The Stepford Wives and Liberal Feminism

From a contemporary perspective, The Stepford Wives clearly speaks back to the most salient concerns of liberal feminism of the 1960s and 1970s, specifically the situation of white, middle-class, suburban housewives – the focus of Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique (1963). Indeed, the film (and Levin’s novel before it) are intended as a feminist diatribe. Levin makes explicit reference to Friedan, writing her into a scene and Goldman went so far as to interview Friedan and other liberal feminists to ensure the films political allegiance. It is surprising then, that some activists, including Friedan herself, were outraged by the cinematic release of The Stepford Wives. This chapter explores these reactions in the context of the popular media climate at the time and in relation to prominent feminist publications. The chapter also examines the limits of Friedan’s writing in light of subsequent scholarship.