assistants; negligent, negligee-clad nannies; and man-stealing stay-at-home moms- that there is no such thing as ‘having it all’’ (Stanley1).
These double binds stem from the gender roles placed on women by society that determine the appropriate behaviors for them. Women’s sexuality is a piece of their lives that has been tightly controlled by men and society’s rigid gender norms until recently, but rarely are women completely free to experience this integral part of themselves. Society enforces conformity with the dictated gender roles through a system that creates a set of expectations and standards, which is enforces with negative effects or punishments. Using the powerful female clique, Cashmere Mafia creates a dialogue about sexual double binds. The main characters have worked hard to achieve success in their life, but it comes at a cost to their reputations, relationships, and standing in their society. In order to compete in the workforce, these women are “caught between impossible choices, those who try to conform to traditional i.e., masculine- leadership behaviors are damned if they do, doomed if they don’t” (Catalyst1). All four of these women are viewed as stepping outside of their gender roles by actively competing with men in these male-dominated industries. They are seen as overly aggressive, which is outside of their gender roles or
The double binds women face daily throughout their lives is one part of the oppression they experience. In popular media, shows like Sex and the City have the potential to open constructive dialogue about the issues. Sex and the City has become an iconic feminist text for the third wave generation of women, who use the show to promote consciousness raising about contemporary women’s issues. Sex and the City is widely known for its sex positive strategy that promotes sexual freedom, equality, and experimentation for women. It works to break through society’s structure that has norms that constrain women, but does not create a similar set of norms for their male counterparts. While they do tend to chase after relationships, the Sex and the City posse still provides a positive image of single, successful women that have become role models for countless women across the country. These women are successful and financially independent for the men in their lives so they provide a positive example of independent women, who use to be viewed as spinsters and reprimanded by society for their inability to conform to their gender role. On the other hand, Cashmere Mafia is centered around a group of women, who are less sex focused and more career oriented. Considering that two of the women are married, there is less of sex-positive focus in the show because these women are not conveyed as being in-touch with their sexuality or cool with experimenting. Though, the producers did evolve Caitlin’s character as a woman that is confused with her sexuality and begins to experiment, but it fell short as a half-hearted
Cashmere Mafia is just one of the many shows that are appearing on popular television, which focus on the issues surrounding a group of strong women. Cashmere Mafia ends up being a cautionary narrative about the pitfalls of success for women. The show displays the double binds facing women in the workforce. These women quickly find out that they can not have it all or be who they want to be because of societal constraints on their behaviors and constricting gender roles. Double binds are apparent when it comes to the women’s professional aspirations and sexuality, but the show creates a dialogue about these issues facing women. Sex and the City is credited for empowering women and being an influential feminist text for third-wave feminist. Cashmere Mafia does not seem to have to same effect and ability to influence women because it seems more of an attempt to copy the successful formula that Sex and the City was based on. The show does not bring empowerment to women, approach issues from new views, or have an overwhelmingly positive effect of viewers like Sex and the City did during its run on cable.
Works Cited
Frye, Marilyn. The Politics of Reality: Essays in Feminist Theory (Crossing Press Feminist Series). Freedom,
Lowry, Brian. “
Stanley, Alessandra. “Heads Up, Ms. Bradshaw, New Foursome’s in Town.” New York Times. 5 Jan. 2008: Television Review7.
“The Double Bind Dilemma for Women in Leadership: Damned if you do, Doomed if you don’t.” Catalyst. 21 Apr. 2008
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