Further information
About the author
Panizza Allmark is the Associate Dean of Arts and Humanities at Edith Cowan University, Perth Western Australia. She has a PhD in Media Studies and is an Associate Professor in Media and Cultural Studies, where she also heads the Media, Culture and Society research group. Alongside this, Panizza is the chief editor of Continuum: Journal of Media & Cultural Studies. Panizza has published in the field of visual culture, photography, gender, identity, transnationalism and urban space.
Publication details
Volume 35, November 2016
Pushing the boundaries: Weeds, motherhood, neoliberalism and postfeminism
Abstract
Weeds (2005-2012) ran for eight seasons. It is a U.S. television comedy-drama which centres on Nancy Botwin, who is a mother, widow and drug dealer. Dealing in drugs can be seen as a departure from her life as a stay-at-home mother which removes her from the conservative, patriarchal suburban norms of middle-class suburbia, and its expectations of women and mothers. Throughout the seasons there is a dissident portrayal of motherhood as Nancy through her willfulness, entrepreneurial plans, overt sexuality and feminine tactics becomes a successful businesswoman. Weeds deals with taboo issues related to gender, sexuality and morality. I consider how in Weeds, Nancy’s transgressive nature situates her within a postfeminist neoliberal discourse. Weeds presents a world in which a woman can achieve success by embracing masculine, capitalist, individualistic endeavours whilst still adhering to feminine behaviours.
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University information
CRICOS Code: 00126G
