Bom Chicka Wah Wah! May 17, 2007
Posted by jsaffold in commercials, male gaze, Pussycat Dolls, sex sells, sexuality, stereotypes, tv.3 comments
Early this morning, I was dreaming about being on an airplane and the person next to me kept saying “Bom Chicka Wah Wah.” And then I woke up and realized that there was one of the new Axe deodorant spray commercials on t.v. and it was entering my consciousness and incorporating into my dream. See it for yourself… (more…)
“Girth and Nudity, a Pictorial Mission” May 12, 2007
Posted by ajaramillo in "the gaze", bodies, books, controversy, Fat Feminism, in the news, magazines/photography, sex sells, sexuality.add a comment
I just came across this article in the New York Times about Leonard Nimoy (yes, Spock) and his new book, “The Full Body Project.” His book features nude, obese women in provocative poses. He says that the project is a direct response to the pressures women face in being a size 2…
“The women are interested in fat liberation. Their self-esteem is strong. They will tell you that too many people suffer because the body they live in is not the body you find in the fashion magazines.”
He also has a show of photographs, and guess where it is… the photographs are on view at the R. Michelson Galleries in Northampton, Mass., through June!
So what do you guys think? Is this girl power or just another, albeit very different, form of the male gaze?
PETA: Treating Women Like Meat is OK? May 3, 2007
Posted by ajaramillo in "the gaze", bodies, Ethics, sex sells, sexuality.3 comments
I recently came across an advertisement from PETA that featured one of Hugh Hefner’s “girlfriends,” Holly Madison, completely nude saying she would “rather go naked then wear fur.” I found it strange that an organization dedicated to the ethical treatment of animals would find no problem objectifying women in their ads. Of course, Holly is not the first person to pose nude for PETA. Pamela Anderson, Pink,and a whole array of other stars also posed for the same ad campaign. Not surprisingly, they were all women. I was wondering if anyone else found this as ridiculous as I did.
I posted some pictures after the jump. (more…)
Romance Novel Covers April 23, 2007
Posted by lindamc in America's Next Top Model, Christine Feehan, Fabio, magazines/photography, objectification of men, romance novels, sex sells, tv.2 comments
I can’t remember the season, but in one episode of America’s Next Top Model, the girls had a fashion shoot where they posed with Fabio in order to grace the cover of a romance novel (it was on reruns this weekend if anyone saw it:) I have always had this thing about romance novels: I think they are really trashy and a sad excuse for literature…but I find an absurd amount of pleasure reading them…
I had a conversation with a friend of mine the other day and actually my sister about our obsession with romance novels. They both said to me that they don’t just pick up the occasionaly book in the airport when they travel, but they follow authors and plot lines at such a disgusting rate (according to myself) that they treat the books (in my opinion) like fine literature. They are both Amherst grads who live in big cities and have successful careers. I was at a loss for how they could be not just using the novels as secret pleasure (like, for example certain TV shows are for some people: I love NY or The OC), but a very much out their discussion about what the great romance novelists are writing. I know it could just be a personal thing for them, but I find it fascinating that these two women are so obsessed with books that paint romance in such an unrealistic and unattainable light (especially my sister’s favorites which are placed in historical settings: on a Southern plantation in the 1840s, or in London England during the Revolutionary War). I love them for being sooo bad, but my sister and friend are against me, and say they are an extremely good form of entertainment…and I don’t mean to get too sexual here, but that’s what they say.
Sorry for that tangent, anyway, the real point of this post is to, like the America’s next top model episode, discuss the covers of romance novels. In a recent blog post on ReadersRead.com, a major romance publisher’s ad for new male models was discussed:
Harlequin’s Looking For a Few Good-Looking Men
Book publisher Harlequin is looking for a few good-looking men to grace the covers of its romance novels. So what, you might ask, is wrong with the male models that traditionally grace the covers? Apparently, they’re too small in the pec department, for one thing (more…)
April 22, 2007
Posted by jenniferlewk in gender, in the news, marketing gender, new york times, sex sells.add a comment
Our class has spent a lot of time discussing the objectification of women–sexuality often equals profit. However, this article in the NY-Times reminded me that the marketing strategy of “sex sells” is not just used for females. Hailed “the Indiana Jones” of the History Channel, Josh Bernstein is cute. smart. single. Jewish. Interested? (more…)
Selling the Sizzle… April 18, 2007
Posted by jenniferlewk in bodies, gender, imagery, new york times, news stories, Random Bits, sex sells.add a comment
This article in the New York Times tries to explain the latest rage of “female body arrangements” (more…)
Girlpower + 1 