The Women We See

http://www.ltcconline.net/lukas/gender/pages/roles.htm


"As we unfortunately see in all forms of media, the roles of women in print advertising are stereotypical and limiting. Studies such as Courtney and Whipple (1983) and Barthel (1987) confirm that the association of women and specific domestic roles has been solidified in popular culture, particularly advertising. Courtney and Lockeretz’s important analysis of magazine advertising (1971) indicated that women have been portrayed as domestic providers who do not make significant decisions, are dependent on men, and are essentially sex objects. A second study found that offensive ads had declined, but that women were still seen as belonging to the private sphere of the home (cf. Venkatesan and Losco 1975; Wagner and Banos 1973). The messages of popular culture also ironically reflect the multiple roles that women have to play in western society. Hochschild’s Second Shift is just but one dimension of the strains felt by women as a result of work and home duties. Wolf also addresses how some ads in women’s magazines reflect “the ambivalence that women feel about their stressful new roles” (1991:116). Role strain is exhibited in many situations in popular culture and advertising. The roles offered to women are very limited. Many involve a woman’s confinement to the domestic sphere—caring for children, cleaning the house, shopping for groceries and making meals for a husband. Nancy Chodorow makes the point that the maintenance of gender subordination in world cultures is very much due to the universal functions and values of the family (1974). Men too are the subjects of confusion and psychological conflict as the construction of the “good-provider” role is maintained in contemporary understandings of masculinity (Bernard 1995)."


This picture is used as an example in The Gender Ads Project by Scott A. Lucas, PhD. I'm not exactly sure what article this picture was being used for, but I think it's ridiculous. It is degrading to woman and only enforces the warped view that the dominant male world has on women. It depicts females as sexual objects that can only use their "assets" as ways in which to raise their position in society, in their career or to get what they want in life. Images like this, unfortunately, are very common. The reason I highlighted this particular one is because someone actually had the nerve to break it down: labeling her "career climber", and going on to describe "carefully calculated cleavage", "very visible panty line", "garter", "slit skirt". I'm beginning my blog series with this so that the viewer will have these particular words in their head while they see images that aren't so outspoken in the way they present women. Images that we see throughout our day and just accept as the representation of women in our "modern world of equality."