COURSE BLOG for GWSS 3307: Feminist Film/Media Studies (Fall 2007)

First of all, let me vent my hatred of wristwatch ads. There's just always SO much gender politics shit going on, for both men and women.

CONTEXT
This ad was found on Google Images, but it (or similar ads with other models/celebs) can easily be seen in a wealth of magazines – and if you're real lucky, billboards. The advertisement is for Tag Heuer watches.

CONTENT
Brad Pitt is looking deeply (and arguably, longingly) into our eyes. What is he wearing? Some kind of coat/jacket thing. And under that? Well...hard to say, as we're probably led to believe the answer is "nothing." Mr. Pitt also appears to us as shaven, bronzed, slender (as in "non-muscular") and "clean" - four attributes I would argue to be taken as "feminine." He's grazing his lips (one of the most sensitive parts of the body) with the back of his hand (one of the most sensual parts of his body). Someone sure loves himself.

Oh yeah, there's a watch in there, too.

NECESSARY NARRATIVES
The "sexiest man in the world" is white, straight, wearing a $900 dollar watch, and touching himself – all while the ad asks us what we are "made of." God, I hope it's him.

FORM
The blue of Mr. Pitt's eyes are definitely being manipulated, through both suggestive uses of color and some Photoshop tweaking. He is being lit from his "outside," thereby creating a slight suggestion of coy hiding. He is framed decently close to his face; we cannot see all of his entire scalp nor anything below his chest.

CONCLUSION
Buy this watch and you will be made up of the same "stuff" as Brad Pitt. And as Brad Pitt is slightly masturbatory with the whole lip/hand thing, that means either pleasuring Brad Pitt himself or pleasuring something Brad Pitt would. Yowza.

Posted by Christopher Kehoe at 10:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Context: This was taped to a lamppost on campus. It was on Pleasant Ave. in front of Jones Hall. I also saw them taped up in Dinkytown at the corner of 4th and 15th. The product being promoted by this ad campaign is Axe Vice body wash, deodorant, and body spray.

Content: The premise of this ad campaign is that the scent of Axe Vice products makes “nice” women turn “naughty” and assault men sexually.

Form: This ad is made to look like a mug shot. The woman is standing in front of a wall with heights on it and holding a sign with a name and number. The presentation of the ad, by being taped up to lampposts, is suggestive of neighborhood notification of sex offenders. The woman fits into the ideal of beauty in America: she is white, skinnier than the average American woman (who is a size 12 or 14), and has long hair. She is wearing a “cute” yet “conservative” outfit: a pink sweater over a white shirt.

Reading: The idea behind the image is that “nice” women are not sexual and that only “naughty” women are sexual. The colors of her outfit suggest that she is “nice,” pink is traditionally associated with femininity and white is associated with innocence. The ad also perpetuates the myth that sexual assault of men is not a serious issue.

Posted by crowjane at 10:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Context:
This is the cover image for the DVD of Iron Jawed Angels, the beginning of which we watched in class. I originally saw it on display at Hollywood Video.

Content:
This image of an anonymous, white, apparently naked woman's back depicts women as interchangeable sex objects.

Form:
The woman's head is cropped off, and her identifying characteristics are invisible. Her back is brightly lit, standing out over a black background. An American flag is loosely draped over her lower back, and the slogan, "VOTES FOR WOMEN" is written in red letters, graffiti-style, over her back.

Reading:
I think this image makes a statement that's pretty obviously contrary to the purported message of the film it advertises, as well as the spirit of the women's suffrage movement: With her body cropped in this way, the woman in the picture could be Hilary Swank, Frances O'Connor, or Julia Ormond (probably not Angelica Huston, though); she is, more likely, a model that was employed specifically for this photo. While the leaders of first wave feminism sought to give each woman a right to an individual, political voice, the woman shown here has no individuality--her (conventionally) attractive body is being used as an attention-getting sex object.

Posted by Peter H. at 04:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Context: I found this image in the May 2007 issue of Cosmopolitan magazine (on page 216). This is an advertisement for Secret deodorant and therefore Secret is the creator of this image.

Content: This image is selling deodorant to women and it portrays a very specific type of woman. The specific deodorant advertised in this ad is called ‘jasmine orient.’ The woman or model in this image is classified as ‘oriental’ in a very stereotypical manner. Also, the images surrounding the woman imply certain characteristics of an ‘oriental’ culture. The woman is the only real subject in this image. She is surrounded by artwork and make-believe images of flowers, butterflies, incense, lanterns and other symbols of beauty and stereotypical oriental lifestyles. This implies that foreign women live in a beautified, sexual fantasy world. The woman appears to be skinny, dressed up, groomed and she has a pale, smooth complexion. She is also gazing at the viewer in a very mysterious, sexual manner. This implies that foreign women are exotic, sexual and a fantasy of desire.

Form: The woman in the image is positioned in the center of the page and is framed inside of an oriental-looking structure. She is also framed or surrounded by images of an ‘oriental’ nature. These images are defining the environment that encompasses her. She is literally framed inside of a foreign fantasy world.

The woman seems to have been photographed in a studio with soft lighting that compliments her skin and her structure. The rest of the image is artwork with the source of light coming from what looks to be a sunset in the background which gives the image a feel of dusk or evening. It looks almost hazy and mysterious.

The color that most sticks out is red. Her dress is red. The structure framing her and the lanterns are red and the label on the deodorant is red. Red is often associated with love, lust, sexual desire and sexual drive. The spots of red bring your eye from the girl to her surroundings and then down to the deodorant.

This woman is positioned in a manner that resembles a dance pose. She is positioned as a performer or entertainer. Her head is positioned slightly to the left which accents the gaze of her eyes which is aimed at the viewer rather than in the direction that her head is pointing. It seems like her entire body, down to her fingertips, is focused on a specific pose. Every part is positioned.

This woman is obviously in a costume. It almost resembles that of a geisha. The red silk and bare arms, implies that this is a sexy woman. Also her waist is bound with rope and a black sash. Not only is she wearing a costume, but it has been altered with artwork or special effects. The dress is split into two areas of fabric around the level of her knees that are floating on either side of her. These sections form a sort of V-shape which may imply a phallic symbol of her vagina. Along the lines of phallic symbols, I noticed that the deodorant stick, which resembles a penis, is positioned so very nicely between that V-shaped fabric.

My Take on the Secret: First of all, the reading at the top of the image that states, “When you’re strong, you sparkle.” implies so much about the strength of women. I see strength as a word that defines power or will. This message implies that women can’t be strong without being pretty too. It also implies that women’s strength lies in beauty. Women are the strongest or hold more power when they are pretty. Women only have power over pretty things. Women gain strength through their looks.

The image itself implies a lot about women, especially foreign women. The choice of the word ‘orient’ or ‘oriental’ is a conscious move to attach exotic meaning to the product. Would it be viewed differently had they used the word ‘Asian?’ This image therefore makes a statement for all ‘oriental’ women. All ‘oriental’ women are skinny, pale entertainers. ‘Oriental’ women surround themselves with flowers, butterflies incense and other pretty things. There is a secret desire behind the eyes of ‘oriental’ women. Foreign women have a mysterious, exotic sexual power. Finally, Jasmine orient deodorant by Secret will give you this mysterious, exotic sexual power.

Posted by Mary Ellen McCormick at 12:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Context: I found this image on google. and i picked this one because to me it show cased what Iman means to many people, beautiful, strong, and quite natural.

Content:Many people know who Iman know her as a Super model, business woman, David Bowie's wife. But within my community people know her through her family, her mother, aunts, and cousins. I've always been proud to tell people that she was from Somalia. Then watch their reaction as they go through images of her in their head. I always wanted them to know that beauty was not just in blond hair and blue eyes. That beauty is not only in North America but can also be discovered in small villages in Somalia. I choose this image because her skin shines, and her head is held high. All the things that really show how beautiful black women are.

Form: We can't really see her entire face but parts of it. Also there is lightening on certain parts of her body more then others. for example, her breast and face. Some parts are shown while others almost seem like a shadow. her position looks strong, like someone knocked her down and she's ready to get back up. her clothing is bright, and very colorful, which represents her rich culture and background, and although her right breast seems as if its about to fall out, i think she carries it with a lot of class.

Posted by Ifrah Esse at 12:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

For this assignment I immediately knew that I wanted to pick a gendered image that completely degraded women and showed how women are exploited in advertising all the time. When I was looking for pictures on the Internet I found this image and I thought that it was a good response to the images I wanted to expose.

This image is from a French website called, “France Diplomatie”. I’m not sure what the exact translation is but I think that is something like, “A woman’s body should never be exploited to the public.” I’m assuming the image is a play on women’s shoe advertisements.

There is a white male in high heels and completely naked otherwise. His legs are placed in such a way so that his privates are completely covered. His legs and face are not shaved in this picture and he’s wearing an anklet that I think is his own. This is an imitation of how women’s bodies are usually sold along with the product in the advertisement.

The background of this picture is completely white and so are the words. His body seems to be pretty well lit. He’s sitting up very straight with his hands placed on top of his leg that is bent up to cover his private area and he is completely centered in the frame.

I think that the story being told behind this is that a woman’s body is always manipulated, used, exposed, and exploited in advertisements to sell a product. This group decided to make a response to these advertisements by using a white thin male who has still not shaved his legs or his face and is not really posed in any sexual or degrading position. I thought that it was good this group produced this image but I also thought that the man should have been just as exploited in this picture as the ones the group was critiquing.

Posted by Timac at 11:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

This image was taken at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq in 2004. It can be found across the Internet and in various news sources, particularly at the time it was taken, although it is still used by people speaking out about the issues surrounding it. The picture is blurry, taken inside the prison. It was taken by another soldier and presumably not meant to be shared the way it was. When they were exposed, the pictures taken shocked the world, because of the (literally) naked cruelty and violence involved and in part because the fact that women were centrally involved contradicted popular ideas about women as delicate, non-violent creatures.

The context, content, form, and narratives of this picture are shaped by war, unequal power structures, and the cultures of the people involved. The image is very much gendered and sexualized, but not along traditional lines; it is about power and oppression. The female soldier, clothed in her uniform and standing, is framed by the prison walls as the subject of the picture. She is in the center of the picture in the position of power, looking without expression or emotion at the naked male prisoner, who is lying prone and obviously in pain at the side of the picture. His body is cut off from the picture; he is the object of her gaze. She is holding a leash, “walking” the naked man like a dog in order to dehumanize and humiliate him. This tactic is particularly humiliating for the prisoner because of Muslim cultural and religious beliefs about nudity, bodies, and gender. The image is also (more traditionally) shaped along racial lines, with the white woman in control over the brown man. The way that the soldiers treat the prisoners as less than human recalls slavery, colonialism, and genocide, and reminds us that these are not easily dismissed as relics of the past.

The picture tells a story of white American soldiers dehumanizing and torturing Iraqi prisoners, showing us some of the horrors of war and proving that racism, power and oppression can and do cross gender lines.

Posted by Peachtree at 11:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I was sifting through my collection of films bought from Hollywood Video for $5, and I found one that I hadn't seen before, let alone bought. It is called Swimming Pool, there is a thin, tan, blonde woman in a bikini on the cover, I assume my dad purchased this one. The woman's hair is long, her breasts are highlighted, and her skin is flawless. She is laying next to shockingly blue water which makes the black and white stripes on her skimpy bikini pop. This image strongly suggests that this woman is a sex symbol. Her back is arched in a provocative manner and a shadow of a man falls across her midsection. She is placed at the bottom of the cover, her arms and legs are cut out of the frame so the image simply captures from her crotch to her head of golden locks.

Though I haven't seen this film I know that this character is a sex symbol based on the way she is represented on the cover. Sex sells, why else would my dad have bought this film he hasn't ever seen?

Posted by Tara Weinberg at 11:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Category 3 Gendered Images

1. CONTEXT: This advertisement was found in the Cosmopolitan magazine. The product that is being sold is a weight loss formula called Hydroxycut.

2. CONTENT: The image shows that women should be skinny. It states that Hydroxycut will make a women’s body “fantastic”. It also shows that if you are skinny, you are sexier and you will look more like a model.

3. FORM: The person displayed in the advertisement had used hydroxycut to lose weight; her name was “Brandy”. There are three pictures of her. The two pictures to the right are her before and after, wearing the same bikini. She lost 21lbs in 15 weeks and now has a beach body. The last picture is an enlarged picture of Brandy. Her hair color is a darker brown to compliment her eyes. She has a fitted light blue top and the background is a darker blue to accentuate her. She has a nice glowing tan. Her make up is done and she has the wind blowing at her hair making her look like she’s modeling.

4. “READING”/ANALYSIS: The advertisement shows me that women should be skinny. It shows me that women should lose weight and they will have a fantastic body. If you take hydroxycut, you will lose the weight that you want, and you will end with an attractive body. The advertisement shows me that skinnier is always better then having a little meat.

Posted by Padao Vang at 10:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Back in my hometown of Fargo, I was minding my own business. Casual. Driving to get some groceries. I turned on the radio (which I never do) and on the random station I turned to I heard an interesting discussion going on inbetween songs. People were calling in to discuss a billboard they had seen advertising this station. I had not seen this billboard. All of the callers were men and they all said the same thing, "I don;t know what the big deal is" "Its just a womans body" "Don;t you love your body? People need to stop being such prudes" "The female body is a beautiful thing"......blah blah blah.

This seemed like a lot of odd rationalization to me...I became intensely interested in what this billboard could possibly be...

Then, as if the feminist theorists of my past had heard my request, I saw it in the distance, looming like a giant phallic warning, telling me that i really really shouldn't have turned on the radio today...

Just in case you care to look at some more billboards by this "clever" radio station
http://www.rock102online.com/page6_sub.php?id=81

Context:

Who: Rock 102 is a radio station
What: broadcasts mainstream rock music.
Where: In the Fargo Moorhead metropolitan community. It started in 1983 under a different name. It is currently owned by a James Ingstad incorporation.
A Billboard on the Highway.

Content:

The torso of a woman shown only from the back so that her head and legs are cut off. She is standing with her hip out to the left and her left hand is extended to rest lightly on the top of the neck of the guitar. In bold letters next to her it reads, “Now Turn Us On” with the “us” underlined. Underneath the text in smaller letters boxed in it reads “Rock 102.” Under that in even smaller letters it reads “Everything that rocks.”

Form:/reading:

In typical hegemonic fashion, the woman is thin, white, tan, and longhaired, perpetuating the stereotypical physical standards of female beauty. Her hand is balancing herself on the obvious phallic symbol of the guitar neck, she is “leaning” on male dominance. She is shown only from the back, more specifically, only her torso is shown. She is framed in a way that makes her headless and legless. Her ass is eroticized and is the main element of her body that is given visibility. The lighting causes an intense reflection on her lower back. She is wearing a white tankini that is riding up in the back.

I was both insulted and mildly relieved at the honesty of this billboard. They blatantly admit that they are assuming a male gaze, they blatantly admit they are objectifying this woman and using her as sexual advertising tool, and they blatantly admit that in exchange for them providing “you” (the viewer) with visual erotic stimulation, “you” should reward them with your business. If they weren’t serious, I would find it comical.

For me, this is a clear example of “woman as spectacle” and “man as active narrator and story advancer.” All instructions of action are geared towards him. The woman is unimportant for anything other than arousing the male viewer. What are the implications of me as a woman viewing this billboard? The message is not meant for me. The action is not meant for me. This is true regardless of my sexuality. How can women fight this notion of women as passive and man as active? How can women find a sense of active self not in reference to men in a culture that through advertisements blatantly ignores their gaze, deeming them inessential?

“The female, to a greater extent than the male, is the prey of the species; and the human race has always sought to escape its specific destiny. The support of life became for man an activity and a project through the invention of the tool; but in maternity woman remained closely bound to her body, like an animal. It is because humanity calls itself in question in the matter of living – that is to say, values the reasons for living above mere life – that, confronting woman, man assumes mastery.”
-Simone de Beauvoir

Posted by Alissa McCourt at 09:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Context: I found this image on the internet, but there is hardly a place one can go without seeing an advertisement for Axe Body Spray. For those of you who don’t know what Axe is, it is a body spray (cologne) for men, that is suppose to drive women absolutely crazy, and have them chasing men all over the world.

Content: This image is very sexualized, even without actual individuals in the photograph. The use of clothing actually allows for the image to be more sexualized. By the use of the shirt arm in the open jeans, it allows for the viewer to assume if you wear this body spray a women will stick her hand down your jeans. The use of the clothing also implies what type of woman you will “get” if you wear the body spray. The type of woman it is implying is a very skinny woman, most definitely attractive, and will definitely be wearing a cute thong, but apparently no pants.

Form: The framing of the photograph is centralized, with the two main objects in the center of the photograph, the woman’s shirt and the man’s jeans. The lighting is very bright, and pleasant because if you wear the spray a woman will throw herself at you and you will most likely be pleased.

My analysis: I read this image as a horrible ploy to sell disgusting body spray to men. If anyone has ever smelt this spray, it is very disgusting. (Mainly due to the fact that the individuals who wear it, usually use a whole can in order to cover up their body odor) In no way is a body spray going to create this massive uproar in women, causing them to lose all self control and chase down a man they don’t even know. However, the use of the images does indeed help them sell their product. If they did not have adds featuring women chasing down men or a woman’s shirt with the arm in the crotch of a pair of man’s jeans, no one would buy it.

Posted by Amanda Amundson at 09:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Context: This is an online commercial for Axe Vice products. It was created by the Axe company and posted on their website and I found it on youtube. It is selling Axe Vice body wash, deoderant and body spray.

Content: The premise of this ad is that when a "nice" girl smells a guy with Axe Vice scent, she looses control and commits "lust" crimes and becomes a "naughty" girl. The "nice" girls were all cute, young, shy and skinny, while the "naughty" girls were older, larger, and rude.

Form: The ad is made to look like an informational news story, like a segment of Dateline. They interview an "expert" and show clips from a court room.

Reading: If the roles were reversed, and this was a secent that when men smelled it on a woman he went crazy and commited "lust" crimes, as Axe calls them, there would be an outrage. However, since it's men being attacked by cute girls, it's sexy. I think that this promotional campaign is disgusting, and it feeds into the stereotypes that it's imposible to rape a man because he is open to any sexual experience (which, from working at a rape crisis center, I know is not true). It also feeds into the stereotype that girls are either "nice" or "naughty" which is an unrealistic dichotomy.

Posted by crowjane at 08:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Context:
I found this advertisement on google.image when I searched "advertising and woman" and this advertisement is for LavAzza Espresso.

Content:
This image shows a sexy woman pilot needing espresso to do finish her flights. At least, that's what we'd hope the image is. But on further inspection, this image can be characterized as a man's fantasy - the sexy pilot. With her bra showing, her luscious long blond hair, and her 'come do me in the cock...pit' eyes, she uses her sex appeal to sell espresso - no wonder boys suddenly want a rush of caffeine.

Form:
The pilot is in focus in the middle of the picture and everything is blurred behind her; this makes the eye center on her. The color in the shot is mostly neutral with her white and black pilot costume (that is strategically opened to show her neutral colored bra which gives the impression of bare breasts). The only color that pops in the image is her bright red nails which could bring the eye to the espresso but instead brings the eye to the shiny spoon in her mouth, her long and unusually shiny blond hair, and her bright blue eyes. All the color of the shot is on her and centered on her 'come hither' look and not the subject of the advertisement - the espresso. The prop of the espresso makes this image somewhat tolerable - it's not between her legs or her breasts like many of the other images posted. The espresso, however, is sexualized by the use of the spoon and the pilot laying on what is assumed to be a bed.

My Reading:
Through this image I want to drink espresso (but that could be it's also 8:00am.) Seriously, it is saying that woman cannot be pilots but only a sex object dressed up as a pilot and depicting blonds as sluts. This image tells woman that to be successful and pursued, she has to be beautiful and sexy - not intelligent. She has to have the look of having sex - not have a brain.

Posted by Ashley Abel at 07:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Context-This image is probably in magazines, but i found it online searching Calvin Klein on google. The image is advertising clothing/jeans, since Calvin Klein is a designer.
Content-The image is gendered in the way that the man is on top and the woman is helplessly laying under him. The story of sexuality that is being told is that heterosexual sex is good especially with the white man dominating. The narratives the image is relying on is that white heterosexual men are the desires of all women. White straight men know how to give it good.
Form-The wardrobe the two models are wearing is all black. The background is all black. The platform they are laying/kneeling on is black. This is in contrast to the light skin of the models, making their body (parts) stick out more against all the black. The lighting is hard I guess to show the "nastiness" of the image; sex is supposed to be rought and tough, not soft and sweet. The position of the male is in between the legs of the woman who is laying on the floor. He is dominating the woman and showing his power by being on top. The woman has one hand grabbing her hair and the other resting, almost grasping her breast to show that she is almost at the breaking point; barely able to handle the pleasure she is receiving. The lighting is set up so the part of the image that the eyes are drawn to the womans thighs and neck, two very sexualized parts of a womans body. There is no color or props, making this image very simple, meaning there is not much going on except two people about to get it on.
Reading-For me, this image is saying that womens desires, ecstacy, satisfaction are in the hands of straight white men. We NEED them in order to feel fulfilled sexually, there is NO other way. Women shoud like it when the men are dominating and in control, thats the way we like it, right? Buying some Calvin Klein jeans equals having some really good sex. Maybe if you buy the jeans, you will find someone to have sex with...there are many things this ad is saying to me, but the main idea is that women can't be satisfied unless a straight white male is involved, even when it is something as simple as picking out a pair of jeans.

Posted by Kristen Kramer at 02:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (16)

I chose to analyze a Skyy vodka advertisement that I had previously seen in Details Magazine. The ads purpose is to sell the company’s alcoholic beverage using the help of a woman in the image. The advertisement shows the woman in a negative connotation. There is a man in a suit standing directly over a woman in a swimsuit that appears to be tanning. It can be assumed that the woman is unbothered by the presence of the domineering man. This shows how it’s supposed to be ok for a woman to be the subordinate to the man. The man is holding a bottle of Skyy in one hand and two glasses in the other. It looks as though he is clenching the objects in his hand and it can be inferred that the woman below him has no choice but to have drinks with him. This shows dominance as being sexy, and that women have no authority over the men. In terms of the woman she is thin with full breasts, and presents the idea that women should live up to this standard to be attractive to men.
The lighting in the picture is very exploitive and further demoralizes the woman. The framing of the picture shows the crotch area as being directly over the face of the woman and it is highlighted to accentuate that area. The woman’s breasts are also lighted in the way to draw the reader’s eye to that area. The product in this ad becomes secondary because the reader will be attracted to the breasts and crotch, and then realize that is an ad for Skyy. The clothing in the ad shows the man as having economic status with further pushes the idea that the more money the man has the more inferior the woman has to be. Her lack of clothing shows her as an object to the man and that is why he has chosen her to have drinks with him.

Posted by Thadis Coley III at 02:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

This is a promo picture for the entire chain of Hooters restaurants, followed by a written article stating the restaurant’s reasons and justifications for what many consider a “hostile work environment.” Obviously, Hooters is a male orientated restaurant, with scantily clad women being one of the main attractions.

A picture of the oh-so-famous Hooters Girls, dressed in their traditional work clothes: short shorts and a tank top. This particular shot, with the various sports equipment, is aimed toward collegiate sports fans. The girls are all smiling sweetly at the camera, directly aware that they’re being watched and seemingly enjoying it. The way the girls are holding the equipment is interesting in that the product or draw isn’t even close to the focus of the shot. Nor is there even a hint about advertising for food or a dining location. It’s all them, looking sexy and even a little out of place holding the ball/bat/club ect, as if waiting for the man to come and show them how to use it.

The only thing that picture is selling is the girls, or rather, the promise of the girls. While concluding that Hooters is slightly sexist is probably stating the obvious, but I think it’s worth analyzing simply because women tend to ignore slights like that. It’s easy to just take it all in stride and block out the actual implications of objectifying women so brazenly.

Posted by Jessica Vaughan at 01:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

For this assignment I immediately knew that I wanted to pick a gendered image that completely degraded women and showed how women are exploited in advertising all the time. When I was looking for pictures on the Internet I found this image and I thought that it was a good response to the images I wanted to expose.

This image is from a French website called, “France Diplomatie”. I’m not sure what the exact translation is but I think that is something like, “A woman’s body should never be exploited to the public.” I’m assuming the image is a play on women’s shoe advertisements.

There is a white male in high heels and completely naked otherwise. His legs are placed in such a way so that his privates are completely covered. His legs and face are not shaved in this picture and he’s wearing an anklet that I think is his own. This is an imitation of how women’s bodies are usually sold along with the product in the advertisement.

The background of this picture is completely white and so are the words. His body seems to be pretty well lit. He’s sitting up very straight with his hands placed on top of his leg that is bent up to cover his private area and he is completely centered in the frame.

I think that the story being told behind this is that a woman’s body is always manipulated, used, exposed, and exploited in advertisements to sell a product. This group decided to make a response to these advertisements by using a white thin male who has still not shaved his legs or his face and is not really posed in any sexual or degrading position. I thought that it was good this group produced this image but I also thought that the man should have been just as exploited in this picture as the ones the group was critiquing.

Posted by Timac at 12:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This fragrance advertisement by Tom Ford is part of the collection we witnessed in class last Wednesday. If you can remember the previous one, the fragrance bottle was placed between the females legs.

Context: This Tom Ford advertisement for male fragrance has the bottle moved to a slightly less provocative position, but they add a new feature; the mouth of the woman. This advertisement is obviously for the male audience. The fragrance again is supposed to represent the male’s genitalia. I found this advertisement on Google while searching under women ad’s and actually found it in a site that found the advertisement insulting along with many others.
Content: The advertisement has a beautiful female in it with a “perfectly” proportioned bust (they are double D’s). The collar bones and thin neck are also to symbolize that the woman is skinny and in shape. The only other thing in the ad is the perfume which is representing the male and the power he has over the female. The woman has her mouth open either in ecstasy or she is waiting for the bottle to travel north… regardless of what the mouth may be communicating, the woman is obviously the object of the man with her mouth frozen in a most awkward position.
Form: The first thing to be noticed is the bright crimson color of the lips and nails. This bold color contrast from the rest of the ad draws the eyes toward the breasts and mouth, the most sensual parts of the woman. Also the lighting and/or the oiling of the skin makes it appear sweaty and glistening as if after or during a certain act. The interesting thing is that they even blend the writing of the ad into the background showing that this is not as important as the picture of the bottle. The shot is framed completely around the breasts and the mouth is purposefully shown. The face is of no importance to this sexual advertisement because the face shows emotion and a real person where as this advertisement is selling an object, in woman form. The position of the hands is also sexual.
Reading Analysis: I find this advertisement slightly offending because I did the assignment after reading Laura Mulvey. She seemed a little strong-willed with her feminist opinion until I had an example of the female castration she spoke of. This is not an ad of a woman it is of an object. I am sure that many males would be attracted to this advertisement for visual pleasure and possibly buy the cologne because it is powerful and women cannot refuse the fragrance. The woman is enjoying the fragrance near her as she may feel towards the male who wears it. Overall an inappropriate and tacky way to sell anything especially male fragrance which is hardly the reason women sleep with men.

Posted by Lindsey Peck at 11:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This ad was found at magazine-ads.com. It is a site that carries old magazine ads that can actually be purchased for collectors or anybody who thinks the ad looks cool. This particular ad will cost you $19.95 plus S&H. I'm sure it appeared in many magazines, though this site doesn't say which and when. The ad is for Bacardi and the product being sold is the actual alcohol. You would never guess that from the picture.

I feel that if you took out the picture of the bottle of Bacardi in the corner of the ad, you would never know what was going on. Though there is evidence that there are drinks being consumed in this picture, you wouldn't be able to tell what type of liquid it was. What I see is going on is a man (the apparent "Auditor by Day") playing craps at a casino while at least 5 half-naked girls cheer him one. Two of the girls (the ones closest to the lucky guy) seem to be in costume for a Vegas showgirl performance. These girls are all really good looking, all a little different, but why not have a variety for your pick?! This implies that, after a long day of auditing, you can drink Bacardi and be surrounded by at least 5 beautiful and half-naked girls while you gamble away your money. Apparently all of the above will happen, but only if you are drinking Bacardi.

The girls in this picture don't have names (that we know anyway). Their nightly routine must consist of putting on skimpy clothes and lots of make-up and following around the auditor drinking Bacardi. They are society's accessories to a lucky individual, a.k.a. the MAN who drinks Bacardi. And they must look pretty while doing it. No room for fat girls or ones who have better things to do, these girls are "perfect" in body type, attitude, and behavior. The image is full of color, signaling excitement, which is how the girls have their bodies positioned too. This is all focusing on the auditor, who can have all of this just because he is choosing to drink Bacardi.

Posted by Nicole Berg at 11:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Obviously, this is the movie poster for the movie Legally Blonde which is selling the film. It's on the cover of the DVD and was all over movie theatres when the movie came out.

This image of Reese Witherspoon as Elle Woods uses all the usual “dumb blonde” stereotypes as well as overall female stereotypes. First, you see an attractive curvaceous blonde dressed all in pink. Her smile is flirtatious and she is staring away from the camera. She is standing tall taking tiny steps in her heels while daintily holding her furry pen and dog leash in her hand. The only object on her body which is not pink is the books in her hand which suggests they themselves out-of-place on a blonde woman. Everyone else in the background, however, is staring at her. Her look seems to show her acknowledgement and pleasure at this. Even the people in the background are portraying their own stereotypes. There is the average college guy ogling her from afar while he stands next to his jealous, catty girlfriend who is dressed in blue.

Reese is centered in the shot with the others surrounding her. The dominant color is pink which is only used in context with Reese whereas everyone else is wearing a neutral shade, mostly navy blue. The lighting is very bright, the sky suggests a very clear sunny day which reflects the blonde’s attitude. The brightness of her wardrobe draws the eye to the contrasting set of three large darkly colored books.

The image is trying to pigeonhole this girl in with the general public’s idea of what a blonde is. Then, they are wishing the audience to consider the absurdity that someone like that would be reading a book, much less three textbooks. Of course, this absurdity is the premise for the movie itself. In conclusion, the image is saying, “This woman is your stereotypical blonde but she’s smart – how funny is that?”

Posted by Karin Fisher at 10:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

After looking through a couple magazines around my house, I decided to google image 'AXE ADVERTISEMENTS' which led me to this ad. AXE is a brand line of deoderant and body wash products directed towards the heterosexual masculine man. I say this because of all the AXE advertisements I have seen, they usually have a woman half naked or a some other sort of sexual conotation. Also, when looking at the AXE website and waiting for a specific page to upload the website tells you "Your MOJO is loading."

First of all, only the "important parts" of the woman's body are left for the eye to see. These would be her breasts and her upper leg/vagina/hip region. This leads the viewer into those areas and automatically sexualizes the image. The woman is standing in corner of a room with no place to go, leaving the woman defenseless. Since the woman is very dirty and wants to be washed by the viewer the advertisement comes into play...buy AXE shower gel and wash this helpless, sexy, skinny, heterosexual woman too. I am really hoping the shower gel can be considered a phallic symbol?!?!?

Posted by Greta Fay at 10:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I found this ad in the New York Times Style Magazine for Fall 2007. It is selling Women's shoes by Cole Haan. There is a tagline on the opposite page: Seduction and Constructions, Cole Haan Craftsmanship. The ad is selling women's shoes, to women who read the New York Times. Forgive the assumption, but by advertising in the New York Times, Cole Haan is deliberatly targeting educated (generally affluent) women. I did some research, the least expensive shoes this comapany sells are $350+. The woman is anonymous, he figure is cut off from the shoulders off, we don't have to look at her head or features.

If you divide the ad into thirds horizontally and vertically, where those lines intersect are the places that it is aesthetically pleasing to place the focus of a photograph, this is known as the rule of thirds. There are points of interest at two of these intersections. First, in the upper left hand corner is the woman's butt– eroticizing the image. By beheading the woman and composing the shot in this way she has been objectified. The second intersection is in the lower right hand corner, the tire she's changing. The connotations of this part of the image are much different. Here the woman is subject. She is even doing an action that is stereotypically male, working on a car. What's more, she's doing in in some pretty intense heels. The image says to me, if you are a young, professional woman, who is self-sufficient, these are the shoes for you– but only if you are slim and white.

I think it is intersting how there are these two competing messages, an objectifying one (headless, butt sticking out), and empowerment (women don't need men to change tires).

Oh, and possible phallic object, tire iron. Which would introduce a male prescence into the image.

Posted by Eben Kowler at 09:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The ad was featured in a recent issue of Marie Claire, which is published by Heart Magazines. The product being sold is a Bertolucci watch.

This image is saying that males are superior to females. For the one portion of a women there are thirty-two men gazing at her. We do not see the complete female body. The portion from her hips to her breasts are being shown. The men are gazing at her as if she was an object. If the watch was on the other wrist they could be gazing at the watch, but unfortunately the watch is not on the other wrist. I am going to assume from this that the men are viewing this woman as an object. If women fit the description of the "perfect" object then they will also have thirty-two men in line for them. I also believe there is a connection between the male's gaze upon the woman and the viewer's gaze on the watch. The way the males view the female is how the viewers are possibly supposed to view the watch.

The woman is being set up as the center of attention. The men are sitting in an arena type seating style, where they can all see her clearly. Her breasts and hips frame the arm laying on her stomach. The sun has set in the background of the image, and the street lights are on casting shadows on the men. There is a light shining down directly from above her breats which enhances them. The watch is being illuminated by a light The camera has a high angle which causes the viewer to feel as if they are looking down upon the crowd of men and the woman. However, it is not too high or else the watch would be out of view. The men's clothes are all black. This makes them all blend together. However, the woman's dress is red. This color is very vibrant which makes it stand out. The combination of her red dress and that she is laying down makes her seem vulnerable.

The meaning behind the image is that if you fit the male idea of female perfection then you can get any guy you want. The female will just be looked at as a prize (object), just like if you purchased this watch and displayed it proudly on your wrist.

Posted by Tapex002 at 09:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I found this ad by googling 1950s ad for woman. it is an advertisement for using Lysol for douching. the ad basically proclaims that women must douche using Lysol or her marriage could be ruined by her stinky vajayjay. the image shows the beautiful "clean" woman being intimate with her handsome husband, while the "dirty" undouched woman watches unsure of her "daintiness". the photo is in black and white as all (i believe) ads were back then. the happy couple are both attractive and totally into each other, proving that Lysol really works! my reading of this ad is that woman must douche, especially with Lysol, or they will lose their feminine daintiness and their husband. i think it shows how back then there were many expectations of women and wives, in particular, to remain clean and subservient to our men.

Posted by Emily Dolentz at 09:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Context: I knew I wanted to write about the Marc by Marc Jacobs ads as photographed by Juergen Teller so I googled "Marc Jacobs Juergen Teller" and this was one of the most current ones. I got the picture from a blog, presumably about fashion and pop culture, called "I Am Fashion" and this post was from early Feb 2007. The product sold is a lower (ahem, still very expensive) priced high-fashion line from Jacobs, called Marc by Marc Jacobs. What I think is really being attempted here is a marketing campaign designed to further the geek-chic coolness thing that Marc Jacobs is selling.

Content: Well, she's (a model, I'm not sure of her name) not shapely, blonde, or even blue-eyed, but she is thin- which tells us that this is sexy, desirable, good, and right. But, by not picking a stereotypical image of women, Jacobs (and Teller and the investors in Jacobs company) that there is another way to be sexy or striking....be "different"- wear Marc by Marc Jacobs and be quirky.

Form: The starkness of the background forces the viewer to look at the model, who is front and center, staring into the camera, standing high on a chair, looking down a bit at us. She is filling the picture; the top of her head reaches almost to the top of the frame, making her seem "larger than life" even though her body language makes her seem small (through the pose- weird childish curtsy designed to both make her seem more girlish and show off the "trick" of the outfit- the gold lace slip). The model is pale and wan, with long, lank hair that has been styled to look as if it could use a good washing. Her make-up washes her out; if she's wearing blush or lipstick, it has been chosen to make her look tired-suggesting maybe that she's bookish-like she is too busy reading and chatting with her cool artist friends to eat spinach and quality protiens, or sleep, for that matter. Everything looks flimsy and week in the photo- hair, dress, posture, her hands pinching the fabric. The only strurdy looking thing in the photo is her shoes and the pleather (I'm guessing, since pleather is so much more ironic than leather) chair. Since both of these items are at the bottom of the frame, they serve to ground the image.

My Reading: While I can aesthetically appreciate this image- I read a lot of fashion magazines and this ad series always makes me spend some time looking at the ad- I'm frustrated at this image of women, or at Jacobs (or whoever aproves these ads) for continuing to tell this story. Basically, this picture says to me- just rebel, be super (even to the point of being un-healthy) skinny, have small boobs, boobs don't make the woman, the "mind" makes the woman.......I think the idea of "woman as sexy -geeky-chic-brainiac" is what is being sold. So, that tells me that I'll never be "sexy" because I don't fit either mold; the more "regular" stereotype (blonde/thin/boobs/tiny waist/high heals) or Jacobs idea of sexy (weak/ skinny/ "interesting"/ "odd") which to me, just looks amemic. I think I'm supposed to look at that ad and be excited that someone out there doesn't think a woman has to pile on eyeliner and high heels to be sexy, but this is, in it's own way, just as unattainable a "look" for me (and many others, I'm sure)

Posted by Sienna Moore at 09:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Context:
I just got this ad off of the internet, but I remember seeing it in the past in several magazines marketed towards men and women, such as Cosmo, Maxim, Elle, and others. It is an advertisement for Candies perfume for men and women. Candies also makes shoes, but this ad is for the scents.
Content:
The ad shows a man (Mark McGrath) sitting at a desk with a computer. An attractive scantily dressed woman is sitting on top of the computer with her legs spread. The man has his hands to the keyboard like he is about to press a key. On the computer screen, there is an image of a rocket ship blasting off into the air. This rocket ship is "coincidentally" lined up with the woman's vagina, so it looks like a penis about to enter her. All of the elements create a very sexualized image and message, but it seems to be more from a man's perspective because the man is in control as he looks at the viewer while pressing the keys on the keyboard.
Form:
The woman is dressed to emphasize her body, which is very thin. Her shirt is low cut to show her cleavage, and also shows her belly. She wears short shorts and leather boots that emphasize her spread legs. She also has a lot of "sexy" make-up on. The man wears a tank which shows his strong arms and also leather pants..which I guess are supposed to be sexy.
The woman has her hand in front of her crotch, which seems to be forcing the phallic rocket ship down, and her other hand holds the perfume bottle close to her face so it appears to be that she is having trouble resisting. The man however looks very confident in his decision and has a smirk on his face like he is doing something deviant, but fun. There is a spotlight that highlights the whole picture. Blues and black make up most of the picture except for the woman's shirt which is bright pink and calls attention to her and her body...perhaps this color also emphasizes her softness as a woman. The pitcure is framed so that her crotch and the phallic rocket ship are in the center of the frame.
My reading:
I think this is definitely aimed more towards men...it shows the man in control as he is the one seated at the desk with his hand ready to push the keys, while the woman is shown in a very provocative and vulnerable position with her leags spread. The fact that she has her hand pushed down on the rocket suggests that a part of her is resisting, which lends to why the man has a smirk on his face...he is being "naughty"...This is all supposed to be sexy, but also could send the message that it is sexy and no big deal for a man to ignore when a woman resists sexual advances.

Posted by MacKenzie Duffy at 09:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Venus of Urbino is a very popular art image. It was painted in 1538 by the Italian artist Titian. We may be talking about todays media respresentations of women, but I wanted to demonstrate that the male gaze is not new. This painting was commissioned (i.e the artist was paid to paint an image to the purchaser's specifications) by the Duke of Urbino of his mistress and it would have hung in his back parlor to be shown to his male friends.

This is an obviously sexualized figure. She is laying on the bed, propped up to be seen in full view, holding the gaze of the viewer, and covering, yet at the same time drawing attention to her pubis. She is laying ready and waiting for the viewer or commissioner of the piece to come to her. The woman is from the upper class which is shown by her maidservants in the background. They are getting her clothes out of the trunk and will eventually dress her. This sends the message that only the higher class female body is worth the time to paint, much less view. Thus women must be wealthy in order to be attractive.

She is separated from her maidservants in the space by a dark curtain on the left. This separates them in class importance as the nude model is at the foreground and obviously not one of the maids. The dark curtain also serves to give her a dramatic backdrop so that her white skin stands out. The edge of the curtain creates a vertical line that leads the eye straight the woman's pubis. The line of the bed creates an additional horizontal line drawing the eye to the same area. Thus we have a visual "bullseye" on the woman's pubic area. She is holding flowers in her hand, one petal has already fallen to the bed; an obvious allusion to the fact that she has been "deflowered." The bed itself beneath the sheet and the flowers are red, a color symbolizing love and passion. A dog sits on the end of the bed which is a symbol of fidelity. (The dog popular dog's name Fido is derived from the word fidelity). These little details insure that the painting cannot be read any other way than being about sex.

I read this painting as a status symbol. You have to be high class in order to afford to commission a painting of your mistress. You also must be high class in order to have your nude portrait painted. Thus in order to be attractive enough to be worth seen naked, you have to have money.

Posted by Katie at 08:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Context: I found this ad in Elle magazine and then found it on the internet. The ad is selling MAX FACTOR cosmetics, specifically eye makeup (eye shadow, mascara, liners, etc.) Since the ad is selling cosmetics, the ad is targeting women, adolescent age and up. I chose this ad because in every women magazine some sort of cosmetic is being sold using a beautiful celebrity or model to sell their product.

Content: The MAX FACTOR ad displays Carmen Electra as the model. The consumer is told to “feast your eyes on the new MAXeye collection.” This phrase is directed towards women, along with the small display of the product on the right side of the ad, but Carmen Electra pose is not to attract women viewers. Carmen Electra is in a sexualized position, with her hand pulling back her wavy blown back hair. Her mouth is open draws attention to her face, which is selling the product, but not by looking extremely sexualized. Carmen Electra is wearing a halter top, revealing her skinny body and glowing skin. The fabricated image of Carmen Electra is telling viewers how they should look and act, being sexy.

Form: The frame is cut around the face and upper body of the model. This gives focus to the face and thin body Carmen Electra has. Lighting adds to the “glow” of the skin and highlights certain features of Carmen Electra. Pinks and purple accentuate the models eyes. This however is actually what the ad is selling, eye makeup. By wearing only a little halter top, Carmen Electra is given an added sex appeal to the male viewers. Her body position also appeals to the male viewers. Carmen Electra is in a sexual position, with one hand holding back her lush voluminous hair, and having her mouth open.

Reading Analysis: The MAX FACTOR ad is influencing women how to look. They are led to believe that by wearing this brand of cosmetics you will look like the model Carmen Electra, which will doubtfully happen. Through telling the viewer to “feast your eyes” portrays women less as a person and more as an object for men.

Posted by Ashley Pritchard at 08:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The overall ideas that bell hooks presents are very interesting. Popular culture is very influential, and it is important to examine it from a critical perspective. I also really liked the idea of the "enlightened witness," and I think it has direct bearing on our goals within this particular course. Literacy is really important to how anyone interprets anything, because literacy can directly provide the framework to analyze and interpret images and ideas that we encounter every day.

It is really weird to hear about the influence of literacy from someone who has really influenced the way that I analyze things!

The examples of 'Doing Cultural Criticism' were very helpful to me because images from the films or events bell hooks is discussing are used in a way that shows why she thinks what she thinks about things. I was also really relieved to know that someone else was disturbed by the movie Kids, because that movie is really troubling to me. I had not considered the voyeur's gaze before this video, but I think it is a valid point.

I am also really glad that bell hooks talks about rap during the movie because it provides a really good connection to the reading required for class this week. I agree that most media discussions of rap are not fair -- the media only focuses on the most extremely negative performers or performances and totally ignores people engaging more positive representations. This is unfair for a number of reasons. First, as bell hooks mentions, rap is a really diverse music genre with all kinds of different representations of people. Second, there are a number of rock songs made by white men that are at least as misogynistic as anything in rap music. Finally, the media is already always manufacturing a negative image of Black men, and the reporting on rap adds fuel to this fire. Not to mention, no one is asking why suburban kids want to listen to these kinds of representations of women.

Posted by Heather Larson at 07:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Context
This advertisement was torn from an issue of Maxim. It is advertising a body spray for men and there is a website containing other images from this campaign here. This site includes a rather annoying parrot and images of this woman and three others -- you can even send an 'Ahoy-Gram' to one of your friends or download a wallpaper.

Content
This is an image of a woman who is "hot" in a normative sense that is being used to sell a men's product in the pages of a men's magazine. This promotes the idea that women are objects to be used in a capitalist society.

FormThe woman in the picture is in focus and is in the center of everything. She is the instant point-of-focus in the photograph. Light that is supposed to look like sunlight is being used to draw focus to her breasts and to other areas of her body as well -- namely her flat stomach and her legs. She is wearing very little other than a bikini and is posed with one leg hoisted on a rock, which puts her in a position that is more sexually enticing. The bikini is a very bright blue, which functions to draw even more attention to her because it is a harsh contrast to the browns that comprise most of the picture. I will be perfectly blunt and say that I am not sure what to make of the props in this picture -- it appears to me that she is supposed to be scuba diving, but her outfit and the knife strapped do her leg are certainly impractical for such a purpose. I am absolutely uncertain as to just what is going on with that fish as well.

Reading
The lower corner of the advertisement addresses the viewer directly and says, "Enhance Handsomeness." I think this presents a definite idea about masculinity, because Old Spice is known to be a very "mannish" fragrance. The message is that it will enhance male handsomeness if a male smells "like a man."

The image also reinforces the idea that female bodies are objects to be used by men -- whether it is for marketing or for visual pleasure, while presenting a very normative idea about female attractiveness. She has well-defined facial features, she is white, she is skinny, etc. There is nothing in the image that challenges any conventional ideas about 'hotness' or what constitutes 'sexy.' Additionally, I think that the woman herself is part of the overall "enhance handsomeness" message -- that is, having a really hot girlfriend will enhance male handsomeness. Finally, I think that the impractical nature of the photo suggests that women are the most attractive when they are showing the potential to do something, but not actually doing anything.

The image also relies on the idea that men are free to stare at female bodies. I think the overall message of the advertisement (including where it was placed, the website, etc.) is really heteronormative because it assumes the viewer is male and that the viewer is attracted to women.

Posted by Heather Larson at 06:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Context: I found this image on Genderads.com under the ‘male gaze’ section and I am not sure of its original source. The website was started by Dr. Scott A. Lukas and focuses on analyzing the roles of gender and sexuality in advertising. This image appears to be advertising some sort of customer service provided for people who own this brand of vacuum.

Content: The content of this image is pretty complex so I am going to break it down into categories.

1) Women as stupid, incompetent, dependant
The success of this advertisement relies on the understanding that women are unable to accomplish anything on their own. From this image, it appears women can’t even manage to operate a simple vacuum cleaner without having to ask for help. The caption reaffirms this idea of someone coming to the rescue. The innocent, naïve look on the woman’s face constructs her as a ‘typical, stupid woman’ who can’t figure out what is going on.

2) Women as objects, dolls
The woman in this image is a white, presumably middle to upper class woman from the 1950s. She is so ‘made-up’ from her hair down to her heels that it is hard to believe she is a just an average woman doing housework. This links to the idea of representing women as sexual objects. Would she really be doing housework in a fitted dress that accentuates her breasts and wearing stockings and high heels? I doubt it.

3) Construction of gender roles
It is very clear what the expectations of women are in this image. Women should be sexy, skinny housewives who wear make-up and heels all day long. They should not be too intelligent or independent because that is what men are for.

4) The male gaze
This image also clearly constructs a male gaze. The woman appears to be literally ‘pinned up’ on display. She is bending over in a highly sexual position, her mouth is open, and her dress just happens to have gotten caught in her vacuum cleaner, revealing her perfectly shaped lower body.

5) Phallic symbol
The extension arm of the vacuum cleaner can be viewed as a phallic symbol. It is exaggerated in length and is located near her lower body. It has moved under her dress and then in an upward motion, similar to the action of penetration.

Form: This image is constructed in black and white with a plain white background. This allows the woman to be the focus of the image because there is nothing else fighting for our attention. She is mainly represented in white and light shades of grey, except for her eyes, lips, and stockings and heels. By making these few things darker, it draws attention to fragmented parts of the body and accentuates her sexuality. In addition to these elements, the use of lighting is very important in the construction of this image. If you view the image as divided into two triangles of light (the top left triangle and bottom right triangle) it becomes noticeable that the top portion of the image (containing the woman’s face) is in the dark—therefore, not important. The bottom right triangle (containing the woman’s lower body) is the only part of the image well lit—therefore given the most importance.

My reading/analysis: More than anything, this image relies on the recognition of the roles of a 1950's housewife. I believe this image represents the idea that women are not capable of accomplishing anything without the help of another person (male) and that they should only concern themselves with being proper women. This consists of working in the home and remaining skinny, beautiful, and sexy while doing so—all for the pleasure of men.

Posted by R.S. at 05:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This is an advertisement for VIctoria's Secret new bra. When I think of women image 'in constructive way', the first image i could think of was Victoria's secret model.

This image is one of the stereotypes of women portrayed on ad to sell product: half naked, skinny, glamorous, bright long hair, and confident with that situation. This ad tells us that “if you wear this new bra, then you can also attract man as I do.” Advertisement initially setting constructive image within its own purpose which are selling the products as well as this is what women should look like. There were little subtitle that said, “New SEXY wireless push-up.” The ad is describing sexy as a half-naked and glamorous woman who is standing toward the spectators. Her body lines and bones and her breast are highlighted to emphasize those parts. Tone of image in brown soften and is subtle that it makes spectator to relax

My observation is that this kind of ad keeps the social construction which tells what woman suppose to be or act or man suppose to be or act, and we all should ask ourselves before looking at the ad and purchasing the product; Is women’ body should be used as an object to sell product or attract man’s eye? Are we buying this product for man or our own confidents?

Posted by Stella at 04:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

For my piece of analysis I choose to study the movie poster for the film, "Boys Don't Cry."

I found this image on a website focusing on the IMP Awards, but the image was originally found at amazon.com. This movie poster's objective is, obviously, to sell the movie to consumers and to advertise for it as well.

It is a difficult piece of media to be gendered. The image gives the idea that the film is about a very bold, masculine person. That narrative that the image is conveying that the film is about a bold invidiual contrasting with the rest of the film, basically a piece about contrast and differences, meaing there will be a major piece of conflict within the film.

The framing of the image adds to the mystery of the film. On the poster, it advertises Hillary Swank as the staring role, yet the image on the poster appears to be masculine. But, one cannot tell since the head is cut off, therefore no conclusion can be made about the gender. Also, the use of the strong color black outlining the main character means that this character is strong, bold, and different. Especially compared to the harsh, bright orange color encomposing the back of the poster. These colors greatly contrast, once again, telling of a great conflict occuring in the flim. We can also see that the actor is wearing western style clothing against a flat highway in the background, walking. This conveys that the main character is walking a long road and can be a metaphor for their loner character. It could also try and explain the setting of the film. It works both ways.

I would say the reading of this piece of media has to do with sexual identity. Even if one has never seen the film before, and you have no idea that the film is about sexual identity, you can tell by the mystique of the actor on the poster. If you study the figure and the features of the bottom of the face, you can tell it is a feminine person, yet is wearing masculine clothes and is holdinga masculine pose. The mystique of the main character is the main point of this movie poster.

Posted by Meredith Martyr at 04:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Context
This is an advertisement for QSOL.com Server Appliances and was printed in Linux Journal, a magazine geared towards operating systems, technology, etc. The primary audience would likely be those interested in computers, software, and so on – which has typically been a male-dominated category.

Content
We have a typically beautiful woman who is meant to catch the eye of the tech-boy flipping through the pages of the magazine. He sees her, desires her, and wonders, “Hey, what’s this ad about?” He’s just getting excited when he reads, “Don’t feel bad. Our servers won’t go down on you either.” He sighs and thinks of Natasha, the hottie down the hall who won’t give him the time of day.

In this ad, the woman is being portrayed solely as a temptress, an object, a sex machine – a machine that you, the geek boy, can’t seem to make function because you prefer Dungeons and Dragons over the party life and football games.

In addition to demeaning women, it exploits the “nerdy boy” stereotype. That smart, geeky, tech-savvy guy who just can’t seem to get any chicks into his bed. The IT school at the U deals with a similar stereotype here on campus.
It plays off the concept that school-loving, genius boys are unattractive, awkward, non-muscular, and desperate for female attention. By immediately stating, “Don’t feel bad,” the ad creator is assuming that the reader is a socially-inept nerd-bomb. The ad is also saying that if you were a sexy beast, then the woman would definitely “go down on you” because apparently women will give oral sex to any man if he’s drop-dead gorgeous.

Form
A woman’s face emerges from the darkness. All light is focused on her – an extreme close-up shot of her expression. Her eyes are meant to convey a seductive gaze, but she looks almost melancholy, as if she wishes you were hotter so that she could pleasure you. The dramatic darkness portrays a mysterious air about her, and the viewer wonders what lies in the shadows, creating sexual excitement.

She has perfect porcelain skin and is completely pore-less. The edges of her face and hair fade into the darkness, attempting to push the viewer’s imagination.

Her large lips take center stage, painted a vibrant red – the color of seduction and passion. They are directly in line with the dominant text of the ad. Considering that the words “go down on you” are parallel to her pouting, plump lips, it wouldn’t be a stretch to assume that the creator wishes to evoke an image of oral sex.

My Reading

Beautiful women (big lips, smooth skin, piercing blue eyes) will not give sexual satisfaction to tech nerds (awkward, geeky, unattractive). But beautiful women will give oral sex to handsome, non-nerdy men. To soothe the woes of tech boys, they should buy a QSOL server because it won’t disappoint them like all those female sex machines will. Also, since the server is so reliable, the reader can resort to virtual pleasure until one day he becomes that jock-y hunk that he’s supposed to be.

Posted by Luna Lovegood at 03:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This image used to be seen in many fashion magazines in the late 60’s. Now this image of Twiggy, a 60’s mod fashion model, can sometimes still be seen in magazines, since the mod fashion has become quite popular again, but otherwise images of Twiggy are all over the internet. Many people have her picture posted on their myspace page. In this image the mod fashion is trying to be sold. Twiggy is known as the icon of mod fashion, and modeled mod clothing.
This image conveys the idea that a woman that is extremely thin is beautiful. Twiggy started the “skinny is beautiful” trend, and the image shows no curves on Twiggy’s body. This image also created a type of woman that can wear the mod fashion and look good in it. This woman should be very thin with no curves, Caucasian, and with short hair. Also, the eyes are emphasized for beauty.
The light is focused on the Twiggy’s face while she is looking up at the light, and the picture is shot from the bottom. This makes the model look almost heavenly beautiful. It also glorifies the model and what she is wearing. The dress is very simple (mod) and makes the earrings really stand out. This is typical to mod fashion because the wardrobe is bold but simple at the same time. The position of the model is also emphasizes boldness and beauty because she is standing strong and at an angle, but her face is still facing the light.
My reading behind this image is that women need to be skinny in order to be fashionable. It also tells me that mod fashion looks good on very thin women. It also tells me that mod is simple but still stands out.

Posted by Magda Bilska at 01:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Context:
I found this image on a Google search by typing in "women ads." It is an ad for Candies Fragrances for Men and Women. This particular ad can be found in Maxxum Magazine, targeted at adult men and women. I also found a "cleaned-up" version if this add, which can be found in a magazine for pre-teen and young teen girls. The "cleaned-up" version if this add has removed Mark Mcgrath's plumber crack and covered it with the towel, and the condoms are no longer on the counter.

Candies Fragrances sells perfume and cologne for men and women, Candies also sells shoes. From this ad, the fragrances are directly correlated with sex.

Content
The image portrays a dominant male because you can see his face in the picture through the mirror as well as his "I can have anything I want" attitude. He looks very frisky, dominant, and ready for whatever happens next. The female looks like an object for the male, maybe even part of the sink. You can not see her face or what she looks like, so the message is saying that it doesn't even matter what she looks like. The position of her legs is highly sexual and the position of her arm is highly suggestive. She is there for his pleasure and he is there to receive pleasure.

Form:
The obvious color is blue here. I think blue symbolizes a very cool tone. The fact that you can see the males face in the mirror says it all, his face and attitude sets the tone for the entire ad. The wardrobe is very little, he has only a towel on and it looks as though it is about to fall off. From what we can see of her, she has a little blue tank top on, maybe even a dress, and some blue Candies high heels. There are a few bottles of perfume on the counter along with some condoms. Both of their body positions tell us what is about to happen next.

My Reading:
I can tell that this is a very sexual and gendered image. They are supposedly selling fragrances, and shoes, but they are selling sex. I think it is very apolling about the "cleaned-up" image that is being portrayed to young girls. It is telling them that casual sex is alright between young people.

Posted by Rachel Kyllander at 12:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I found this image by doing a google search under “sexy woman billboard,” and it is originally a poster for the movie “This Film Is Not Yet Rated” by Kirby Dick.

The poster reveals a skinny, naked, white woman, and the way her body is portrayed makes her an object of sex for any heterosexual man to be tempted with. Her figure is relatively perfect to where she’s not too skinny, but she still has some curvature, which is what many men are really attracted to. Being that she is naked and has a tattoo of the MPAA logo on her lower back, or in other words the famous “tramp stamp,” implies to the reader that she is obviously not a virgin, but happens to be experienced with sex.

The lighting in the poster really focuses on the curves of her body making her seem soft and sensual. She has her back to the viewers and her head is also not in the picture, which increases the viewer’s curiosity and interest. The background of the poster is red, which gives a fiery, sharp, negative feel to the scene. Often times in movies after a man and a woman have sex the woman tends to light a cigarette, and the smoke in the poster sets the right mood to get the viewer thinking of sex. This poster was censored, and the smoke also implies to the viewer this story is a hot, rebellious topic that is up for debate.

Her beautiful body and the intention of sex over the striking red background filled with smoke really tell the reader that something bad or rebellious is happening. Her skinny, naked body screams seduction and that women are objects of affection. It is also saying that women are not strong independent people, but are there to please and cater to men through the use of their body.

Posted by Cassie Setter at 11:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Or so PETA would like you to believe...

Sorry about posting a video the first go round!

My context is pretty much the same as it is for the video. This is an image that can be found on the PETA website, along with a little letter from Alicia Silverstone talking about how great veganism is. Right next to this photo are the words "I am Alicia Silverstone, I am a vegetarian." PETA is using a very provocative image of Silverstone to encourage people not to eat meat.

Content is also similar, except in the photo, you can't really see her body, just her face and the fact that she is naked. Here PETA uses her celebrity and her blond hair, blue eyed beauty to encourage people to be a vegetarian like her.

Form: Here we have a closeup of Alicia's face and a hand, with enough of her neck and shoulders showing to suggest that she is naked, at least from the waist up. She is shown lying in a prone position, with her hand in front of her, as if gesturing for the viewer to sit down beside her. The pose is clearly sexual in nature, and she is in a very relaxed, suggestive, almost post-coital pose. The blue background bring out the blue in her eyes, and the green grass also help to highlight this. The colors appear to have been brightened. The lighting in this photo are very soft and clear out any possible imperfections in her face, with a light behind her head to make her appear to glow (this is all sounding very familiar). It also has probably been photoshopped to be brushed and softened.

My take is also the same as my take on the video. Objectification of a famous woman to convert people to vegetarianism.

Context: I found this originally on Feministing.com. I check it about once or twice a week, and they had an entry about this video on the 20th, but didn't really go into analyzing it. You can also find it on PETA's website. It is currently on their main page. Basically, this is PETA trying to convert people to vegetarianism and humane treatment of animals. By showing off Alicia Silverstone's ass.

Content: Silverstone is a pretty well known actress and considered beautiful by American standards. She is white with blond hair, blue eyes, and PETA is exploiting her thin, toned body in order to pick at people's (especially women's) preoccupation with weight. She is also shown swimming in what we can only assume is her very own swimming pool (since she is completely nude) showing her wealth.

Form: The way the video was produced, it looks like a cross between a trailer for a crappy Hollywood movie and a bad porno. It seems like it took a lot of money and effort. A majestic, soft music is playing over images of Silverstone climbing out of a pool in slow motion. The camera frames her body in separate pieces before we even see her entire body, from the back, as she looks coyly over her shoulder. Not until half way through the clip do we hear her speaking in a gentle whisper about how becoming a vegetarian changed her life. She is shown naked, on her hands and knees, appearing to crawl towards the camera, completely objectified by its gaze.

My take: While I'm all for the ethical treatment of animals, I am also for the ethical treatment of women, and this video is nothing but objectifying. Basically, its message is that if you stop eating meat, you will look sexy, and be successful and rich like Alicia Silverstone. Instead of showing her eating a healthy meal, looking happy and content with her non-meat diet (which probably would have worked too, but had a much different affect), the director of this video decided the way to get the message across was to show an objectified female body writhing around by a pool.