ABSTRACT
During the neoliberalization of the 1970s, “ruling elites moved, often fractiously, to support the opening up of the cultural field to all manner of diverse cosmopolitan currents. The narcissistic exploration of self, sexuality, and identity became the leitmotif of bourgeois urban culture. Artistic freedom … . led to the neoliberalization of culture.” 1 Neoliberal culture expressed itself through a philosophy that rests upon transference of authority from “official” (government) sources to private experts in fields ranging from psychology (self-help) to fashion, weight loss, and career planning. This shift also occurs through media presenting “information, evaluation, and reproach” aimed at solidifying a culture in which the individual bears sole responsibility for his or her own personal and professional welfare. 2 In this process of shifting from individuals embedded in social class to untethered self-disciplined individuals, neoliberalism revoked but also reinvigorated white patriarchy—a feature that is also played out in several contemporary media texts.
