In American culture today, women continue to struggle to identify what their role is in society. Our culture sends mixed messages to today's woman, creating a sense of unease in an already confusing and stressful world. Even though women today are encouraged more than ever to be independent, educated, and successful, they are often ashamed of having done just that. Career-driven women often risk being labeled bossy, unfeminine, or selfish for competing in many career paths once dominated by men. A popular medium in our culture, such as television, continues to have a significant influence on how people should aspire to live their lives. Viewers develop connections with characters they can relate to and the relationship dynamics displayed in their favorite shows. Fictional characters and relationships can ultimately influence fashion sense, social and political views, and the viewer's attitude toward gender norms. Since the days of Bewitched and I'm Dreaming of Jeanie, where women were commonly portrayed as endearing and mischievous housewives, television shows have evolved to reflect real-life women who were becoming increasingly independent, educated and oriented. towards their careers over the following decades. . New genres of television are being introduced, such as workplace comedy, in which women are not only career-oriented, but eventually rise to positions of power. In 1970, CBS created a new television series called The Mary Tyler Moore Show. It is by no means considered the first sitcom about "working women" to air in prime time, but it is "generally recognized as the first to argue that work was not just a prelude to marriage, or…”. middle of article......that much of the discourse centers on women in fictional workplace sitcoms like The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Murphy Brown, 30 Rock, and Parks and Recreation, j I will examine how gender stratification in fiction reflects the real-life gender stratification that continues today. I will examine case studies from leading scholars that reflect the gender preferences of people in positions of power at work and the reasons for them. I will also review scientific reviews that discuss gender role expectations and how women are shamed or stigmatized for successfully completing tasks that are typically considered masculine. This section will explain why success is career-focused; it's always best for women in positions of power to stay in traditional gender roles, whether in real life or on television..