 Through the 1990s women made political and economical headway that brought them closer to equal representation and pay, but Faludi believes it is a distorted view of feminism that is present in mainstream America today.She claims feminism has been co-opted by commercialism, and economic independence has become buying power; self-determination has become commodified self-improvement of "physical appearance, self-esteem and the fool's errand of reclaiming one's youth"; and public agency has been transformed to publicity (xv).Faludi says we have yet to find our way to the "more meaningful goals of social change, responsible citizenship, the advancement of human creativity, [and] the building of a mature and vital public world."