“Thoughts on Pop Culture and the Beauty Myth”

1.

Calvin Klein is notorious for distributing advertisements that sexualize women, portraying them as passive objects. In this particular advertisement the woman is laying back with her eyes closed, letting the male figure manipulate her body in any way he desires. The man stares down at the woman with purpose, focus and intent while the woman appears unaware. One of the woman’s hands is resting delicately on her breast in contrast the man’s hands appear in control like they have purpose and intent. He touches her while she only touches herself. She does not appear to have any physical control. She is an object of desire for the man in the photo and the outside viewers of the photo. We know exactly what the man wants signified by his gaze, position and gesture, yet we have no idea what the woman wants. Are her eyes closed because she is lost in passion? Or are her eyes closed because she is scared and does not want to be where she is? The point is, no one cares what she wants.

2.

This photo depicts a child model shown as a grown woman, which I believe is the most disturbing technique used in the advertising world. The young girl is dressed like an older woman wearing heals that appear to be at least three sized to big. She is staring at the viewer and the photographer, completely aware that she is being watched. She is the object of male desire. Her hand rests delicately beneath her face and she is laying in a pose that is historically deemed as sexual and passive. In advertising it is common to see grown women appear as children, through their clothing, positioning and gestures (putting their fingers in their mouth). Overtime instead of simply showing grown women as young girls, designers began showing young girls as grown women. This is not a mistake on any ones part. As we have learned, everything in advertising is used to appeal to some ones fantasy. These are not new and innovative ideas. The most frightening reality is that these techniques have been proven to work and that there is a wide audience to whom this picture appeals.

3. My worst memory of women in pop culture

My worst memory of women in pop culture occurred during my freshman year of high school. I was attending a boarding school that appeared to be riddled with eating disorders. Phrases like “size 2 is the new 6” became widespread and competition between all the young women seemed inevitable. I walked into a friend’s room and sat on her bed. When I looked up I saw a cut out from a magazine that said “nothing tastes as good as skinny feels” placed alongside the forever-skinny Kate Moss. The now famous quote was completely new to me at the time. It was the first time in my life where I became incredibly sensitive about my own weight and incredibly aware of the weight of others. All of my favorite teen soap operas at the time (The OC, One Tree Hill, etc.) casted actress that were so thin they appeared to be advertising anorexia. It was as if overnight something that used to mean nothing suddenly meant everything. The lead actress in The OC was a passive and damaged young woman who was constantly waiting for the right man to save her. She battled alcoholism, which the show NEVER actually touched on, she just always seemed to be rid of her disease when she found the right boyfriend. The only “powerful” woman depicted on the show was a “gold digging,” plastic surgery loving housewife. She was only powerful because she used sex and beauty to win men over. She married men for their money so she could become powerful. There was nothing innately “powerful” about her, unless it was at the expense of a man. I was duped by these advertisements and TV shows into thinking that being thin was not only preferred, it was necessary.

4. My favorite pop culture moment

Three years ago I was sitting in a sociology class when the teacher came in and told us we were going to watch an advertisement by Dove Beauty. The professor played the (now famous) Dove Campaign for Beauty advertisement, which depicts a woman being completely transformed by make-up and digital imagery. The before and after picture looked like two completely different women. I had heard forever that the women shown in advertisements “did not actually look like that” but a huge part of me still believed them to be real. When I saw this advertisement I remember feeling a great sense of relief. I showed it to ALL of my friends when I got home from class and their reactions were very similar to mine. Two months later I watched it in my feminist studies class and everyone had the same reaction, even the men. Slowly it became one of the most popular media campaigns of the year. Dove advertisements continue to portray “real” looking women, which I will forever appreciate. It was the most welcomed reality check I have ever gotten.

 

5. The Beauty Myth

The beauty myth begins with the pervasive beauty ideals placed on women through media, more specifically that these ideals are attainable, evolutionary and biological. In reality none of these things are true. The beauty myth convinces women that there is a “universal” code of beauty that all must follow, that the ideal sense of beauty has always been there and that this “beauty” is attainable. Women continue to spend millions of dollars on diets and make-up that ensure they will attain perfection. In actuality, women are participating in a life long marathon with no ending. I absolutely agree with Naomi Wolf’s general argument. The idea of beauty is constantly changing. In order to realize this simply compare the women of the 50’s to the women of today. Back then the most famous women were curvy and voluptuous, something admired by all. By our current societal standards those women would now be considered fat. In addition, Wolf argues that beauty is not universal it is culturally defined. Wolf states that in some cultures men are the one’s adorned with makeup and men participate in beauty pageants. I have been fortunate enough to travel to many places in the world. From these experiences I have seen first hand that beauty is NOT universal. I also find it incredibly convincing that there are directs ties between a woman’s ability to rise in the power structure and the pervasive nature of the beauty myth. Wolf states “During the past decade, women breached the power structure; meanwhile, eating disorders rose exponentially and cosmetics surgery became the fastest-growing medical specialty” (Wolf, p.180). The correlation is undeniable.

 

In the end of her excerpt Wolf makes a statement that has stuck with me since I read this piece several days ago. Wolf discusses how the beauty myth is not something that we can get rid of through lobbying, boycotting or using ballots and votes to overthrow. It is deeply engrained in our society and half the time something we are only subconsciously aware of. Wolf states that in order to overcome the beauty myth we must find “a new way to see” (Wolf, p.187). Everyone has insecurities about the way they look, and if they say they do not they are lying. Society and marketing offer quick fixes that to some are undeniable. We cannot abolish advertisements or make beauty pageants, make up and plastic surgery illegal in order to overcome the beauty myth. Knowing that is exists is the first step, but overcoming the beauty myth will take an internal strength that all women will have to dig deep to find.

Feminist Art and Womanhouse

 

1.       According to Judy Chicago, in feminist art central core imagery is imagery that represents the repressed and devalued female genitalia. Feminist artists use central core imagery in order to reclaim the imagery that has been associated with women, but never actually represented by women. Central core imagery is imagery used to dismantle the social constructs that define gender roles and the negative connotations that surround female genitalia. Central core imagery is a way for women to express their identity in a positive manner. Feminist artists use this imagery in order to state that they are proud to be women and they are not ashamed of their genitalia or anything else that makes them “female.”

2.       During the 1970’s individual critics claimed that feminist artists were all essentialists. Many argued that feminists were only constructing work that was centered on female genitalia and therefore they were perpetuating the ever-present myth that the most important aspects of females derive from their biological make up. In reality feminist artists were not only concerned with creating artwork that focused solely on the female anatomy. Those that did choose to do so were actually doing this in order to reclaim there body parts and show them as beautiful works of art and not as disgusting and undervalued objects.

3.      As discussed in Norma Broude and Mary Garrard’s The Power of Feminist Art it is important for one to differentiate between biological essentialism, cultural essentialism, and political essentialism. All three of these forms of essentialism are quite different in their definitions and cannot be used interchangeably. Biological essentialism suggests that we are all born with particular body parts that cause us to act and live in a certain way. As a result of a woman’s biological make up, women are to be seen essentially different from men and that these differences define certain aspects of how they operate in society. The cultural essentialist or the idea of “socially constructed femininity” are the stereotypes placed on specific genders and the roles that are shaped as a result of these stereotypes.  Political essentialism is the critique of the society in which we live and therefore offers a critique of essentialism.

By understanding the different definitions of essentialism one can broaden their view and understanding of feminist artwork. It is important to understand that although the work may be a biological depiction of a woman’s anatomy the image may suggest so much more about society, gender roles, sexual identity, etc… Many feminist artists are interested in representing work that makes a point to debunk the present myths of gender roles and the ways in which society perpetuates these myths. Other feminist artists are solely interested in creating art that is simply seen as just that. They want their work to be appreciated, admired and critiqued in the same way that a man’s artwork would be; without the implications that arise from being a female artist.

Above is a well-known Seventies Feminist Art painting of a flower done by Georgia O’Keefe. A biologically-essentialist view of the painting would be that it is depicting female genitalia. Georgia O’Keefe painted this in order to show that her biological make up determines how she chooses creates her art. The illustration of the flower (or others argue a vagina) is done in an “essentially feminine” way. O’Keefe’s biological sex is depicted in this painting as biological essentialists believe that it was O’Keefe’s intent to illustrate a flower that in actuality portrayed a vagina.

A culturally-essentialist individual would see this artwork as a critique on the socially constructed standards of feminine art in society. O’Keefe denies that her images are implicitly sexual and that just because she is a woman and/or a feminist does not mean she has constructed works based on either. Regardless of her intent O’Keefe’s work became culturally symbolic as it furthered the discussion of what constitutes feminist art. Society suggests that feminist artists always construct art based on their female anatomy, however O’Keefe’s artwork is a direct representation of how this is not always the case.

Politically-essentialist individuals would see that the reactions to O’Keefe’s seemingly “female” artwork are a result of the socially constructed ideals of what constitutes feminist art. O’Keefe’s reaction offered a critique of essentialism as she continued to state her art was in no way a direct representation of the female anatomy. Just because a woman paints a picture, draws a sketch, constructs a sculpture, does not mean that the work is inherently feminine. Society has constructed this idea and O’Keefe’s work and her comments continue to debunk the myths represented in essentialist’s critiques of feminist art.

4.     The Feminist Art Programs at Fresno and CalArts were designed to give women artists a place and opportunity to gather together and express their opinion towards the ever-present gender issues within society. Women created art that depicted how women viewed themselves in society and how they believed others viewed them, simply based upon their gender. In 1971, as a result of these two successful programs the two leaders of the Feminist Art Programs, Miriam Schapiro and Judy Chicago, undertook a collaborative project entitled “Womanhouse.” The intent of the project was to address “the gendered experiences of women” (Wilding, p. 39) within the structure of an actual house in a Los Angeles neighborhood.

Twenty-one female artists came together and worked collaboratively to create an exhibition that exposed societal gender issues and critiques on a woman’s socially constructed role in society. The women involved in this project were not interested in being seen as singular artists, they were compelled by the power and support that comes from working collaboratively with one another. The members of the program held meetings in order to discuss what type of content they wanted to depict within the home. The artists used ordinary spaces, such as bathrooms, kitchens and living rooms, in order to depict the mundane tasks women are expected to perform everyday. They used methods of exaggeration, “shocking” imagery, performance art, bright colors and everyday objects to portray the social constructs that trap women into their designated roles. Although the objects, such as eggs, shoes, clothing, kitchen accessories, on their own may have seemed arbitrary, when they were brought together within these rooms and organized in a particular way the women were able to make their messages quite clear.

The women drew on experiences from their own lives and turned these experiences into works of art. The artist’s used the traditional female experience and portrayed it in a manner that expressed their anger and resentment towards their “roles” and the ridiculous connotations and expectations that come with simply being female.

 

Sandy Orgel “Linen Closet”

This work is a feminist critique on a woman’s duty as a housewife. The image literally depicts a woman who is trapped between sheets in her linen closet, however the image suggests so much more. This image represents the larger idea that as women are forced into their gender specified role as housewife they become physically confined by their everyday duties. Women are “placed on a shelf” where they are not to be touched unless another individual physically manipulates them, where they are displayed for others to look at, where they are confined by the walls of the house in which they live. They are cleaning, ironing, folding sheets or they are asked/forced to get in between the sheets. This trapped woman has one foot walking forward, as if she is trying to get out of the closet that she has been stuck in for so long. This image is different from traditional representations of women as the woman appears to be strangled by everything that confines her. The mannequin is not only trapped by the linen closet she has actually been made a part of the closet itself, as if there is no differentiation between a woman and her home.

 

Judy Chicago “Menstruation Bathroom”

This work is feminist as it politicizes the link between what is seen as public and private. A woman’s menstrual cycle is something that is never supposed to be discussed in a public manner. Society sees menstruation as a very personal, private matter that takes place behind closed doors and is rarely discussed. This scene is a critique on how many women are made to feel as a result of their menstrual cycle. The veil is in place to show that the scene depicted is a private matter that can only take place behind a “veil” or closed door. The white bathroom shows that women must do everything they can to keep their rooms spotless, sterile and clean, yet the only thing they cannot cover up is the shameful blood that results from a menstrual cycle. They must throw away any evidence that their menstrual cycle occurred, as to not disrupt their perfectly pristine bathroom. This image is intended to show how the sight of blood suddenly becomes taboo when it is represented in its association with tampons or shown within a bathroom setting. In the context of traditional art, women are never associated with their menstrual cycle. Critics of this piece would believe that a woman’s menstrual cycle is a private matter that should not be made into a public spectacle.

 

Beth Bachenheimer “Shoe Closet”

“Shoe Closet” is considered a piece of feminist artwork as it offers a critique on the ridiculous material demands placed on women. This work is used to suggest how society imposes unrealistic demands on women in which women are expected to be beautiful, own beautiful things, wear beautiful things, etc.. Women are encouraged to buy countless pairs of shoes in the hopes of meeting the standards of beauty and fashion that have been socially constructed. The feminist critique is that a woman’s worth should not be based on the number of shoes she owns. Although it may appear that a woman has many choices that she can make when picking out her shoes her choices are in fact quite limited. A woman must make her choice based on what activity it is she plans to do and what is deemed appropriate by societal standards. The assortment of shoes also represents how women have different shoes in order to perform their different tasks as housewife. They have to have “sexy” heals in order to appear desirable for their husbands, but they also need conventional shoes for when they are out shopping for groceries and doing their housework. The shoes are perfectly lined up and in order to show how controlled, structured and routine a woman’s role as housewife is.

Powerful Images

1.           Buntings article “Yes, You Are” offers a straight forward, logical and articulate definition of feminism. The article is not filled with complex theories and ideas it simply states that, “If you believe in, support, look fondly on, hope for, and/or work towards equality of the sexes, you are a feminist.” Being a feminist is riddled with endless connotations, such as all feminists hate men, all feminists are women, all feminists hate make up, don’t wear bras, don’t shave their legs etc…. The truth is some of the most influential feminists DO get their nails done every week, love men, are men and wear make-up. The point of the matter is that as long as you believe that women deserve the same respect and opportunity as men then you are considered a feminist. Heterosexual men are not exempt from this, however because of the negativity associated with feminists, so many men do not believe it is remotely possibly for a male to be considered a feminist. I am very grateful for authors such as Bunting because without them so many individuals would be deterred from the idea of becoming a feminist. In reality it is not about “becoming” anything, you either are or you are not.

Johnson’s article titled “Patriarchy the System” illustrates how throughout time we have chosen to blame specific individuals for problems such as discrimination, racism and sexism. Johnson gives examples such as the poor blame the rich for their circumstance and women blame men for their lack of representation in society. This article argues that we need no longer should focus on one individual or social constructs of race and gender, instead we need to look at the society that formed these groups and ideals. In Johnson’s words “we need to see and deal with the social roots that generate and nurture the social problems that are reflected in the behavior of individuals,” arguing that that in order to solve the problem we need to understand where the problem begins. Individual acts of discrimination are a direct result of the society that a particular individual is a part of. It is important to understand the larger picture not just the individuals that make up certain scenarios especially when considering social constructs such as patriarchy. Many of our societal norms and gender stereotypes are a result of patriarchy, such as a woman raising the children while the man provides. Johnson ends her article by stating that both men and women are “involved in this oppressive system, and none of us can control whether we participate, only how.” It is easy to say that it is up to the individual whether or not they choose to participate in patriarchy, yet it is not that simple. Regardless of whether or not a woman chooses a career over family life is not the point, the point is that in doing so she has so much more to risk than a man choosing to do the same due to the system in which we operate. How we choose to make decisions, how we choose to react to sexist comments, jokes or conversations and how we see ourselves in the world are ways in which we can begin to change how we participate in the patriarchal system.

Broude and Garrard’s Introduction: Feminism and Art in the Twentieth Century” discusses the lack of representation of women in throughout art history. Similar to the argument illustrated in Nochlin’s essay “Why are there no great women artists?” Broude and Garrard state that feminist art is not necessarily one particular style or even one movement. The way in which a woman’s artwork is constructed is not the main focus of what makes feminist art so admirable and revolutionary, it is the content depicted in that artwork. Reckitt discusses in the book Art and Feminism that the content depicted in feminist artwork throughout history has been diverse and not all feminist artists fit into the same category within a specific time frame. Although many female artists wanted to use the content of their work to spark a revolution, other women were morally opposed to this idea. Some women would give themselves male pseudonyms and others refused to be placed into the category of “women artists” as if it was an insult. They do not want the fact that they are a woman or perhaps a feminist to take away from their work (Reckitt, 2006). One overall theme that is discussed in several works regarding feminist art is that feminist art should not be seen as its own separate category. The work of women artists should not only be shown and admired or seen and hated because it was made by a woman, if we are to reach equality it should just be seen as a piece of artwork. In my opinion the focus should be on the art itself, not necessarily who created it.

2.

The first person that comes to mind when I think of the word woman is my mother. She is the strongest woman I know and has spent the majority of her adult life dedicated to helping women find their voice and protect their rights. She is an activist, philanthropist, mother, sister, daughter and so much more. In 2003 my mother received the Margaret Sanger award from Planned Parenthood for her unwavering commitment to the organization. Planned Parenthood’s mission is to help men and women in need of quality healthcare, regardless of their race, religion, gender, ethnicity or financial circumstance, a goal my mother continues to work towards. Planned Parenthood strongly believes that a woman is the only person who can make conscious decisions about what to do or not to do with her own body. In my opinion women are given two choices in life. We can sit back and succumb to the ever-present discrimination or we can make an effort to change the people, places and things committed to holding us back. My mother is humble, determined, kind, strong, maternal and true to herself. These qualities (and so many others) immediately come to mind when I think of the word “woman.”

When I hear the word woman I think of togetherness, commitment and community. Some of the strongest women I know personally and have studied are not interested in acting alone. These women find their strength and power within a group. They may be the so-called leader of this group, such as Gloria Steinem, yet their goals would not be attained without the passionate followers of a strong group. The women depicted in this photographic represent strength, unity, loyalty and trust. They share a common purpose and are proud to represent and celebrate their gender.

The main theme of this photograph is desperation. The photographic is of 28 year- old Isabelle Caro, a former supermodel who died of anorexia less than three years ago. We live in a world where being thin is praised, glamorized and applauded. This photograph was part of an ad campaign that used shocking photographs (such as this) to remind people that anorexia is not a fashion statement it is in fact a life threatening disease. So many women in my life have battled eating disorders, desperately pushing themselves to frightening limits in order to achieve a seemingly impossible goal. This powerful photograph illustrates the lengths so many women (and men) are willing to go to attain this twisted idea of beauty our media and society has developed. Eating disorders are a true physical and mental disease that are only exasperated by the “ideal body type” put forth by fashion designers, models, media, and so much more.

The main theme of this powerful photograph is unconditional love. This image reminds me of what these individuals are willing to give up in order to fight for something they believe in. In this picture a woman is being reunited with her daughter for the first time after an experience that is both terrifying and unimaginable. We are all aware that war breaks apart families in so many ways, but to me this photo is not about war or soldiers. Regardless of whether or not you believe in fighting for one’s country or whether or not you hate the idea of war entirely, you can still appreciate the power of unconditional love represented in this photograph. This image is incredibly powerful because it symbolizes so much more than a woman simply hugging her daughter. The emotion felt by this woman is something that many of us will never experience. This image illustrates not only the love between a woman and her daughter, but the bravery and strength of an individual. This strong woman is willing to leave her family behind to fight for a cause she believes is of the utmost importance.

On great Women Artists

1.        Nochlin begins by discussing the different reactions or possible answers to the seemingly sexist question “Why have there been no great women artists?” The questions that are initially raised are straightforward and articulate, yet Nochlin states that they do not truly question the actual problem or the issues surrounding the question “Why have there been no great women artists? We can question whether it is because women are simply incapable of producing great art because they lack the necessary (however mythical) genius component that male artist posses. Or whether women artists’ have a completely different form of painting that cannot be compared to the male form. Could it possibly be that women “Women artists are more inward-looking, more delicate” in their artworks? If this were in fact true, then men would not pain scenes depicting women and children, they would not use delicate strokes or “inward looking” themes in their work. In the end Nochlin stresses the answer cannot be found in these questions.

In Nochlin’s convincing argument there are no great women artists because the society we live in is not constructed in a way that allows for great women artists and history has continually proved this. From the beginning women have not been given the same opportunity to achieve that genius like quality. This article states that genius is not something born to us, but developed through meaningful connections with the right people and aided by a white mans immediate privilege in society and institutions. The question raised is not necessarily a direct attack on a woman’s genius or talent yet more on the lack of opportunity for women to prove their artistic talent due to “institutional discrimination.” In the end although women are undoubtedly faced with significant challenges it is up to the woman in how they choose to deal with this. Women must come to terms with their place (or lack their of) in the great artistic works of history. Women must “leap into the unknown” and prove that they too are possible of greatness in any endeavor they pursue.

2.      The Guerilla girls are a “group of women artists and art professionals who fight discrimination” and help to illustrate the struggles faced by minorities (women included) in the art world. The Guerilla girls are activists who believe in exposing the misogynistic nature of the art world through posters, projects, books and direct action. The Guerilla girls are somewhat anonymous in the sense that they “could be anyone” because they are everywhere. There text is laid out in a way that is easy to read, easy to understand and humorous. They are dedicated to bringing to light so many issues that have been silenced or ignored for too long.

3.          Woolf argues that if Shakespeare had happened to have a sister who was equally talented as her brother, her talent would never have been exposed. She would not have been given the same opportunities as Shakespeare, such as school, because she would have been required to stay at home. She would not have been exposed to all of the knowledge that Shakespeare was so fortunate to witness and learn from. Her isolation from knowledge and school would have kept her secluded from the world of great literature and art, both literally and figuratively. She may begin to express inklings of interest in art or even share her passion with others, but the reactions would have been anything but encouraging. She would be mocked, ridiculed, beaten and made to feel insane. As a result she would keep her talent a secret for she knew that it was better to hide her success then share it with the world. In the end the agony, pain and life circumstances would have been too much for her to bear and suicide would be her only escape.

4.         I am more inclined to say that I agree with the Guerilla Girl’s tactics of refuting the question “Why are there no great women artists?” They seem to rebuttal the question in the exact way I originally wanted to when the question was first posed. Couldn’t it just be that there are great women artists in history, but they have not been considered great artists due to the male dominated nature of the field? Although part of me does agree with this statement I also am intrigued by the questions raised in Nochlin’s essay. Could it truly be that we have no great women artists? That we have been so accustomed to settling for “good” or that we are too afraid to truly stand up to the male dominated art world? Regardless of the true answer to all of the questions raised I believe that the most important aspect of these readings is the fact that the actual question is finally being asked. One argument posed in all of the readings that truly spoke to me is the simple fact that throughout time women have not been given the same opportunities as men. This point is most clearly depicted in Woolf’s story of Shakespeare’s “sister.” We can keep asking the question, “Well why were their no great playwrights during this time?” The answer is simply that women were not given any of the opportunities men were. Regardless of schooling, women were mocked and ridiculed for even insinuating a place in the art world. With this lack of encouragement and opportunity shouldn’t it be expected that there would be a significant lack of representation for women in the art world?