This was a poster at Sephora. We noticed the model's breasts were uncharacteristically large. Her hair was perfect and wind blown. She was also skinny and had flawless skin. Furthermore, we were intrigued by the fact that none of the models faces were shown. From these details we deduced some messages. One was that being a woman is all about being flawlessly beautiful. Another message is that women should be completely comfortable with their bodies and thus nudity. Finally, the poster suggests that sexual and materialistic identity is more important than intellectual and ethical identity for a woman. Some premises behind this final message are that women do not have anything to offer beyond their sexuality. In addition beauty means being skinny and having large breasts. A final premise is that women's objectives are to be sexually pleasing to men rather than professionally successful. Implications include girls becoming anorexic, modeling and whoring, fixations with beauty, girls won't pursue intellectual professions, and men expect this image of women. Analyzing this message also uncovered some questions for our group. Why is this image the one that's beautiful? What do men define as beautiful? Why is it so split--men are intellectual and strong while women are sexual? How much airbrushing was done on the photograph? And how would men and women react differently to this image?
-Dan, Zoe B, Alicia
Oh, this one is so typical for all of the reasons you mentioned. I wonder if this model was airbrushed and enhanced the way the model was in the Dove Evolution film.
ReplyDelete-Erik
Great observations, great questions. I'm particularly intrigued by your observation that her face isn't even shown - and that half of her head is cut off (and ironically, it's the part of her cranium that houses her brain). There's a "this could be anyone" (particularly a white female) message - I'm also reading some messages that the three of you inferred: "This could be YOU" - or even "This SHOULD be you." The products and brands that appear in front of this ad (in the store I guess - Gucci is the only one I can make out) - intentional? Part of the display? That women "need" these products to attain this level of sexual beauty?
ReplyDeleteReally thought-provoking!
-Steph
Great observations, great questions. I'm particularly intrigued by your observation that her face isn't even shown - and that half of her head is cut off (and ironically, it's the part of her cranium that houses her brain). There's a "this could be anyone" (particularly a white female) message - I'm also reading some messages that the three of you inferred: "This could be YOU" - or even "This SHOULD be you." The products and brands that appear in front of this ad (in the store I guess - Gucci is the only one I can make out) - intentional? Part of the display? That women "need" these products to attain this level of sexual beauty?
ReplyDeleteReally thought-provoking!
-Steph
Hey,
ReplyDeleteI go into Sephora a lot and I never really thought about their ads so props to ya. Since the model is holding up a perfume, did you compare this ad to the ad of the perfume? Maybe its Sephora's design of ad and not the perfume companys? Some people may think, classiness has some education implications so would the perfume's "classiness" make a difference in the perception of the ad? What do you think this ad says to men/what would a guy say about this woman's open sexual-ness?
Jenni