American Girls in Popular Media - A Cultural History of Preadolescent Girls, 18901945

The appearance of high-profile girl characters in popular culture media of all types soared between the years 1924, when Little Orphan Annie first appeared in the comic section of newspapers, to 1945, when teenage girls replaced their younger sisters in the spotlight. As such, girl culture of the 1920s through the 1940s experienced a boom in popularity. Despite the substantial impact that prepubescent and preadolescent girls had on society during this time, scholars have largely overlooked the experiences of these girls and their depictions in popular entertainment. American Girls in Popular Media: A Cultural History of Preadolescent Girls, 1890-1945 by Stella A. Ress addresses this gap by weaving together archival materials, newspaper articles, letters, images, comic strips, radio programs, film, and media content analysis both to tease out meaning from the varied depictions of young girls in popular culture and to uncover the voices and agency of those long silenced. This book explores how these portrayals helped address societal anxieties exacerbated by the depression and war, including generational conflicts, gender issues, racial tensions, and urban-rural divides. This transformation not only mirrored societal changes but also played a role in shaping perceptions of femininity, youth, and social values, leaving an indelible mark on American cultural history that continues to resonate today.

List of contents

Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction: 'To the Ladies': The Rise of Depictions of Young Girls in Popular Media
Chapter 1: The Invisible Girl: The Preadolescent Female Performer at the Dawn of Popular Culture
Chapter 2: Bridging the Gaps and Paving the Way: Little Orphan Annie, Comic Strips, and Preadolescent Girls in the 1920s
Chapter 3: Daddy's Girl and Mommy's Rival: Film, Shirley Temple, and the Answer to the 1930s Gender Crisis
Chapter 4: 'We Are Trying to Do All We Can to Help': Radio and the Invisible Economy of American Girls' Work During WWII
Conclusion
Bibliography
About the Author

About the author

Stella A. Ress is associate professor in the Department of History at the University of Southern Indiana.

Product details

• Authors: Stella A Ress, Stella A. Ress, Stella A Ress
• Publisher: Lexington Books
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 15.02.2025
• EAN: 9781666946192
• ISBN: 978-1-66694-619-2
• No. of pages: 176
• Subjects: Guides > Self-help, everyday life > Family; Humanities, art, music > History > 20th century (up to 1945); Non-fiction book > History > Miscellaneous; Social sciences, law, business > Media, communication > Media science; USA, Media Studies, 20th Century, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Media Studies, 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000, HISTORY / United States / 20th Century, FAMILY & RELATIONSHIPS / Life Stages / School Age, 20th century, c 1900 to c 1999, Family & relationships, United States of America, USA, Social and cultural anthropology, Age groups: children, History of the Americas, Relationships and families: advice and issues