RachelCraig
FeministJurisprudenceDraft1
November7th2012
ACriticalAnalysisofTheGoodWife
ThefollowingwaswritteninNovemberof2012.TheGoodWifeis
currentlyinitsfourthseason.Thispaperisbasedonthecharacterand
eventsthattakeplacefromthewhenseriesbeganin2009until
November7,2012.
“Now,giventhatyouareawomanlawyer,areyoufeelingalittle
schizoid?”1
‐CatharineMacKinnon
I.
IntroductionandPurpose
EverySundayeveningat9p.m.,anestimated9.54millionviewerstuneinto
CBS’slegaldramaTheGoodWife.2TheshowportraysChicagopolitics,ahumiliating
sexscandal,andapowerfullawfirmhandlingdramaticandcompellingcaseseach
week.Theseriesalsoregularlyconfrontsissueslikesexism,racialdiscrimination
1CatharineMacKinnon,OnExceptionality:WomenasWomeninLaw,inFeminism
Unmodified:DiscoursesonLifeandLaw75(1987)
2http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/10/29/tv‐ratings‐sunday‐football‐
beats‐world‐series‐once‐upon‐a‐time‐up‐revenge‐the‐amazing‐race‐the‐
mentalistthe‐good‐wife‐down/155003/(lastaccessedonNovember7,2011)
1
andsexualorientationeachweek.3Televisionandlawhasalwayshadalively
relationship;legaldramashavebeenafixtureoneachnetworksincethe1950s4.
Theinfluenceoftelevisiononthepublic’sperceptionoflawyerscannotbeprecisely
measured,butthepervasivenessoftelevisioninAmericancultureisundeniable.5
99%ofallAmericanhouseholdspossessatleastonetelevision,and6Americans
watcharound250billionhoursoftelevisionperyear.7Televisionisapowerful
socializingagent;mediaanalystGeorgeGerbnerhascalledtelevision“thenew
religion.”8Televisioncanformpublicopinion,anditcanalsovalidatepre‐existing
3SeeTheGoodWife(CBSbroadcast,2009‐Present)Forexample,oneofthemain
charactersisbisexualandsemi‐closeted,thetitlecharacter’ssondatesanAfrican‐
Americangirlandmakeshisgrandmotheruncomfortableandcritical,oneofthe
femalelawyersistoldbyajudgethatsheisnotallowedtowearpantsinhis
courtroometc…
4Stark,SteveD.42 U. Miami L. Rev 231 (1987‐1988) Perry Mason Meets Sonny Crockett: The History of Lawyers and the Police as Television Heroes, 231. 5http://www.csun.edu/science/health/docs/tv&health.html
6Id.
7Id.
8GeorgeGerbner,TheDynamicsofCulturalResistance,inHearthHome:Imagesof
WomenintheMassMedia,47.
2
publicattitudesandperceptions.9Thispaperseekstocriticallyexaminethe
portrayaloffemalelawyersontheshowTheGoodWifethroughthelensofthird‐
wavefeminism,andinparticular,theconceptofintersectionality.Thegoalofthis
paperistoexaminewhatTheGoodWifeportraystothepublic,andifTheGoodWife
accuratelyreflectsthegeneralperceptionoffemalelawyersintheAmericanpublic.
Thispaperalsoseeksandsuggestswaystoincorporatemoreintersectionalityand
awarenesstoTheGoodWifeandtelevisionshowslikeTheGoodWife.
II.
Third‐WaveFeminismandIntersectionality
Itisdifficulttolabelexactlywhatthirdwavefeminismis,sinceitisstillan
emergingoutlook.Thirdwavefeminismis,inmanyways,abacklashagainst
perceivedlimitationsandfailuresofsecondwavefeminism.10Thethird‐wave
avoidsessentialistdefinitionsofwhatwomenare,andwhatisgoodforallwomen.
Thethirdwavealsoembraceshavingconflictingidentitiesandinclusivenessforall
typesofsexualorientation,economicclassandrace.Thispaperwillfocusonthe
“inclusiveness”aspectofthird‐wavefeminism,termed“intersectionality.”
Intersectionalitybeganasacriticismofsecond‐wavefeminism,whichthird‐wave
9Cling,OnCameraSexDiscimination:ADisparateImpactSuitagainsttheTV
NetworksandMajorStudios,4Law&Inequality509,511(1986)
10Heywood, Leslie L., ed. 2006a. The Women’s Movement Today: An Encyclopedia of Third‐Wave Feminism, vol. 1, A–Z. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 3
feministsperceivedasbasedsolelyontheexperiencesofupper‐classwhitewomen,
andignoredmarginalizedwomenlikethepoororwomenofcolor.11Sincemedia
hasbeenidentifiedbymanythird‐wavetextsasoneoftheprimarymethodsthatthe
third‐wavemovementraisesculturalconsciousnessandhowthethird‐wave
examinesandmeasurespopularculture,itseemsappropriatetosurveytelevision
showsthatfeaturefeministdialoguethroughthecriticismsofthethird‐wave
ideals.12
III.
UnderrepresentationofRace
TheGoodWifeexhibitsamajorgapofrepresentationofrace.Accordingto
TheAssociationforLegalCareerProfessionals(NALP),in2010,17.6%ofall
associatesinlawfirmsinChicagowereofaminoritybackground,and9.8%ofall
associateswereminoritywomen.135.97%ofallminoritylawyerswerefirm
11R.ClaireSnyder,WhatisThird‐WaveFeminism?ANewDirectionsEssay,The
University of Chicago Press http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/588436 (last accessed Nov 7 2012)
12Toward A Third‐Wave Feminist Legal Theory: Young Women, Pornography and the Praxis of Pleasure, 14 Mich. J. Gender & L. 99, 125 (2007).
13
A Closer Look at NALP Findings on Women and Minorities in Law Firms by Race and Ethnicity, http://www.nalp.org/jan2011wom_min#table1 (last accessed November 7th 2012) 4
partners,and1.96%offemaleminoritylawyerswerefirmpartners.14However,
infourseasonsand77episodes,theshowhasfeaturedonlytwoblacklawyers
employedatthelawfirm,andneitherofthemappearsregularly.15Noneofthe
lawyerswhoworkatthefictitiouslawfirmthattheseriesiscenteredaroundare
minoritywomen.16Veryfewminorcharactersofcolorappearirregularlyinthe
series,buttherearenomaincharactersthatarelawyersatthefirm.17Thereisa
maincharacterthatplaysaninvestigatoratthefirmwhoisafemaleminority,
butsheisnotalawyer.18
ThelackofracialdiversityshowninTheGoodWifeismisleading;Chicagois
anethnicallydiversecity,andwhilethenumberofminoritywomenwhoare
attorneysinChicagoisnothigh,itisnotrealisticthatalargefirmwouldhaveno
minoritymenorwomenlawyersemployed.19ItalsodoesTheGoodWife’s
14
Id. 15
See The Good wife, generally (Michael Ealy, playing Derrick Bond, appeared in 12 episodes and is no longer part of the series, and Michael Boatman who plays Julius Cain has appeared in 15 episodes.) 16
See The Good Wife, generally 17
Id. 18
Kalinda Sharma, played by Archie Panjabi, is a key character, however, she is not an attorney, and this paper is focused on the portrayal of the legal professionals on the show. 19
NALP numbers 5
feministdiscourseadisservicebyeliminatingnon‐whitewomen’sviewpoints
andnarrativesontheirexperiencesinthelegalprofession.Adiversityof
viewpointsbasedonwomen’sraceisanimportantpreceptinthird‐wave
feminism,andisoneofthewaysthethird‐wavemovementtriestodistinguish
itselffromsecondwavefeminism.20
ThislackofdiversitylendsitselftothecriticismthatwhileTheGoodWife
doesconfrontissueslikesexismandracisminitsplot,itsnarrativeisalways
basedonhowawhite,upperclasswoman’sexperiencesgenderandrace.This
lackofintersectionalityisoneofthecentralcriticismsofsecond‐wavefeminism
thatthethird‐wavepointsout.Completelackofrepresentationisproblematic
notonlybecauseitissimplynotrealisticanderroneouslyportraystothepublic
thatminoritiesarenotusuallylawyers,butbecauseitdiminishesthevalueof
anyfeministorgenderdiscoursetheshowtackles.Thethird‐waveresiststhe
exclusionofdiverseethnicbackgroundsbecausethevoicesofallwomendonot
soundthesame.TheGoodWifesetsupitsfeministdialoguefromanexclusively
whitestandpoint‐creatingonevoiceforwomenontheshowthatisculturally
homogenous.
Heywood, Leslie L., ed. 2006a. The Women’s Movement Today: An Encyclopedia of 20
Third‐Wave Feminism, vol. 1, A–Z. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 6
IV.
Alicia’sPathwaytoaLegalCareer
AliciaFlorrick,thetitular“GoodWife,”graduatedfromGeorgetownLaw
School,alongwithherhusbandPeterFlorrick.Shechoosesto“optout”ofthe
workforce21andstayathomewithherandPeter’stwochildren,ZackandGrace.
InthefirstseasonofTheGoodWife,Aliciamustworktosupportherfamily
becauseherhusband,theState’sAttorneyofCookCounty,hasbeenimprisoned
oncorruptioncharges.22Heisaccusedofusingcountymoneytopaya
prostitute,andfordecliningtoprosecutecasesbasedonhisassociationwiththis
prostitute.AliciastartsatthelawfirmofStern,Lockhart&Gardnerasafirst‐
yearassociateinthelitigationdepartment.23Aliciastartsatthebottomrungof
theworkladderasanewhire,surroundedbymuchyoungerpeers,likeCary
Agos,ayoungmanwhoisfreshfromlawschool.24
Alicia’sprofessionallifefulfillsherandexcitesherrightaway.Theshow
portraysherre‐foundpassionforthelawasAlicia’schiefliberationfromher
roleas“TheGoodWife.”AsPeter’s“goodwife”Aliciastoicallyenduresthe
Mainiero, LA and SE Sullivan. “Kaleidoscope Careers: An Alternate Explanation for the 21
‘Opt‐ Out’ Revolution” Academy of Management Executive 19.1: 106‐123 Social Sciences Citation Index, Web (last accessed November 7th, 2012) 22
See Season 1 of Good wife, generally 23
Id. 24
Id. 7
humiliationofherhusband’ssexscandal,andthehardshiphisincarceration
worksagainstherfamily.Theopeningshotsoftheseriesincludehersilently
standingbyPeter’ssideasheholdsapressconferenceexplaininghowhis
“indiscretions”havecausedhisfamilypainandhispersonalregretsabouthis
mistakes25
Theimageisfamiliar.TheGoodWifeislooselybasedontheprostitution
scandalsurroundingEliotSpitzer,26andsexscandalslikethesearefamiliar
featuresoftheAmericanpoliticallandscape.27Onepersistentimagecommonly
createdbythesescandalsisthatofthesilentwife,whoremainsatthesideofthe
disgracedhusband.Alicialiterallyhasnovoiceintheopeningscenesofthe
series,asPeterspeakstoaraptaudienceatapressconference,andAlicia
25
See The Good Wife, Season 1, Episode 1 (Peter: Good morning. An hour ago, I resigned as States Attorney of Cook County. I did this with a heavy heart and a deep commitment to fight these scurrilous charges. At the same time, I need time to atone for my private failings with my wife, Alicia, and our two children. I have never traded lighter sentences for either financial or sexual favors. But I do admit to a failure of judgment in my private dealings with these women. The money used in these transactions was mine, and mine alone. No public funds were ever utilized.) 26
The Daily Princetonian http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/2011/05/06/28517/ 27
http://www.cbsnews.com/2300‐504083_162‐10006790‐6.html?tag=page;next (detailing modern scandals from the 1980’s and on, such as the John Edwards/Rielle Hunter scandal and the Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinksy scandal) 8
silentlystandsnexttohim.Metaphorically,Aliciaregainsthisvoiceastheshow
goeson.Herprofessionalandpersonallifebecomesthecenteroftheseries‐
despitethelongshadowthatbeingPeter’swifecasts.Themajorityofthe
storytellingcomesfromAlicia’sperspective,andtheaudienceslowlylearnshow
shefeelsaboutthescandal,hernewjob,andwhetherornotsheoughttodivorce
Peter.Aliciabecomesanindividualinherownrightattheoffice;allthe
attorneysandlegalstaffatStern,Lockhart&GardnerknowaboutAlicia’sskills
andAlicia’sthoughtsasanindividual.Everyoneoutsideofheroffice,likeherold
friendsfromhersuburbanneighborhood,andthegeneralpublicseehersolely
asMrs.PeterFlorrick,thescornedwife.Atwork,sheisjustAliciaFlorrick,an
exceptionalattorney.28
Herjobprovidestheoutletsheneedstofeelincontrol‐Aliciadisplays
confidenceandskillasshenavigateshercasesandtheofficepolitics.Sheis
unafraidtoaskformoredifficultassignments.29Sheexcelsprofessionallyinthe
courtroom,winningacasenearlyeveryepisode.30Sheiswell‐likedand
respectedbycolleaguesandclients.However,theaudienceseesAliciadisplay
uncertaintyandpaininherpersonallife‐shebreaksdownintearsmultiple
timesandexperiencesdoubtandinsecuritywhenthinkingaboutordiscussing
hermarriageandherroleasPeter’swife.Workliberatesherfromthisroleof
See The Good Wife 28
29
See The Good Wife episode ____ 30
See The Good Wife, generally 9
theuncertain,long‐sufferingwife,whoselifewascenteredonworkinginahome
insupportofaspousewhobetraysher.
Herhomelifeiscompletelyuprooted,metaphoricallyandliterally‐the
FlorrickfamilymustmovefromasuburbanmansiontoanapartmentinChicago
becauseofPeter’sdisplacement.Aliciaisliterally“freed”fromthelarge
suburbanmansionwhereshetoiledasahousewife,anddeliveredintoamuch
smallerapartment,wheretheamountofhouseworkisgreatlydiminished,and
wherePeter’smothertakesovertheroleofhomemaker(foratime),doing
choresandmakingmealsforthefamilysoshecanworkthelonghoursrequired
foranewassociate.Sheisalsometaphoricallyliberatedfromherroleasa
housewifebyembracinghernewstatusandidentityasaprofessional.31
III.
The“WorkasLiberation”Idea
Thefeministideathatworkoutsidethehomeliberateswomenisnotnew,
andisoneofthekeyphilosophiesintheseminalandrevolutionaryfeminist
bookTheFeminineMystiquebyBettyFriedan,firstpublishedin1963.32The
Id. 31
32
bell hooks, Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center, p.95 10
“workliberation”ideainfeminismrunsdeepwithinmanyfeministtheories,33
andinparticular,theoriesandideasstemmingfrom“second‐wave”feminism.34
Alicia’sfulfillmentwithherjobishighlightedwhenPetergetsoutofprison
andtheneedforAliciatoworkceases.35Aliciachoosestocontinueworking,
despitetheexpectationthatshewouldreturntofull‐timehome‐makingwhen
Peterwasreleased.36However,theappearanceofthecommonfeministideaof
womenliberatedthroughworkoutsidethehomeinTheGoodWifereflectsat
leastsomelevelof“bourgeoisclassbias”37tomanyphilosopherswhoespouse
theneedforfeministawarenessofothereconomicclasses.Formanyupperand
middle‐classwomen,findingworkoutsideofthehomeisnotaboutnecessity,
butself‐fulfillmentandliberation,allowingthemtostopbeing“just”housewives,
andpossiblyfreeingthemfromfinancialdependencyonworkingmen.38
However,thisideaignoresthelegionsofwomenwhoworkbecausetheymust
33
Need to plug in research here 34
Mann, SA and DJ Huffman “The decentering of second wave feminism and the rise of the third wave.” Science & Society 69 no. 1:56‐91 (accessed October 30th, 2012) 35
See Good Wife Episode ___ 36
See Good wife Episode ____ (in which Peter tells Alicia not to worry since she “won’t have to play breadwinner” much longer, since he believes he will be released from prison in the near future) 37
bell hooks, Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center, p.95 38
Id. 11
worktosupportthemselvesandpossiblytheirfamilies.39Italsoassumesthat
workfoundoutsidethehomewillbemeaningfulorenjoyableforthewoman
andthereforefulfilling.40However,thisviewcompletelyignorestheexperiences
ofthemajorityofwomenwhomustworkoutsidethehome,andwhosework
doesnotgrantthemanyeconomicfreedomfrommen,oranyself‐reliance.41As
BenjaminBarber,acriticofthisworkliberationtenet,pointsout,mostwomen
willnothavethefortuneofpursuingafulfillingprofessionlikeAlicia,since
“forafewluckymen,forfarfewerwomen,workhasoccasionallybeena
sourceformeaningandcreativity.Butformostoftheraceitremainseven
nowforceddrudgeryinfrontofploughs,machines,wordsornumbers‐
pushingproduct,pushingswitches,pushingpaperstoekeoutthe
wherewithalofmaterialexistence…”42
Alicia’ssuccessasaprofessionalandherdesiretocontinueworkingoutsidethe
homeisaninspiringjourneytowatch,andthecharacterofAliciaFlorrickisa
positiveimageofafemalelawyeronprimetimenetworktelevision.However,while
herliberationfromthesilenthousewifetoskilledattorneyisaspirational,itisnot
necessarilyrelatableforalargemajorityofwomen,anditisanimageofafeminist
tenetthatisbasedsolelyontheexperiencesandperspectivesofwomennotfacing
thecommonrealitiesofeconomichardshiporstruggle.Lackofawarenessofother
Id. 39
40
Id. 41
Id. 42Benjamin Barber, Liberating Feminism, p. 52
12
economicstrataisonecriticismthatthethird‐waveleviesagainstsecond‐wave
feministideas.Third‐wavefeminismhasbeendeliberatetoincludevoicesof
marginalizedeconomicclassesandhasrejectedideasbasedsolelymainstream
feministperspective.43
V.
Alicia’sMotherhood
Ontheshow,Aliciaisconsistentlythevoiceofcompassion.Herjobisoftento
“hand‐hold”theclients,arolethatshefindsfrustratingattimes,butarolethatshe
admitsshenaturallydoeswell.44Aliciaalsoexhibitsmorequalmsanddiscomfort
aboutrepresentingguiltyclientsthandoherco‐workers.45Aliciaisacapable,
confidentattorney,justlikehertheotherlawyerssheworkswith,butshe
consistentlyshowsmorecompassionandempathyforthosearoundher,andclients
regularlytellAliciathattheyfeelclosetoherandreliantonhertotakecareofthem.
43
Stacey K. Sowards & Valerie R. Renegar, “The rhetorical functions of consciousness‐
raising in third wave feminism” page 540(last accessed on 11/7/12) http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/10510970409388637
44SeeTheGoodWife,generally.Forexample,inSeason4,Episode5,Aliciawillingly
waitsataclient’shomeforhimtobearrested,sothatshecanlookaftertheclient’s
son.Therestofthelawyersandinvestigatorsworkonthecase,whileAliciasitsona
swingwiththeyoungboyandcomfortshimandexplainsaboutwhatishappening
tohisfather.
45SeeTheGoodWife,Season1Episode13
13
Nootherlawyerontheshowisdepictedashavingthecompassionaterelationships
withclientsthatAliciahas.46Alicia’snurturingabilitiesandcapabilityforempathy
oftenstemsfromherbeingamother.Forexample,inSeason1,Episode3,aclient
commentstoAliciathatshedidnotneedtodrivealongwayoutofherwaytosee
theclient’shighschoolagedson,whoisontrial.Aliciarepliestoherthatsheaboy
“shesawgrowupneededmyhelp.SoIcame.”Aliciacommentsthatherheartis
softenedtothisdefendantbecauseheisaroundthesameageasherson.47
Aliciaistheonlylawyerwhoexhibitscompassionofthiskindtoclients.Many
feministtheoristsembracethisideathatawoman’smaternalcapabilitiesrenderher
differentfrommen,basedonthebondsheexperienceswithcreatingnewlifeina
fetus.RobinWesttheorizesthatthe“experienceofbeinghuman,forwomen…
includesthecounter‐autonomousexperienceofasharedphysicalidentitybetween
womanandfetus,aswellasthecounter‐autonomousexperienceoftheemotional
andpsychologicalbondbetweenmotherandinfant.”48
However,third‐wavefeminismhasresistedthisideaasessentialist,asit
overlooksdifferencesamongwomenasindividuals.49Notallwomenexperience
pregnancyandmaternityidentically,andAlicia’snurturingnatureshouldnotbe
viewedasnecessarilyrelatableforeachwomanwatchingher.Sheistheonly
46SeeTheGoodWife,generally
47SeeTheGoodWifeSeason___Episode____
48RobinWest,citethetextbook,p139
49CiteTextbook/KimberleCrenshawp150
14
motherandattorneyontheshow,andherexperienceasamotheristheonlyone
theshowdepicts.50
Thethirdwavemovementalsoembracesconflictingidentitieswithinone
woman,andemphasizesindividualexperience,soifAlicia’smaternitydoesrender
hermorenurturing,heridentityasalawyerneednotbejeopardizedbyheridentity
ofacaringwoman.Theshowdisplaysthiswell,despiteAlicia’shabitualrelegation
to“hand‐holding”andcomfortingclients,becauseAliciastilldisplaysprowessinthe
courtroom,andwhileherclientsoftenthankherforherextraordinarycompassion
andunderstanding,theymorefrequentlyturntohersay“you’regood.”51
VI.
Conclusion
a. TheGoodWifeasawhole:PositiveorNegative?UsingThird‐Wave
idealsasaguide
b. WhatdoesthatsayaboutAmerica?Whatdoesthatsayaboutthe
relationshipbetweenlawandtelevision
c. Solutionsforincorporatingmorediverseviewpoints
50SeeTheGoodWife,generally
51SeeSeason4,Episode___(inwhichasurprisedclientcommentsonAlicia’squick
thinking.)
15