In 1992, then-Vice President Dan Quayle charged that Murphy Brown, a fictional character on the CBS sitcom of the same name, glamorized single motherhood by having a child outside marriage. His comment ignited a national debate about not just single parenthood, but the influence Hollywood and celebrities have over the choices Americans make in their lives. In a speech about civil unrest in Los Angeles, Quayle charged that characters like Brown indirectly contribute to central city problems by “mocking the importance of fathers.”
References
1.
StephanieCoontz.Marriage, a History: From Obedience to Intimacy or How Love Conquered Marriage (Viking, 2005). A comprehensive history of marriage, from ancient times to the present.
2.
KathrynEdin.“What Do Low-Income Single Mothers Say About Marriage?”Social Problems47 (2000): 112–133. A qualitative analysis of attitudes about marriage among single mothers.
3.
NealGabler.Life the Movie: How Entertainment Conquered Reality (Alfred A. Knopf, 1999). A postmodern examination of how and why entertainment has merged with life, for celebrities and non-celebrities alike.
4.
JoshuaGamson.Claims to Fame: Celebrity in Contemporary America (University of California Press, 1994). A compelling ethnographic study of celebrity texts, production, and audiences.
5.
SaraMcLanahanDonaSchwartz.“Life Without Father: What Happens to the Children?”Contexts1 (2002): 35–44. An examination and photo essay that analyze the outcomes for children in mother-only households.
