Superstars

Abstract In the 1950s both women finally attained personal stability and professional success. Elle and Marie-Claire provided powerful platforms for Ségal and Auclair, whose dialogue with readers often challenged conventional ideas. Rather than urging women to conform to traditional values and expectations, they emphasized the importance for women of being able to take care of themselves. They discouraged young women from rushing into marriage and encouraged women not to blindly follow convention. Both Ségal and Auclair also tackled the topics of pre- and extramarital sex, the double standard, and, occasionally same-sex love. They encouraged women to think for themselves, try new things, take matters in hand, and find in themselves solutions to their problems. The popularity of their columns and books propelled them onto the newest popular media platform, television, where they amplified their messages.