Week Seven Blog
Both pictures are portraying very degrading images of women. The first seems to be targeted towards the white middle/upper class. Even as simple as having both persons being white sends a message of what every couple/family should look like (white, middle/upper class, nicely dressed). The way they are dressed also sends a powerful message. The man is dressed in a nice suit and tie, probably just coming home from work because that is what men do. However, women typically stay at home, right? They do the house work, and work in the kitchen and always wear chefs hats like the one the women is posed in the picture with. Although she is dressed as if she is doing cooking/cleaning work, she still has perfectly painted nails, make-up on, and is nicely dressed. This sends the message that all women no matter what type of work they are doing, they must look and present themselves as being beautiful. The posture of both is also a signifcant part of this image. The man is facing away from the woman, while the woman clings on to the man. This shows that women cannot be independent and that they must always be dependent on the man. The caption also highlights these ideologies when it says "that's what wives are for" (image 1).
The second image directly compares African American women to animals. The woman is tied onto the wall as if she is nothing more than the left over body of an animal when they are hung on walls. The viewer does not even think of this woman as having a personality or "spirit", the image strictly focuses on her body and posture. Her leapord clothing relates to her African American descent by showing native animals. Her body posture and body image also says a lot about this photo. For one, she is a very thin female. Is this image trying to say that in order to be chic you must be extremely thin? Her eyes are either closed or very close to being closed to also show that she is not really a person, she is just a body. It also shows how seductive and sexy she is, trying to sort of sell her body as she is selling the clothing. Her posture also has to do with being attractive in order to draw attention to her. All of her body parts are open and out from her, her legs are open and she is trying to be seductive through her body stance.