Although representation of women in film and television has significantly improved lately, Aviva Dove-Viebahn (Public Feminisms: From Academy to Community, with Carrie N. Baker) argues in There She Goes Again that analysis of women in popular franchises reveals a persistence of gender essentialism and that portrayals of strong and powerful women often fall back on tropes of hyperfemininity as power, which stem from the adoption of masculine traits, or feminine exceptionalism. Focusing on popular film and television franchises--Charlie's Angels, Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Terminator, and Resident Evil--Dove-Viebahn explores the many ways feminist ideas ("girl power" or the woman as a goddess-like creator and savior) can still contain misogynistic undertones, especially when viewed through an intersectional lens considering race and age, among other factors, as part and parcel of femininity.
Dove-Viebahn, a professor of film and media studies at Arizona State University, published her book through an academic press, but it is very accessible to nonacademics, with the possible exception of the theory-heavy first chapter. She introduces each chapter's main point at its outset and sufficiently summarizes the plots and characters of each franchise to allow readers unfamiliar with the films and shows to follow the arguments easily. The conclusion draws direct parallels between the analyses of fictional stories and the implications for women and nonbinary people in contemporary society. Readers will gain a deeper appreciation for the nuances of feminism both in the media and in real life, as well as an appreciation for the complexities of narrative and ideology. --Dainy Bernstein, postdoc in children's literature, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign