Patty Duke , Marlo Thomas , and Mary Tyler Moore
Charlie perfume , Breck shampoo , and Aqua Net hair spray now had the perfect place to advertise their wares ” ( Armstrong 132 ). Young females identified with Patty , Ann , and Marlo , and although it would still be many years before the majority of American women moved beyond familiar gender stereotypes , these three characters provided a starting point for young females to think , act , and look differently and to navigate their lives and careers on their own terms . Although never the intent of their producers , The Patty Duke Show , That Girl , and The Mary Tyler Moore Show arguably present the same character growing up for the same demographic ; they offer a seamless portrait of a post-World War II baby boom female in America maturing from age sixteen to age thirty-seven against a backdrop of social change . Looking at other popular sequential shows in this way may reveal key developmental and aspirational messages that young audiences , seeking and finally finding meaningful role models in television , may have responded to and ultimately absorbed .
WORKS CITED
Ames , Melissa and Sarah Burcon . How Pop Culture Shapes the Stages of a Woman ’ s Life : From Toddlers-In-Tiara to Cougars-On-The-Prowl . Palgrave , 2016 .
Armstrong , Jennifer Keishin . Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted : And All the Brilliant Minds Who Made The Mary Tyler Moore Show a Classic . Simon and Schuster , 2013 .
Mitchard , Jacquelyn . “ Twelve Amazing Women Who Changed TV Forever .” AARP , 2014 . https :// www . aarp . org / entertainment / television / info-2014 / women-tvboomer-stars . html # slide3 .
51