This book investigates how the academic study of soap operas became a defining site for the construction of the 'feminist intellectual' identity. Charlotte Brunsdon, a prominent scholar in television studies, utilizes a combination of historical analysis, archival research, and personal reflection to examine the shifting relationship between feminist theory and popular daytime television. She argues that the intellectual project of legitimizing soap opera as a subject of study was deeply intertwined with the evolving self-perception of feminist academics in relation to their perceived audience, the housewife.

Scholars in the field of television studies identify this work as a critical reflection on the history of the discipline itself. Readers frequently note the balance between personal narrative and rigorous academic inquiry, making it a foundational text for understanding the intersection of gender and media studies.