Recent decades have seen seen a surge of artifacts in popular culture inspired by ancient Mediterranean myth, literature and history. The representation of gender in this latest chapter in the history of reception has particular significance because of the historical and contemporary association of women with consumerism, which is so closely engaged with the rise of modern media. The papers collected in this volume combine a focus on the representation of women with a broad view of what constitutes popular culture, covering a wide range of media, from comic books to Barbie dolls, as well as film and television.
Contents
Introduction (Mary-Kay Gamel and Ruby Blondell)
Dance as Power: The Women at the Baths in Roman Scandals (Ruth Scodel)
"Suffering Sappho!": Wonder Woman and the (Re)Invention of the Feminine Ideal (Kelli E. Stanley)
Versace's Medusa: (Capita)lizing on Classical Antiquity (Michele Ronnick)
How to Kill an Amazon (Ruby Blondell)
Barbie® as Grecian Goddess (TM) and Egyptian Queen (TM): Ancient Women's History by Mattel® (Kristina Milnor)