The two faces of Martha; Selling lifestyle.("Martha Inc: The Incredible Story of Martha Stewart Living")

Economist (US), The, April, 2002

MARTHA STEWART is a puzzle, at least to Christopher Byron. The diva of domesticity, the most influential lifestyle authority in America, she has in many ways been a spectacular success. Her TV shows, books and magazines explaining how to prepare dinner for 20 and re-tile the roof before breakfast, have led a generation of women to aspire to domestic excellence: where they, like Martha, can run a dream home and be fulfilled. A girl from an impoverished family of Polish immigrants, she has turned herself into a brand. She is the first female stockmarket billionaire to run her own multi-media empire, a woman so famous that her name has become an adjective, as in "very Martha" or "a Martha moment".

The problem, argues Mr Byron, a New York business journalist, is...

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