In an impassioned polemic, Courtney Young strikes at the heart of this potent cultural moment. Turn on the TV or hop over to the Cineplex. Chances are, you'll come across a Tyler Perry production. One of the most successful producers in Hollywood, Perry has made a literal industry out of his Madea character: one steeped in a long tradition of men dressing as women, spoofing black femininity. At the heart of Perry's comedy is an unruly woman who needs to be saved by her man and by her church. He's laughing all the way to the bank, but what about the women and girls who comprise his core audience? What are they getting?

At the other extreme, Michelle Obama represents an independence and integrity that inspire new paradigms. Yet we all know her popularity has been hard won. Public debates over her body, wardrobe, and lifestyle choices make clear that she is seen in light of centuries-old clichés of black womanhood that threaten to marginalize her.

With humor and a broad frame of reference, Young looks at hip-hop and other cultural icons, finding hope in a new generation that subverts traditional renderings of being black and female.

Courtney Young's fiction and pop culture commentaries have appeared in The Nation, The Huffington Post, TheGrio.com, The Root, and Popmatters.com, and she blogs at thethirtymilewoman.wordpress.com. Originally from Lafayette, Louisiana, she now lives in New York City.