Women, Popular Culture, and the Eighteenth Century

'Tiffany Potter is an accomplished and respected scholar with considerable editorial expertise. In Women, Popular Culture, and the Eighteenth Century, she has gathered together a wealth of essays by an international group of leading scholars working in the field of eighteenth-century studies. Each chapter is accomplished and well written, displaying excellent work on a diverse range of topics.' -- Jennie Batchelor, Reader in Eighteenth-Century Studies, University of Kent 'I read Women, Popular Culture, and the Eighteenth Century with interest and pleasure: the essays are of a very high quality, accessibly written, and will be useful to teachers on a variety of courses.' -- Norma Clarke, Professor of English and Creative Writing, Kingston University

Top scholars in eighteenth-century studies examine the significance of the parallel devaluations of women's culture and popular culture by looking at theatres and actresses; novels, magazines, and cookbooks; and populist politics, dress, and portraiture.

In contemporary pop culture, the pursuits regarded as the most frivolous are typically understood to be more feminine in nature than masculine. This collection illustrates how ideas of the popular and the feminine were assumed to be equally naturally intertwined in the eighteenth century, and the ways in which that association facilitates the ongoing trivialization of both.

Top scholars in eighteenth-century studies examine the significance of the parallel devaluations of women's culture and popular culture by looking at theatres and actresses; novels, magazines, and cookbooks; and populist politics, dress, and portraiture. They also assess how eighteenth-century women have been re-imagined in contemporary historical fiction, films, and television, from the works of award-winner Beryl Bainbridge to Darcymania and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. By reconsidering the cultural and social practices of eighteenth-century women, this fascinating volume reclaims the ostensibly trivial as a substantive cultural contribution.