Culture

Betty Crocker's Response To The Housewife's Plight Was To Build Community, Not Tear Down The Patriarchy

Betty Crocker, the beloved symbol of the quintessential poised and happy 1950s housewife, stands as the antithesis to Betty Friedan’s "The Feminine Mystique."

By Molly Farinholt3 min read
Wyeth, N. C. (Newell Convers), 1882-1945, No restrictions, via Wikimedia Commons
Newell Convers Wyeth/Wikimedia Commons

Even today — nearly six decades after the release of Friedan’s book — the two can be regarded as representations of the most prominent (and polar opposite) views on wifehood.