Blog 6

Gap Advertisement for “RED”
So I’ll give it to Gap, they are doing a great job raising money for AIDS awareness and treatment. Personally, I can’t see where AIDS plays a roll in the advertisement. I guess they do a good job at making the remains of a shirt on her look really lucky and really cool. Gap also does a great job at displaying our modern, beautiful, natural, woman model. She’s a healthy weight –barely. She has such healthy skin –with makeup and Photoshop all over it. Her face is so natural –made to look flawless like a doll. Her hair is messy –it’s perfectly out of place. Her breasts look, well, right at you. Her pants, well, are missing. The yoga pose is also very appropriate in a time where we all know that yoga isn’t westernized. What does this image say about gender? ...that a good pair looks at you with greater intent than a lifeless doll face ...that spaghetti arms are nice accessories to that good cause tank top ...that lifeless features will work well with that cranberry color ...that Photoshop body parts enhance the nice neckline of the top. I have learned that in order to pull of that top, all women had better not forget to fix themselves up to look like her.

Wolf:
“We are in the midst of a violent backlash against feminism that uses images of female beauty as a political weapon against women’s advancement: the beauty myth. The beauty myth took the place of domesticity.”
I disagree that the beauty myth is a political weapon against women’s advancement. Women still have the choice to disagree with the countless images placed in front of them constantly. I wish that the focus of what confines women to certain appearances and ways of acting was fighting against the lack of education of young people in North America. I believe that the real issue surrounding the beauty myth is what will make money. Sex really does sell –and there are thousands of reasons why. If everyone knows this, why is it so hard for parents and roll models to teach children that images portrayed in advertisements are lies?
It’s a parent’s job to make sure that they raise a child that understands what a real woman is rather than relying on society and television to instill those values for them. We live in a society were women who are properly educated have the chance to understand that images that tell them who they should be and what they should look like do not carry valuable truths. When women and men are not properly educated, it is the fault irresponsible parents, teachers, roll models, etc. It comes from mothers and fathers assuming certain “appropriate” roles in raising their children... roles that do not overlap and that are responsible for teaching only what young people should not do... never what to think over, never what to aspire to be, never that what children are given is the chance to rise above all of the negative confinement that is obvious in our society. There is a reason that men are taught to think certain body types are attractive. There is a reason that women are taught to learn from images like the ones the author claims forms the beauty myth. The people responsible for raising girls and boys, women and men, are not properly educated about these issues.

Scott:
I completely agree with the author’s thesis. I agree with the author because of certain experiences that I have had being a woman in this society.
First, I don’t completely reject my culture. This culture has its flaws, but I still choose to be a part of it... I enjoy being a woman in North America. Our society as a whole has a very, very loose definition of what it means to be a woman. Why? Regardless of stereotypes, no one seamlessly agrees on what a true woman or a true man is in our culture. We still have expectations in our society of what gender is that often are never questioned, for example, “women should shave their legs”. There are very few women who flaunt unshaven legs. So while I disagree with the majority of these unspoken expectations, I still like enjoy being a female in this culture. I enjoy the opportunity to have an education, to succeed in a field of study, to disagree openly about controversial subjects, and to have laws that protect me; all are fairly unique to our culture. I enjoy taking pride in the clothing I wear, I enjoy doing my hair, and I enjoy wearing makeup sometimes, and on top of all of that, I still believe in equal rights for women.
Another reason that I agree with the author’s thesis is that there are women of all types that need to be reached with the message of feminism. There are certain type of women that will not respond, or will simply reject a message from a woman that doesn’t look like a “normal” woman in our society. I think it’s very beneficial to the movement if women presented in all forms are able to get the message out.