THE MERYL STREEP MYSTIQUE: A STUDY OF GENDER, AGING, HOLLYWOOD AND A FEMALE STAR by Tracy Allerton A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of The Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, Florida December 2010 Copyright by Tracy Allerton 2010 ii ABSTRACT Author: Tracy Allerton Title: The Meryl Streep Mystique: A Study of Gender, Aging, Hollywood and a Female Star Institution: Florida Atlantic University Thesis Advisor: Dr. Christine Scodari Degree: Master of Arts Year: 2010 This thesis employs a star study of Meryl Streep, incorporating pertinent feminist, reception and culture-studies theories, to investigate biases within the Hollywood film industry. The actress has enjoyed a resurgence as a leading lady at age 61. Streep’s star persona, acting prowess and career arc are examined across three theoretical platforms— production of culture, textual analysis, and audience analysis—for clues as to why she has been singled out among her peers. This thesis posits that Streep’s unique star image and surge in popularity have helped her break out of hegemonic articulations of gender and aging that privilege youthful beauty, putting female stars at a disadvantage within the capitalistic film industry. Also considered is the cultural significance of Streep’s late-life success: Does she represent new openings for older actresses (and concomitantly, an increase in film representations of aging women), or is she merely an anomaly within the entrenched patriarchal system? iv TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER ONE ................................................................................................................. 1 BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION ........................................................................ 1 Introduction..................................................................................................................... 1 Issues to Be Addressed ................................................................................................... 4 Literature Review ........................................................................................................... 5 Primary Texts.............................................................................................................. 5 Secondary Texts.......................................................................................................... 6 Scholarly Sources........................................................................................................ 8 Cultural Theory......................................................................................................... 11 Political-Economic Theory ....................................................................................... 13 Star Studies ............................................................................................................... 15 Reception Theory...................................................................................................... 18 Feminist Theory ........................................................................................................ 21 Gender and Aging Theory ........................................................................................ 23 Research Procedures and Methodology........................................................................ 27 Procedures................................................................................................................. 27 Methodology ............................................................................................................. 29 Organization.............................................................................................................. 30 Notes ............................................................................................................................. 32 v CHAPTER TWO .............................................................................................................. 34 ANALYSIS....................................................................................................................... 34 Biography...................................................................................................................... 34 PART ONE: Production of Culture.............................................................................. 37 Star Images................................................................................................................ 37 Stars as Commodities............................................................................................ 38 Stars as Performers ............................................................................................... 40 Personifiers vs. Impersonators.............................................................................. 41 Cultural Factors......................................................................................................... 41 The Beauty Ideal................................................................................................... 42 Intersectionality: Gender and Aging..................................................................... 43 Industrial factors ....................................................................................................... 45 Females in Power.................................................................................................. 46 Hollywood’s Political Economy........................................................................... 48 The Streep Effect .................................................................................................. 50 PART TWO: Textual Analysis..................................................................................... 51 Streep’s Star Image ................................................................................................... 51 A Great Actress..................................................................................................... 52 A Family Woman.................................................................................................. 52 A Unique Combination......................................................................................... 54 Status as an Icon........................................................................................................ 54 Career Arc................................................................................................................. 56 Analysis of Performance........................................................................................... 69 vi Effect: Empathetic Resonance .............................................................................. 69 Affect: Acting Style .............................................................................................. 71 Analysis of Effect and Affect ............................................................................... 74 PART THREE: Reception of Texts.............................................................................. 82 Reception Theory...................................................................................................... 82 Identification......................................................................................................... 83 Currency................................................................................................................ 84 The Audience ............................................................................................................ 86 Streep’s Fans......................................................................................................... 86 Streep’s Critics...................................................................................................... 93 Reception of Streep’s Films.................................................................................. 95 Notes ........................................................................................................................... 108 CHAPTER THREE ........................................................................................................ 113 CONCLUSION............................................................................................................... 113 Discussion of Findings................................................................................................ 113 Cultural Implications .................................................................................................. 117 The Baby Boomer Impact................................................................................... 117 Promising Signs .................................................................................................. 118 Or Not?................................................................................................................ 120 Streep’s Place...................................................................................................... 121 Suggestions for Future Research ................................................................................ 123 Notes ........................................................................................................................... 126 Bibliography ............................................................................................................... 127 vii CHAPTER ONE BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION INTRODUCTION If you’ve been to or read