The Way Sisterhood Has Been Depicted by Media

The media has parented the public for centuries by regulating what is told. This method alters people’s perceptions of certain topics. Sisterhood is one relationship that the media has modified since the 1960’s. The media has molded Americans’ perception of sisterhood by illustrating a realistic observation, an idealistic image, and a sister’s perspective.
Starting in the 1960’s, the interaction between sisters was pictured in a realistic manor. The most practical conflict shown is jealousy between the sisters. In 1961, this is seen in Tillie Olsen’s short story, “I Stand Here Ironing.” Emily is jealous of the attention that her younger half-sister receives from their mother. Robert Aldrich’s 1962 film, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, also depicts the envy of one sister. It is about two sisters who are actors. The forgotten celebrity, Jane, is jealous of her famous sister Blanche, who still receives plenty of attention from her fans. Jealousy remains a dominant theme throughout the 1960’s.

In the 1970’s, 80’s, and 90’s, America receives a more idealistic view of sisterhood. In the TV sitcom, The Brady Bunch, all three sisters solve their problems rationally in the sparse arguments that they have. In Alice Walker’s, The Color Purple, Celie and Nettie make each other top priority. They are proud to be sisters. In the 90’s the sitcom Full House presents the sisters in a similar fashion to The Brady Bunch. The sisters rarely fight, but when they do they resolve their differences immediately. The media acknowledges that sisters quarrel, but leads Americans to believe that every dispute is minor.
In the 21st century the focus is shifted to the unique qualities of each sister. Americans begin to see each sister try to create her own identity instead of recognizing her connections with her sister. A prime example of this is Ashlee Simpson’s song, “Shadow.” This is about breaking away from her older sister’s dreams. Phoebe in Friends also keeps a separate identity from her twin sister Ursela. They have two different personalities and only speak to each other when necessary. This depiction of sisterhood reflects the worth of the individual in American society today.

Sisterhood has been shown how it really is, how Americans want it to be, and how the sister wants to be perceived. Literature, television, films, and many other types of media have molded the American perspective of sisters. If media can change the public outlook on sisterhood, can society be mislead about other issues? It all depends on the storyteller.