Susan Faludi

Is next in Michael's fauxluxe series, Women Michael Loves.

Thank you, Ms Faludi for opening a young man's eyes.

I love all her books but Ms Faludi would deserve her spot in my own personal Hall of Fame for her book, Backlash, alone.  And there is much to like about the book:  The chapter on the backlash in Hollywood, discussing Fatal Attraction, Pretty Woman, Working Girl, and others; the chapter on television, discussing how the network brass were constantly messing with Cagney and Lacey and finally banished it to the hinterlands in order to get it canceled; the chapter on the media and all the numerous fake "trend studies" that the print and teevee media would splash all over their platforms, insisting that women could not have a career and a family, too, or, that all single women over the age of thirty-five were naturally doomed to a unrewarding profoundly depressing existence forever more.

There is so much to like in this meticulously, painstakingly researched book, all written in an expertly executed conversational style, but my favorite chapter is Dressing the Dolls:  The Fashion Backlash, notably her essays on Victoria's Secret and Jockey's immensely successful Jockey for Her product launch.  Re Jockey for Her:  Jockey president at the time, Howard Cooley, despite vigorous opposition from everyone else in the company, launched Jockey for Her, anyway.  Cooley even had his marketing research department interview scores of women of all types on what they were looking for in underwear.

The results:  women want underwear that won't ride up, won't fall apart in the wash, and actually is the size promised on the label.

The brand [Jockey for Her] became an instant success; within five years, it was the most popular brand of women's underwear in the nation, with an extraordinary 40 percent share of the market.

Duh! It really helps your business actually talking to your frickin' customers instead of reading crappy news weeklies or watching cable news, hunh?



All my love,
mds