Since this thread is wandering anyway, this is a really good book about perceptions of women back in "the day." And "the day" actually extends I want to say until the 70s in this book. It covers the books about how the bad boys you weren't supposed to date (the guy on the cover is totally my type) and Lysol as, dun dun dun, a friggin douche!

Pink Think: Becoming a Woman in Many Uneasy Lessons