Power Under Her Foot by Chris Lezotte

Power Under Her Foot by Chris Lezotte

Author:Chris Lezotte
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: McFarland & Company, Inc.
Published: 2018-05-18T04:00:00+00:00


In locations where car folks congregate, classic automobiles are perhaps the greatest initiator of such storytelling, as nothing spurs conversation among a group of auto aficionados than a vehicle with a connection to an individual’s past. Cars from another era can spark memories of newfound independence, teenage romance, childhood friendships, and drag racing on hot summer nights. A 39-year-old 1967 Dodge Dart owner remarked that classic muscle cars “represent a time in history when people wanted to be free to do things their way, to not be tied down with all the rules and regulations of the structured everyday life. People were able to afford a vehicle that wasn’t just for necessity and the kids (young adults) took to the cars as a way to get out and have fun.” Vehicles of more recent vintage are also significant conversation starters. Twenty-first-century muscle cars, for example, provide the opportunity to connect one’s own car history and automotive experiences to those of past generations. As Caperello and Kurani suggest, in their encounters with cars, individuals create narratives “to integrate their past, present, and future ” (504). Traditionally, storytellers in these locations have been male; in fact, since the early years of automotive history, men’s car stories have been a popular subject of books, film, and magazines.8 In the twenty-first century, men’s automotive narratives are often found in locations such as car TV, podcasts, online blogs and forums, automotive websites, and digital newsletters. However, the recent entry of the female car enthusiast into the muscle car community has changed the dynamics of storytelling as well as the stories being told. Women’s car stories have made their way out of the shadows and into popular culture and onto library shelves.9 In the muscle car community, women have not only added their own car stories to the historical and cultural narrative, but have remade and reimagined storytelling as an inclusive rather than exclusive activity.

Studies in disciplines as varied as nursing, sociology, management, and communication have suggested that storytelling offers women a way to explain pivotal life events, find meaning in experiences, educate the uninformed, and bond with others (Grassley 2447). As East et al. argue, stories are influenced “by environments, social situations, changing perspectives, the audience, and purpose of relating the story” (19). Because women’s automotive experiences differ from those of men, their stories complement as well as add a new dimension to muscle car history, as recorded and remembered. Acting as storytellers—i.e., providing new narratives as well as encouraging the recounting of car stories by others—has not only allowed women access into muscle car culture, but has also given them the opportunity to contribute to the muscle car community in new and important ways. In the role of storyteller, the participants in this project act as conduits of automotive history, educate and inspire the next generation of car buffs, promote and strengthen the muscle car community, and—as female car enthusiasts—add a missing and significant chapter to the automotive archives. As storytellers, women have the opportunity to construct an important place for themselves within muscle car culture.



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