The Stepford Wives Spoiler Review | The Feminist Fear [CC]
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- čas přidán 22. 02. 2020
- Loved this buddy read with Hilary! A great book exploring fear of the patriarychy, as well as what the patriarchy fears: a powerful female.
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B E M Y F R I E N D !
I N S T A G R A M: nonfictionfeminist
G O O D R E A D S: www.goodreads.com/nonfictionfeminist/
T W I T T E R: nonficfeminist/
G M A I L: nonfictionfeminist@gmail.com
when you mentioned the kids, something I noticed was that bobbie’s son actually liked her more as a robot. I remember him saying she didn’t yell at him anymore or she was nicer to him or something, and he hoped it would last. it kinda struck me because it’s not only the grown men who prefer the animatronic wives, but also the younger boys. it shows that they’ve already been socialised to prefer women to make them happy, rather than to be full humans with an array of emotions and expression. I think it was the only thing that creeped me out in the book more than joanna’s death.
Ooh I didn't even think of that! Excellent point
"You'll never have an interesting conversation with your wife ever again" - that line got to me! So true.
Even now, after we've had time to absorb the book, I still don't know if this was meant to be Levin's take on the world, like his interpretation of what social structure is - or was it what he thinks could happen, in some dystopian, hypercyborg future? I wish I knew more about how much Levin agreed with his own story.
It was awesome buddy reading this with you! I felt the same way - I was able to appreciate the story more than I would have if I were reading it alone. 💜⭐️
I have so many questions too, but I also love that we have no answers? Some of the best stories leave you guessing
--spoilers--
I'm a little skeptical about Levin after seeing Rosemary's Baby. What interests me is that both works use perceived female hysteria as a key source of tension in the plot. Psychoanalysis also plays a key part in both. In the case of Rosemary's Baby, Roman Pulanski even states that all of the supernatural sequences could be dreams...which would make Rosemary the crazy one. This comes up again with Johanna and her friend asking if they're the crazy ones. The whole transition to "robots" could be a metaphor for adapting to drudgery of suburban life over time, and Johanna could legitimately have lost her mind...maybe she actually did stab her friend and the "men's club" was an asylum where her "robot" was herself in the mirror. It could also all be real..but interesting how they lend themselves to a misogynist lens
I grew up in the 1970s. My mom is liberated. Dad wanted her to be a "Stepford Wife" that never happened!
We lived in Massachusetts, and Mom was not a robot! She was far from submissive; in fact, she divorced Dad, great!
Just watched the 1975 version and it was amazing and so uncomfortable. Jordan Peele has mentioned it as an inspiration for “Get Out” which I also love and they are very similar movies, both great in their own ays. Sexism is not about hating female bodies, the Stepford men adored female bodies. Racism not about hating black skin, the white family in “Get out” adored black bodies enough to want to become black. Instead sexism and racism are about not granting certain people respect and dignity as individuals. The shortest description of feminism is that “Women are people”, something the Stepford men didn’t approve of.
I read Stepford Wives at uni and found it SO uncomfortable and creepy! I loved it though and I’m clearly due a re-read! Loved your review, thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Glad you loved it! It's so uncomfortable, he did such a great job. I just finished my third book by him and he's officially my favorite male author
After going through the stepford story, I couldn't help but feel bad, not just for the replaced wives, but the children too. I mean, I may be remembering it wrong, but some of these families have children don't they? Imagine a kid finding that their mom is now a completely different person and does 50s housewife activities instead of the activities they used to do with their children. Hell, what happens when the kids grow up? Will the husbands who have daughters allow their little girls to be replaced by robots? I guess the thing that bugs me is that the husbands of stepford are all after such a shallow relationship with their wives. I mean, you originally fell in love with them because of who they were, not how great a wife they'd be. Does that just not matter anymore? Great review all around.
I completely agree, and I've also often wondered about the kids, specifically the daughters! Will they be replaced one day?
The thing is many men do still only want their wives to look pretty, to agree to whatever they say, to do all the housework and not to have any interest of their own. And society often wishes women to take that role, too, as soon as they have kids, and be a work robot as well. It disturbs society still that women have a mind of their own. Especially if you look at the conservative side. There are already some new conservatives, like Pearl or Candice Owen, who think that women do not deserve the right to vote. Having self respect and your own interests still is something that is frowned upon when it comes to women with children, but not frowned upon when it comes to men. And there are men who marry AIs in Japan.
Ira Levin also wrote "Rosemary's Baby"!
I love the Nicole Kidman movie but now I’m scared to try the 70s version 😩 yes I’d like to know what the men said to convince these guys to replace them with robots. I always like knowing why/how villains justify what they’re doing. I should read this. Great review Amy!
Thanks! The 70s version made me so uncomfortable and creeped out, but I appreciate that they stuck to the original story
It is a horror movie, the 1970s one. So, if you were scared, it did its job well.
With AI being a bigger thing and it even being in VR games, it's pretty scary to think people would prefer a robot than to face a real person
Really liked your review, just watched the 2004 movie again today, and happened to found your video, I didn't even know there was an original or that a book existed, I'm gonna read it and watch the original. Great review.
Thanks! Glad I could help introduce you to Levin 😄
I just finished reading the book, it got hella scary towards the end, after Bobbie changed.. The best way I could describe it is, if you are playing a survival horror game and are reading the clues out loud.. The movies don't give the book justice.. Wish Hollywood would make a mini series exactly like the book.
Yayyyy just bought the book after watching "dont worry darling" ive seen both versions of the Stepford wives. Im excited to read thank you for your review!!!!😊😊❤
I love your analysis. I thought the same thing about the kids and also wondered how the husbands were convinced to do this. Also, I found it interesting while reading, the character of Dale Coba. You know, one of Stalin’s nicknames was Koba and I wonder if the author did that intentionally. It’s amazing that Levin wrote such a short read, and yet it is sooo relevant still today. Glad I found your channel 🤩
Ooh I had no idea about Stalin! I'm constantly discovering more layers to this story
@@nonfictionfeminist so true! I just happened upon the 1975 version today and read the book a few years back. I am still thinking about the book and now want to go back and read it again. It’s totally that kind of book ♥️
One other guy had her speak the alphabet into a tape recorder to get her "voice" All of it is creepy! The original version(1975). Iiked the aesthetic, the shower curtain motif!
I watched the remake a few years ago and thought it was pretty out there, some things didn't make sense but it was very camp and I'll watch anything with Glenn Close. But just last week I watched the original and OHHHH MY GOD. What a trip. It was so good and macabre in the best way, I was definitely missing out, totally recommend it - the full movie is posted on youtube btw. Loved your review!
Actually if you watch carefully, Walter moved to Stepford in order to get a bot wife. In order to join the men’s club.
I never even thought of that. I wonder how word got around?
@@nonfictionfeminist well. There is a scene where she gets mad that he asked her for her opinion when he had already decided to move already paid the downpayment and already joined the men’s club.
And there are scenes where Walter seems lost in the living room and then says “I love you.” “I truly love you.” My guess is that that was him realizing that to have the perfect wife, the real one will have to be murdered.
I am sure that he was approached before the start of the story (by the men’s group probably) because he was a successful lawyer.
This book is sadly becoming today’s reality. The obsession with perfection, the insta models, the obsession with having the perfect cleanest home etc
Got to hand it to those authors who can see into the future
From the movie It’s actually becoming further from this, more women are going away from wanting a singular man they wanna sleep around and be “independent” and non submissive or listen to a man because they want to do it on their own
@@yungprophetmusicAnd what is wrong with being independent? Why would submissive be attractive to anyone who isn’t brainwashed? The whole point of the book was how oppressive Emma nd greater society can be towards women, like are you lost? 😆
@@XxxMuseluverxxX you liked your own comment btw, and nothing is wrong with independence, but a lot of women claim independence but depend on others or use it as a “hoe phase” and also a submissive woman doesn’t mean a slave, but a woman who is simple to guidance direction not just instruction
I just watched the (1975) movie version of The Stepford Wives. There is so much to discuss.
Great review! I've steer cleared of the Kidman Stepford Wives, too Disneyesque. Just finished the book. Saw the 70's movie years before. Both were dark and disturbing. Even though I knew how it was going to end, I still had a glimmer of hope that Joanna would escape. Ira Levin wrote Rosemary's Baby, so he's good at writing women unknowingly falling into a devious plot.
How do you feel about the fact that a Man wrote this story? and the Director of the 1975 film was a british man (Brian Forbes)
symbolism is EVERYTHING & EVERYWHERE in THE STEPFORD WIVES it is it's strength, along with the conspiracy.
ive also read the novel which is...140 pages, a VERY short book, which surprised me, anyone could read it in a day, two at the most, I didnt think it was long enough to lose interest the book is every bit as good as the original film
I love the 1970s aesthtetic!
What is the likelyhood of a Feminist getting married? how could it ever work?
Not sure if you know this already, but there were a few of sequels to the movie, Revenge of the Stepford Wives, the Stepford Children and the Stepford Husbands...
I had no idea, and now I want to watch them! Hopefully won't regret it?
@@nonfictionfeminist lol! I promise nothing...
very nice synopsis and thoughts on the book Amy. I am doing it with some students at the moment. The two husbands in the two Levin books, Walter and Rosemary's husband are a little similar, though the latter is offered a chance to climb the career ladder quickly whereas, as you imply, what is it that motivates Walter? He seems pulled in by the idea offered by Coba and the others rather quickly.. then again, it doesn't really matter one way or another. Levin reveals that the patriarchy still survives and can regroup, even more virulently with advances in tech possibilities, despite women's gains over the previous couple of decades
I am currently reading this book, but am finding it an intensely slow burn, with nothing much happening at all. Much preferred Rosemary's Baby.
I loved it, but I do agree it's a slow burn, whereas Rosemary's Baby is much faster-paced. Have you tried A Kiss Before Dying? I feel like that one was a pretty moderate pace, and I loved it! Levin is becoming a favorite author
One of my Top 10 favorite books of all time ❤👍
Loved this!
❤️
I just recently rewatched the movie after reading the book and had a thought, "how do they deal with age?" Does Dis make new robots that have aged?
That's probably a big part of the draw, knowing that the men can keep getting older and older and still have conventionally sexy wives
@@nonfictionfeminist indeed and that will be their downfall because when the children of Stepford grow up, they will inevitably notice that their mothers have never aged or gotten sick, and that the wives who move to town ALWAYS experience a weird change after a few months, and the truth will be uncovered sooner or later, especially when the children grow up to leave Stepford and see what the outside world is like and realize something is definitely wrong with their mothers. Too many will realize the truth for the Association to be able to eliminate them all in time; they’ll all call the police and bring those monsters down. All the more likely when the sons in particular grow up to be introduced to the Association and learn what happened to their own mothers; a revolt is guaranteed after that.
@ Amy Myers Cool to see a fellow Ira Levin fan from Billings
I just finished watching the 70s movie and oh my god, this story creeped me out so much! I also was shocked when the main character did not escape in the end. Im definately going to look up more of Ira's stories to read. No wonder the word stepford wife has become such a unanimously known phrase in our culture .
Right?!? That movie scared me so much, it was incredibly creepy
I just saw it too and yeah it was creepy. I still shocked she didn’t escape either.
@@lucapeyrefitte6899 same, seeing the ending left me really empty inside, I hoped she would escape
Cute cat!
No reason to replace Joanna, any reason!!
I loved 1975 Version because it is made veeery well, absolutely Hit the Spot of what I needed, I feel like the Nicole kidman Version is a mocky ripp off. Just my opinion 💃🥰
When anyone talks about a Stepford Wives movie, they're always talking about the Nicole Kidman version. Like, there was a movie before that, don't you know? And it was way better?
@@nonfictionfeminist there is a few things I noted even, while watching, and what I loved was: we get to know Joanna for her passions, she is a naturally strong woman without the need to be bossy, very approachable girls girl vibes. I loved that she and Bobby (at least from a nowadays perspective) aren't constantly shown for the male gaze, and it's still written by a dude !!!! the problems Joanna and Walter have are very realistic and even I have this kind of problems occasionally, like my hubby being overworked, not communicating enough, it is not outrageous things she wants... also the end of 2004, took away the critic on this certain type of man, that this was aimed at. And the end is utterly disturbing, but I watch movies to be touched, it is so highly political, especially if you know a lot about this timeperiod (im a nurse in elderscare, the ladies tell me a lot). I absolutely loved every second !!, I had to think a lot afterwards, but I prefer this effect out of movies. And without even using a lot of special effects or equipment 💃🤌🏼🥰
Sorry for my bad English 😬😅
Good kitty, cats will never be "Stepford-ized", cats are too independent. 1975 for the original movie.
oddly enough though, it's the so called "Good Wives" who get axed & replaced with doppelganger robots
moral of the story: Do not get married, Do not obey the Patriarchy Cult.
How real today this surreal horror flick hits so close to what could happen soon! Women need to wake up & educate one another because sexist men always warn us in their creepy movies about women.
There are, however, already robot cats for elderly people.
A good horror book is supposed to leave you feeling uncomfortable. And I guess you have to be in an age in which you really can BE married with children to really understand the Stepford wives.
No feminist clubs in billings? As in Montana? That's cool, I've only ever seen one other CZcamsr that was from (kinda) my local area.
Hello! Definitely don't come across a lot of Montana people on here, for sure
@@nonfictionfeminist I live in Sheridan wy now, but I lived on the crow rez as a kid and still regularly head up to Montana.
Loved the review, btw! I should probably add that as well.
the orginal movie was better imo
1975
National Organization of Women
@7:40 also, walter gets fat, he grows into becoming like the other men..
Ira Levin also wrote "Rosemary's Baby"!