At the start of the 20th century, a popular fictional female character was the vamp -- representing danger, sexuality and the possibility of independence. Toward the end of the century, the movie "Thelma and Louise" showed women acting independently, doing things they're not "supposed" to do, and celebrating women's bonding. These two depictions of women will be among those used by UC Davis assistant professor of women's studies Sarah Projansky during a talk Wednesday, March 11, about how the media has represented feminism during the 20th century. Her presentation is among a number of campus activities designed to celebrate women's history this month and the 150th anniversary of the women's rights movement. Projansky plans to "draw attention to the idea that feminism is largely defined by media in ways that generally do not coincide with arguments that women's activists tend to make." The popular media, she says, would represent feminism in a more limited way, while a feminist would make her arguments more broadly. Yet, Projansky notes, the mass media are influential in shaping perceptions about feminism. During her talk, which begins at 7 p.m. in the community room of the Davis Public Library, Projansky will show film, magazine and television clips to illustrate media treatment of feminism.