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Blog 7

The first image of the African American woman nailed against the wall shows the degrading effects of society onto African American women. She is wearing a leopard print outfit and her hair in an “out of control� Afro. This ad shows an African American woman as a savage. It further puts African American women down, makes their culture “savage-like,� demeans African American women to a lower class, while the model’s open legs and sexual posture makes African American women sexual objects. It does not help that towards the end of the ad says “cheap and chic,� thus further demeaning African American as cheap sexual objects. Also as the model is pinned to the wall, it shows how African American women must be controlled and restrained, or their “savage wild� selves will destroy society. Riley’s reading, “The Black Beauty Myth� relates to this image because Riley mentions about how white society “permeates into capitalist material goals, but body image as well, creating a distinctive increase in black women’s body dissatisfaction.� Since western ideal wants women to be tall, skinny, and beautiful, it now expects African American women to be tall, skinny, and beautiful. Thus, it puts further pressure onto African American women to fit this type as well.

The second image reinforces the role of a wife as a homemaker and the role of the husband as a breadwinner. The domestic, kitchen product further puts this women into this position, while showing that only white middle class women can live this as well to have such a great husband who gives a “Kenwood Chef.� The man also seems to be moving away from the wife, while her and her perfect painted nails are leaning towards him, trying to keep him, showing that no matter what, the woman needs a man. Also, the slogan on the bottom, “I’m giving my wife a Kenwood chef,� further proves the woman’s dependency on a man, because men are the only one who can give such a thing to a woman. The woman embodies beauty. She has perfect hair, nails, clothing, teeth, and lipstick. In, “The Beauty Myth,� beauty is something “women must want to embody it and men must want to possess women who embody it.� Thus, it proves only attractive white middle class women will be just as happy as the woman in the ad.