Where the Aunts Are

<p>While the aunt is one of the most iconic and beloved figures in popular culture the societal role and import of real-life contemporary aunts are difficult to pin down. In some settings she is the sole supporter caregiver or surrogate mother and exceeds her familial function as an aunt. In others she subtly--or not so subtly--transgresses the assumed narrative of feminine identity. Surveying characters from Aunt Bee and Auntie Em to <i>Bernie Mac's </i>Aunt Wanda and <i>House of Payne's </i>Aunt Ella and countless living breathing aunts across the country <i>Where the Aunts Are</i> re-visions the ideals of family femininity and kinship and in the process offers a hopeful and progressive recognition of the multiple possibilities of womanhood in modern culture.</p>