how gender is racialized and how race is gendered

This Billboard Just popped up in Soho district of New York City. Read the response written by a blogger on the Crunk Feminist Collective and tell me how gender is being racialized and how race is being gendered in this advertisement. 

Here is the link to the Crunk Feminist Collective
http://crunkfeministcollective.wordpress.com/2011/02/23/whats-love-got-to-do-with-it-attacks-on-reproductive-justice/

POST YOUR RESPONSE IN WALLWISHER. You may respond here if wallwisher is experiencing "glitches in their matrix". However, Wallwisher will usually load if you try it again in the next few minutes. I strongly encourage you to try and reload it a couple of times before submitting your response here. This is assignment will count towards your participation points 

LEARNING MODULE 5 REDO

Due Wednesday 3/2 no later than 

Noon

Imagine you are participating in a conversation with the Combahee River Collective and, in a consciousness-raising group, you read the following article.  Using the Combahee River Collective Statement and what you have learned in the past weeks, discuss a black feminist perspective to this issue (In 2-3 paragraphs).   How would the Collective approach the issue, especially with regard to privilege, interlocking oppressions, “the personal is political”, and a critique of the limitations of dominant feminist and anti-racist approaches to hierarchies of inequality.  What new perspectives might they offer?  Be creative…imagine you are sitting at the table with them!

http://www.theroot.com/views/recy-taylor-symbol-jim-crow-s-forgotten-horror

LEARNING MODULE 6

Due Saturday (2/26) by noon

After reading the essay, “And So I Choose,” by Allison Crews place her discussion of “rights” in conversation with the article you read for class this week, “Beyond Pro-Choice vs. Pro-Life?”  First (2 paragraphs), in your own words, please describe why each of these terms are in fact problematic or limiting to our larger discussion of reproductive rights.  Why were each limiting in Crew’s reflection?  What does a “reproductive justice” paradigm offer instead?  Second (1-2 paragraphs) reflect on the recent arguments surrounding legislation addressed to congress (see links below).  What do you think is at stake in politicizing women’s bodies and reproduction?  What would a reproductive justice argument look like in response to this legislation.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/18/planned-parenthood-fundin_n_825258.html?ref=fb&src=sp

http://reproductiverights.org/sites/crr.civicactions.net/files/documents/Center%20for%20Reproductive%20Rights%20Testimony%202%2014%2011.pdf

Planned Parenthood Funding Bill

Here is the direct link to the article on the Planned Parenthood funding bill that just went through the House of Representatives. Here are a few ideas to contemplate when reading this.

- If this is an issue about the right to preserve a life how can they justify taking resources away from people who use their services to plan families?

-If this is an issue about preserving lives how can they justify taking funding away from an organization that provides cancer screenings, HIV and STD screenings?

- Where do you draw the line at someone who has the right to receive an abortion. Do you only allow it to women whose health is at risk and victims of rape, incest, etc. , and how do you define rape and what level of threat constitutes a health risk?

- How does Roe. v. Wade come into play in this debate? Is it constitutional for them to take away funding from a program who provides access to a service that the federal government has deemed legal? 

- Should they continue funding Planned Parenthood if they abandon their service of providing access to literature and resources pertaining to abortion? If so, does this undermine the Supreme Court decision in Roe v Wade?

There are a plethora of other things that can be debated and analyzed in this article. Please take the time to carefully read it and formulate your own opinion about this. This article will also help to put into context this weeks assigned readings. Please try and make connections about what the authors are saying about the politicization of female bodies and how it is being acted out in front of us today. I look forward to hearing your own insights in class Wednesday when we discuss reproductive justice.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/18/planned-parenthood-fundin_n_825258.html?ref=fb&src=sp

LEARNING MODULE 5

(due Saturday by noon)

Imagine bell hooks joins the Combahee River Collective and in a consciousness-raising group reads her article “Straightening Our Hair”, and shows the film clip “A Girl Like Me”.  Based upon your readings for this week, discuss a black feminist perspective to this topic.  How would the Collective approach the issue, especially with regard to privilege, interlocking oppressions, “the personal is political”, and a critique of the limitations of dominant feminist and anti-racist approaches to hierarchies of inequality.  What new perspectives might they offer?  Be creative…imagine you are sitting at the table with them!

http://www.understandingrace.org/lived/video/index.html

Feminists High Standards are Always Razing the Bra: LEARNING MODULE 4

Feminists High Standards are Always Razing the Bra: LEARNING MODULE 4:

Examples from the Male Privelege Checklist:
1.If a man were to go into a job interview competing with a woman, the man would have the upper hand.
-I dont think this is neccessarily true anymore, there are too many women who are in charge of things in the corporate world now and women can be just as driven and qualified as men to be in charge. What if a man were to go into a daycare job interview, would he have the upper hand over a woman? No. In some cases, men would have the upper hand over women, but I don't think it happens that often anymore.

2.If a man has children and pursues a career, no one will think he is selfish for staying at home.
-I think this can be true for men and women, but men ARE supposed to work to support the family because lets face it, dad's just can't do ALL the things moms can do when it comes to children. I think it is respectable for either parent who works, or if both of them work and take care of the children. Parenting is teamwork and it takes both of them to support and watch over the family, that's not selfish.

3. My wardrobe and grooming are relatively cheap and consume little time.
-I found this one to be funny, because I know a lot of guys whos grooming is NOT cheap, and does consume time. Of course it's a longer process for girls to get ready than it is guys, but that doesn't mean guys don't like to primp just as much as girls do.

My Checklist
-Because I am white, racial slurs will not be made against me.
-Because I am white, I won't be the first suspect of a crime.
-Because I am white, I will have a better advantage in the corporate world.
-Because I am white, I will do better in politics.
-Because I am white, I can go anywhere I please.

These are all things you "can do" because of your skin color. A lot of racial things have gotten better, but there is still that unwritten rule that everyone always goes by. I am not neccessarily saying that I agree that only white people can do these things, it is pathetic, but it is common knowledge that if a black kid and a white kid were in a store and someone stole a candy bar, people would point fingers at the black kid first. It's not fair and I think that a lot of "priveleges" are dumb, this is America and you can do whatever you please as long as you are abiding by the law, no matter your skin color.

LEARNING MODULE 4

Learning Module 4 Due Saturday by noon

1)    Choose three examples from either the White Privilege Checklist, the Male Privilege Checklist, and the Black Male Privilege Checklist, or the Heterosexual Checklist (Katz) that made you think about your own privilege in a new way and tell us why (1 paragraph)

 
2)     Now make your own checklist (5 items) and explain why these are privileges using the week’s readings and lecture.  Explain key facets of the systems of oppression (gender, racial, heterosexist) that exist to reinforce these privileges in your life (2 paragraphs).

 
3)    Go to your section’s wallwisher link for “Gender Microaggressions” (on E-learning).  Post an example of a gender microaggression.  Then post the message that this microaggression sends (this is a required posting and will count toward full credit for this learning module!)

The Beauty Myth- A Blind Man's Experiences

I thought this article would make for some great reflection after studying the beauty myth this week.  I hope that you all enjoy it as much as I did!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/08/AR2006110801480.html

Module 3 Response

In the first image (the one to the left), there are so many different things wrong with it for so many different reasons. First of all featuring a pregnant women holding alcohol at anytime, even if it is non alcoholic, still send out the wrong message completely. No matter what it will always seem to make the women look extremely trashy. Secondly, the pregnant women is in what appears to be a very skimpy bathing suit, while holding her stomach in one hand and a huge beer in another. Some people might even be led to think that she is not high class because she is being portrayed so poorly. There was absolutely no reason for them to have this women almost naked and holding a beer even though it is non alcoholic, they could of made this advertisement so much differently and had it been a lot more affective. I doubt any women who sees this article that is pregnant is going to want to go out and buy a non alcoholic beer. This advertisement is aimed mostly for men even though that would not even make sense because when do men really ever need non alcoholic beer?

Then in the second image (the one to the right) is completely demeaning to women and there is absolutely no need for it. All I see is a picture of a women's butt that has been completely altered and photoshopped to make it appear to be absolutely perfect that will essintially make every women that sees this picture to look down on herself and make her feel about 50 times worse than she probably already did. Then in the other part of the advertisement it goes on to describe how perfect the butt in the picture is and if you buy this product your butt will become just as perfect in the butt in the picture. Not only is this advertisement degrading but it most likely did not help sell the product at all in any way.

These two images reinforce particular beauty myths in many different ways. One of the ways that it reinforces beauty myths is by objectifying women and making them feel like they have to be super skinny, beautiful, and have the perfect body or else they mean absolutely nothing to the world. It makes women think that if they are not beautiful then they are not special in any way. They make it seem as if men and what they think are all that matters and if they do not think that we are beautiful then we do not think that we are.

The very top advertisement (absolute hunk) works against reinforcing dominant myths because instead of objectifying women it is objectifying men. It shows that every man should look like this and this is the ideal man for the ideal vodka, which is basically the same thing they do to women in almost every advertisement. If I was creating my own advertisement I would include fully clothed, average looking men and women and I would make them appear to be equals and have mutual respect for each other.

Wallwisher

Only a couple of students have commented on this article regarding gender performance that  I posted on Wallwisher.  I think you'll find it interesting. Let me know what you think.

http://www.vibe.com/content/mean-girls-morehouse

The link to Wallwisher is http://www.wallwisher.com/wall/Ws200-3-4

V. Arnold Part 2

I somehow could not get my image upload to cooperate but the following is a link to the web page where my photo was found: http://www.dovemoment.be/cfrb/images/pic_casting_ad_440-fr.jpg

I think that this dove advertisement is a very empowering advertisement towards women. The advertisement portrays women of all sizes and colors that are "beautiful." All of the women look happy to be in their bodies and skin. I think this advertisement is ment to send a message to its audience that no matter what size or color a woman is, she is still considered beautiful, and should embrace her body. This advertisement does not involve your typical blonde hair, skinny sized model, but many varieties of women.

Part One V. Arnold

My first advertisement is pretty straightforward with the message that it is intended to send its audience. This advertisement is basically stating that if you smoke a Lucky Strike cigarette, then obviously, you will be skinny. WhenI saw this advertisement, the first thing I thought about from the discussion from our last class meeting was the "Beauty Myth." Basically, if you don't smoke this style of cigarettes, then you will be fat.

The second advertisement that I chose is a Trojan advertisement. This advertisement depicts men as being pigs, hovering over women that appear to be annoyed. . The pigs are meant to portray men, who, according to the text of the ad, have yet to "be men" and "evolve" by wearing a condom every time they have sex. This ad plays with the myth that "men are pigs," that is, that they have "one-track minds" and only think about sex and not about the responsibility and regard one shows his partner by engaging in safe sex. The use of the pigs among the women contrasted with the intimate, attractive couple in the center of the ad sends the message that men who buy and use Trojan condoms can achieve a "higher," more respected form of masculinity that is gentlemanly, responsible, and desirable to women than men who choose to disregard safe sex. I think that this ad is very discriminant towards men, however because not all men are "pigs", and do use condoms for their own safety; also condoms don't "make" a man.

PART 2: My comments on this our on the magazine advertisment section!

My blog post is on the advertisment page for the magazines. Sorry I didn't really understand where to put it.

part 2*

Part 2: I realy like this picture because it shows the image of different body styles and it lets you know that you can be comfortable with your body no matter how it looks. Not all women look the same and the media usually portrays women as stick figures. Its nice to see an ad that shows the REAL bodies women have.

Module 3*

The first picture to me is completely inapropriate and makes women look like fools. The fact that the man is stepping on her head makes it seem like men can run all over women without any regret or remorse. Men always feel like they can run women and control everything they do in their lives but in reality they cant.
The second advertisement is actually very embarrassing because the woman is in a cage and is being treated like she is an animal. Its suppose to be a clothing advertisement but actually portrays the image of a woman being caged up. Some clothing advertisements make women look like idiots and like they are just some kind of toy when they really arent.
All advertisemnts that i see these days make women look stupid in any kind of way and i feel that women are their target and that advertisers think it is easy for them to pick on women.

Module 3

Part One:

In this image it says "THE KING'S CREDENTIALS." It is implying that the man is the king and is authority over the woman. It also has the typical stereotype in this by the woman pouring the mans beer while he fixes something that is broken. Also I noticed that the woman was the typical white, blonde woman which is another stereotype for woman.

In this ad it has the gender stereotypes as well. The men stand around socializing while the woman sets the table. It's obviously speaking towards women because it says "Put the finest label ..on you table." It is annoying that there are so many beer advertisements that are so stereotypical.

Part Two:
This Dove advertisement pretty much speaks for itself. I really liked this ad because she says is healthy and feels great. She does works out and eats healthy and is proud of her body even if it isn't flawless. This is an attitude every woman should strive for.

ADVERTiSMENTS

Part Two: I really love this ad! In this Dove's *Real* Beauty advertisment, the targeted message is that all women are beautiful, no matter your shape, color or size. These women are embracing their bodies and one another. This ad is very empowering to women everywhere. Most women that you see on ads, and in magazines are white, blonde haired, skinny, and half-naked but this ad is different. Although the women don't have clothes on, its for a different purpose. They're trying to persuade the intended audiences to love and accept your body, no matter what your stipulations are.

Second Advertisment:When I first saw this ad all I could do was shake my head. Once again, another advertisment that degrades and belittles women in so many different aspects. This Tom Ford ad evokes how women are supposed to play servant to men and do whatever it takes to keep the men afloat. The picture of the woman ironing naked is the "sex sells" part of this photo. There wouldn't be any sexually explicits intention if it weren't for her being naked. Tom Ford probably did this because when viewing this ad the naked woman is the first thing you notice, and once you see her all other things in the picture becomes irrelevant. Since this is a mens ad and its pertaining to menswear, the man in the ad is well dressed up top, patiently waiting on the other half of his wardrobe to be presented to him, as if the woman is his servant.This ad simply reminds us that women are still fighting to be viewed as equal to men.

Part One: This advertisment can be viewed inappropriate and explicit in so many different ways. The first thing you notice is a young girl, obviously kneeling to a man and he is making a gesture for her to perform sexual actions. The way his hand is placed on top of her head makes me think he was almost applying force to her head going down, which probably made her feel compelled to do whatever he asked of her. This ad is from Britain and the point they're trying to get across is that parents are putting emotional distress on their children with their smoking habits. So just as the young lady in the ad feels forced to participate in explicit acts, she also feels obligated to smoke. However this is an example of another degrading women as well as how the media feels like "sex sells." Since the media incorporated a sexual act into the ad, they feel as though they'll get their point across in a more effective manner.

Feminists High Standards are Always Razing the Bra: LEARNING MODULE 3

Part One: In my first ad it is pretty obvious why I picked it for this part of the module. First the only Bacardi I see is in the bottom right corner... If i was trying to see alcohol I'd at least make it a little bit more apparent than what they have done. Second this woman is practically stripping down to her swimsuit which also happens to be animal print, which doesn't surprise me either. Third you can't even see the woman's face.. which is a clear sign that she is a sex toy and there for pleasing the male who happens to buy the Bacardi, since it practically isn't there in my opinion. The fourth thing I see wrong with this advertisement is the tag line: PUSSY CAT BY DAY BACARDI BY NIGHT!! Clear sign of females being an object and there for pleasure I would never buy that brand of alcohol if they kept using advertisements like thee one above.

Second Advertisement

Well this advertisement is a disgrace to all women in my opinion. When I scrolled across this advertisement I didn't even see the cologne i just saw a women's mouth wide open, and clothing, and oiled up boobs. You can't even see the female's face minus her completely opened mouth which implies sexual activity when I look at it. The lady being naked and holding her boobs already implies the use of male pleasure but to top it off the advertisement has her oiled up which takes away pride from women. The imagine of this women also shows that men prefer women with big boobs. I see almost every issue in this advertisement even if there is no male model present in the advertisement the way the women appears just implies males dominance to me.

Today many advertisement's use body shape, language, male dominance, and male pleasure in them to sell products. I think these tactics to selling products is degrading the image of women of all sizes, and race. There is no dominant sex in today's society so why should companies push male dominance in advertisements when now women have equal rights to men... I also think its disgusting that a majority of advertisement have a certain body image of women which is white, skinny, big boobs, and blonde in their advertisements when men can be of all race and size what gives them the right but not us? I also think it is wrong when they show women as not humans but as object especially objects that are for men pleasure. I think products will sell just as good as they are now but using different tactics than the ones being used now.

Part Two: I think this picture works against this issue being raised due to the fact that the item being advertised is clearly shown. In this advertisement it shows a man and a women dancing in formal clothing like they are a party of some sort. In my opinion this is sign of sexual activity or male dominance appearing while they are dancing. Though the female in the advertisement is skinny and blonde I don't really see the advertisement pushing that issue. I really liked this advertisement one because it had both sexes in it but neither dominant, nor do I see any clear sexual reference. I think this ad shows that you can sell a product without using today's issue to attract both sexes.

Advertisements

Part Two: This is a perfect example of a woman who is in this advertisement for all of the right reasons. When I look at this picture I see a confident person that wants to relay a healthy message to other women and girls, which is to be strong. Another reason I thought this was a good ad to post is because is shows a woman of another race. It shows her body off in an appropriate way, and this woman is not stick thin like most of the magazine ads you see today.

Words can not describe how inappropriate this add is. The fact that someone would really make an advertisement trying to sell cologne this way is disturbing. This is so disrespectful to women, and it amazes me that society finds this advertising acceptable. Again this woman is white. It makes you wonder what men would think if this woman happened to be latino, african american, etc. It bothers me to think that this ad could be in a magazine that teenagers look at.

Part One: Its obvious what is wrong with this picture. Instead of trying to advertise the "Eyewear" it looks like they are trying to advertise something else pertaining to oral sex. When I found this ad, it made me feel very uncomfortable and mad to think that they would degrade women this way. In my opinion it completely takes the focus off of the sunglasses which is the whole purpose of this advertisement. This is your stereotypical white women, with flawless skin, and perfectly white teeth. It is so sad that so many ads like this one have to refer to sex just to show a pair of sunglass.

Ads

Part One: First Advertisement--This Arby's commercial is obviously advertising Arby's roast beef sandwiches. The 'hidden' but obvious message is a women holding her breasts, which are the sandwiches. I feel like this advertisement would make a man desire an Arby's sandwich just a tad bit more. Under the picture in red it states, "We're about to reveal something you'll really drool over", meaning she might possibly lift her hands... that's the vibe I got from that message. I don't feel like this ad would draw most women into Arby's to drool over a sandwich. Gender roles for sexual ads are mainly exploiting women. Why can't this ad be a man?

Second Advertisement--This ad, in my opinion, is terrible. He is more interested in the car than he is her. He should be genuinely aroused by her but isn't. This act is crude and he is not interested in her looks at all. Yes, BMWs are nice but what this man is doing is very degrading to her and all women. I feel like this ad is saying that buying a red BMW is better than than sex. "The ultimate attraction" would make any girl feel bad about herself.

Part Two: I like this ad a whole lot. It's saying "yeah my thighs may not be stick thin like a supermodel's but they are strong and 'cheered on in marathons'". She is embracing her strength and isn't afraid of being muscular. She thinks it's a good thing, which it is. Not all women are made size 2, and she's proud that she is toned and showing everyone she's looking hot. If I was to create an advertisement to show a strong woman I would use a well-known, well liked celebrity maybe. Someone that most people look up to or admire. It would help the popularity of the advertisement and the celebrity.

ADVERTISEMENTS

PART TWO:

In this ad, it is advertising beer. The advertisement is clearly giving off the vibe that what could be better than anything that is skinny and blonde. I wonder how much the company would make by having a large, dark haired woman on there? Probably half as much as portraying a happy, perky blonde who in today's society seems to be the "ideal woman". This advertisement is just proving the point that people's outlook on women is extremely skewed.


PART ONE:

In this Durex Advertisement, it shows a woman with the sides of her mouth bandaged due to what we can only guess what. This obvious sexual ad is vulgar. I will give it that it is for a condom, but the "Really Big" in the bottom left hand corner is enough to tell a story in its own. One, how is this supposed to sell in the first place? Is it supposed to give guys the notion that "Buy the Durex condom and get THAT much bigger"? Sorry guys, doesn't work that way. This ad is unnecessary and explicit.

The Second ad on the right is advertising "shoes", really? Since when do shoes and sex go together? Puma is advertising the wrong thing in this ad, unless there is a 1-800 number written somewhere that I can't see that you can call for a "good time". One could wonder why the woman is even wearing shoes, because she clearly isn't the one reeking the benefits from the magical puma Gods.

Both of these ads are advertising the same thing for two completely different products. Who ever knew that condoms and shoes would have so much in common! They are both perfect examples of the saying that sex sells! Both are directed to make the man feel powerful when using either of these products.

Part 2: This photograph is advertising a Pontiac. The car company put a woman in the back seat and it looks like the man in the window is telling her to "spread her legs." I get the reason advertisers pick the lines they do to put in ads. Yes, it catches your attention but in the process you are degrading people, and most of the time its women. This personally doesn't offend me but it might some women. I don't really have any suggestions on what I would do differently because I find most of the ads humorous... that is part of their purpose.

Part 1:


This advertisement on the left is for a Nintendo PSP, which is a game device. It says on the ad that they are coming out with a new version which is apparently going to be white. The first generation of this device was black. This ad is implying that the new white one will be better than the old black one, and that it will basically DOMINATE the old one. There are so many things wrong with this advertisement. I can't really tell if the skinny white woman is grabbing the face of a woman or a man but she looks pissed. They have made the white woman stand out in the photo while the you can barely see the black person.

The photograph on the right is advertising for a drink. Unlike the other ad the people are smiling but it seems so fake. Also, the white people are sitting down, looking up at the black server, which is rare to see. Usually the white people are taller or on a different level than the black. But here, the degrading part is that the white couple have a black servant handing them the drink. This ad is old and might have been some what acceptable back then, but today it would be considered outrageous.

In this week's readings race was the main focus. A black woman spoke about how white women are always portrayed as being superior in society. Most ads are with white skinny women because that is considered beautiful to "everyone". I have watched America's Next Top Model for many seasons and there are gorgeous women on that show. Many black women have actually won the contest in numerous seasons. One year even a plus size girl won.

Advertisements

 

     Where should I begin with this ad? It is extremely vulgar. It is obviously relating to the length of a man's penis. The fine print states " Fill your desire with something long, juicy, and flame grilled.... Yearn for more after you taste the mind blowing...." This burger king ad is relating to sex and sexual acts to try to sell a sandwich. The woman pictured is blond and has on bright red lipstick, which is a sort of sexual fantasy for men, this is only heightened because her mouth is wide open. This blatantly obvious sex ad is extreme and there are much better ways the sandwich could be advertised.

     This is a famous poster that was placed all around our country during WWII. It was meant to keep men from getting STD's so they would be able to fight for our country healthy. (At the bottom it says "You can't beat the Axis if you get VD." And while all of this is true, why does it have to be a woman that is spreading the disease? Men spread the disease just as fast as women do. It makes men think that women are the only one's with this disease, and while it was for a good cause it is still presented in a way that puts women down.

     I think that advertisements, whether new or old, still do not represent women in a way that they should be represented. It is not right that women are put in positions that make them look like sexual deviants, such as both of the ads above. They both make present women in a way that shows that all they are concerned with is having sex. This is not something that should still be happening in our country.

     This ad is very empowering to women. It is one of many that Nike is currently showing. Some of the others show wide shoulders, tomboy knees, and thunder thighs. The text says things like "My butt is big and round like the letter C and ten thousand lunges have made it rounder not smaller...And those who might scorn it are invited to kiss it. Just do it." I really like all of these advertisements because they show women, and even men, that women are built a certain way. And no amount of exercise can change their build. Exercise will tone their body, but not change it. I like that it makes women be proud of what they have, and helps them to embrace it.

Magazine Advertisements

Part One:

These two images were advertisements that I thought are good representations of what we have been reading and what we have been talking about in class. The message in the Mcdonalds advertisement is to get people to buy their fries. However, they do not say anything about fries. To me this is the less obvious message being communicated since all they have is a picture of fries. The advertisement says "Tall, blonde and gorgeous". This message is obviously portraying a beautiful female, maybe even the desired female. It seems as if they are making you desire to have these fries by relating them to a tall, blonde, gorgeous woman.

Another advertisement I thought definitely represented the issues in class was the Dolce & Gabbana ad. They are known for their racy ads. When I first looked at this advertisement, I have no idea what they are trying to sell. All I see is a woman being held down by a man and a few other men standing around watching, possibly waiting their turn to be with her. After I did some researching, this ad is for a fragrance. A fragrance??? Didn't see that one. Women in Spain, Italy, and the United States thought the ad was demeaning and portrayed a man raping a woman. An article about this image stated that in 2008 Dolce and Gabbana won a prize for its "continuing depiction of women under a sexist angle over the years". Congrats?

Both of these advertisements relate to "The Beauty Myth". The Dolce and Gabanna advertisement shows men controlling a woman and being the dominant force. The ad reinforces that men have the power in relation to the women. They also reinforce the beauty myth by having a woman that is stunning and very skinny and men that are are ripped and good looking. The beauty myth in the Mcdonalds advertisement reinforces the want to have "something" tall, blonde, and gorgeous.

Part Two:

Dove's *Real* Beauty advertisement works against reinforcing dominant myths of what constitutes beauty. Usually women in magazines are tall, emaciated, and have no clothes on or are wearing some kind or sexy lingerie. The Dove advertisement shows what people would define as real women in society. These women are proud of their bodies and I like that Dove gave these women a feeling of empowerment. It proved to women around the world that you should love and embrace your body and men should too! If I was creating my own advertisement I would use a man for a masculine product and a women for a feminine product without undermining women in either one.

Week 4 Wallwisher Link

Hey folks! There is a new Wallwisher up! Please go to it and respond to the article, "The mean girls of Morehouse" or the Naomi Wolf video on the beauty myth.

http://www.wallwisher.com/wall/Ws200-3-4
http://www.vibe.com/content/mean-girls-morehouse

LEARNING MODULE 3

For this week, please POST a NEW blog vs. COMMENT under this blog posting.

PART ONE:
Search the web and find TWO magazine advertisements that you think are representative of the issues being raised in your readings and class this week.  Now attach these to your blog posting.  Then, in 3 paragraphs analyze the content in the selected images.  What are both explicit and implicit (obvious and less obvious) messages being communicated through the advertisements (re: gender, sexuality, class, race, etc.). How do they reinforce particular beauty myths? (use your readings)  How do they reinforce (or not) dominant “scripts” about gender identities and relationships.


PART TWO:
Now find one advertisement (and attach it) that you think works against reinforcing dominant myths of what constitutes beauty, and against dominant messages about normative gender and sexuality.  Then, in 1 paragraph, tell us why?  If you were creating your own advertisement what might you include or feature in order to empower women and men?

The advertisements shown here are for visual interest only and cannot be used in your responses for this Learning Module.