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When Women Invented Television
When Women Invented Television: The Untold Story of the Female Powerhouses Who Pioneered the Way We Watch Today | Jennifer Keishin Armstrong
9 posts | 6 read | 13 to read
Leaps at the throat of television history and takes down the patriarchy with its fervent, inspired prose. When Women Invented Television offers proof that what we watch is a reflection of who we are as a people. Nathalia Holt, New York Times bestselling author of Rise of the Rocket Girls New York Times bestselling author of Seinfeldia Jennifer Keishin Armstrong tells the little-known story of four trailblazing women in the early days of television who laid the foundation of the industry we know today. It was the Golden Age of Radio and powerful men were making millions in advertising dollars reaching thousands of listeners every day. When television arrived, few radio moguls were interested in the upstart industry and its tiny production budgets, and expensive television sets were out of reach for most families. But four womeneach an independent visionary saw an opportunity and carved their own paths, and in so doing invented the way we watch tv today. Irna Phillips turned real-life tragedy into daytime serials featuring female dominated casts. Gertrude Berg turned her radio show into a Jewish family comedy that spawned a play, a musical, an advice column, a line of house dresses, and other products. Hazel Scott, already a renowned musician, was the first African American to host a national evening variety program. Betty White became a daytime talk show fan favorite and one of the first women to produce, write, and star in her own show. Together, their stories chronicle a forgotten chapter in the history of television and popular culture. But as the medium became more popularand lucrativein the wake of World War II, the House Un-American Activities Committee arose to threaten entertainers, blacklisting many as communist sympathizers. As politics, sexism, racism, anti-Semitism, and money collided, the women who invented television found themselves fighting from the margins, as men took control. But these women were true survivors who never gave upand thus their legacies remain with us in our television-dominated era. It's time we reclaimed their forgotten histories and the work they did to pioneer the medium that now rules our lives. This amazing and heartbreaking history, illustrated with photos, tells it all for the first time.
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Scochrane26
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Pickpick

I think this was a rec from @Megabooks so decided to finally listen to it. I enjoyed learning about these 4 gutsy, hard-working, creative women. There wasn‘t enough Betty White, imo, but still a good book.

vivastory One of my favorite podcasts is Reading Glasses. One of the co-hosts, Mallory O'Meara, recently announced she's going to be releasing a biography on the first Hollywood stunt woman & how at the beginning of Hollywood the studios were mostly run by women. I'm really intrigued. I really liked her book about the designer of the creature from the black lagoon 6mo
Megabooks I‘m glad you enjoyed this, too! That sounds like it would be a really interesting book @vivastory . 6mo
Scochrane26 @vivastory Yes, that book sounds interesting! I‘ll have to look out for it. 6mo
25 likes3 comments
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ilyssa.g
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Pickpick

Recently finished this and loved it! I gained so much insight into the history of television and how 4 remarkable women have led the history of it! Prior to reading the book I only knew of Betty White and did not realize how much she did throughout her life to change television and the role of professional women. Each woman‘s story was interesting and Armstrong did a great job showing and connecting the woman‘s lives and impacts.

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MaggieCarr
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Mehso-so

I watch very little television. Even after reading this entire book I only knew Betty White of the four leading ladies and even then only from a few movies filmed later in her life, nothing from long standing TV shows. In hindsight having more of an awareness of the other three, and BW herself would have made this more of an enjoyable read.

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rachelsbrittain
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New books!

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ahomelibrary
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Pickpick

Highly informative book which features 4 pioneering women in TV media as identified by the author. Each has a unique experience which IMO symbolizes a certain figure in media, such as the soap opera/daytime star, politics/opinionated figures, those who circumvent societal norms (gender, race, religion, marriage/singles etc). Research in pop culture / history to convey interesting themes & tell the stories of women behind the screen. #nonfiction

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Cinfhen
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Wow, this book was EXCELLENT ❣️❣️❣️It contained SO MUCH ❤️Way MORE than just the early days of television history, this book covered Jim Crow‘s South & racism, anti semitism & Judaism , feminism & the equal rights movement, communism & McCarthyism, US History and World history. Told through the careers of four amazing women; Gertrude Berg, Irna Phillips, Hazel Scott and Betty White this book was unbelievably entertaining and informative. 👇🏼

Cinfhen Audio narration was wonderful. Thank you, my dear friend @megabooks for this marvelous gift 💝 I LOVED IT❣️❣️❣️ 4y
Megabooks @Cinfhen you flew through this!! So glad you enjoyed it!! 💕💕💕 I had a feeling it would be up your alley. 😁 4y
Cinfhen Now I‘m eager to read Betty White‘s own memoir @Megabooks 💕😊 4y
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Megabooks Yes! It‘s on hoopla and I keep meaning to read it. So many books!! 4y
alisiakae This sounds good! 4y
Cinfhen It‘s excellent @4thhouseontheleft I wasn‘t expecting to be so taken with this book. I knew so little about these and they really were trailblazers 🙌🏻 4y
71 likes4 stack adds6 comments
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Cinfhen
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Loving this @Megabooks ❣️❣️❣️I had NEVER heard of Gertrude Berg and The Goldberg‘s before. I‘m hoping to locate some old clips!!!! Thanks again for this wonderful gift 💝 YOU really KNOW ME!!!!

Megabooks So glad you‘re enjoying it! Her story is just incredible, and it‘s sad that it‘s been lost to history. I‘m very happy Armstrong wrote this. I can‘t wait for your review! 4y
Cinfhen I‘m not sure what I was expecting but this is fabulous/ a bit of world history, cultural history, feminist history and TV history. I‘m loving it 🥰 4y
Megabooks Awesome!! 💕 4y
72 likes3 comments
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Cinfhen
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Just wanted to give A GREAT BIG THANK YOU to my dear friend and #AudioGuru for gifting me an audiobook💛 @Megabooks your thoughtfulness and friendship means everything ~ much appreciated and I can‘t wait to listen to this one. I remember we discussed it a few weeks ago ☺️

Megabooks Oh yay!! I hope you enjoy it!! 💕🎧 I very much did. 😁👍🏻 4y
Cinfhen It‘ll be my next audio 😁thanks again @Megabooks 4y
69 likes2 comments
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Megabooks
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This book follows 4 groundbreaking women of early TV who found success & rallied against the patriarchy of the 50s. Irna Philips was the groundbreaker who brought soaps to TV and was also a single mother. Gertrude Berg brought her Jewish sitcom from radio to TV with success before problems with McCarthyism. Hazel Scott was the first Black person with a primetime program (in the 40s!) but paid an awful price. And the origin story of Betty White! ⬇️

Megabooks ⬆️ This book was fascinating as White and Phillips bucked trends of marriage and children, and Berg and Scott, who were huge then, have mostly been lost to time. Really a must read/listen for TV fans. #audiobook 4y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa I just read Queens of Animation....again some women who had great influence and were basically erased by time! 4y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa Oh, and stacking this one. 4y
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Megabooks @Riveted_Reader_Melissa I‘ve stacked that one! Thanks! 4y
Scochrane26 You always find the best NF books 4y
Megabooks @Scochrane26 thanks! 😊 4y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Megabooks You‘re welcome! 4y
Cinfhen This sounds AMAZING 🤩 #STACKED 4y
Megabooks @Cinfhen I think you‘d enjoy it for sure!! 4y
Cinfhen I think I would too!!! 4y
91 likes7 stack adds10 comments