Tom Ford continues to objectify women, be lauded for genius
Apparently this is groundbreaking.
It seemed unlikely that anything Tom Ford could do at this point would shock us. After being named International Man of the Year by Russian GQ, he graced the cover fully clothed and surrounded by naked women, but that just made us roll our eyes and proclaim that it’s typical Tom Ford…what else would we expect from him? But then we see the photo on the inside cover of the magazine: him (still fully clothed, of course) next to a naked woman who is lying down with perfume fragrance strips sticking out of her derrière…
Ford is most notable for his work in the fashion industry, designing for big names such as Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent. He also directed the critically acclaimed film A Single Man, which was nominated for an Academy Award.
In spite of these accomplishments, Tom Ford is also notorious for his controversial ads (one of which occupies the 9th spot in About-Face’s Top Ten Gallery of Offenders) and magazine covers. In 2006, he appeared fully clothed on the cover of Vanity Fair magazine with Scarlett Johansson and Keira Knightley who, in contrast, happened to be completely nude. It’s important to note that Tom Ford is usually the Artistic Director for most of his photo shoots. It’s his vision and his idea to portray women’s bodies the way he does in his photos. Continue reading
Hair today, gone tomorrow: the politics of reality TV makeovers
ANTM's Allison Harvard before and after her makeover
A woman’s hair is said to be her crowning glory, her beauty. For young women, hair is not only about beauty but individuality, style, and personality. But what happens when a woman is forced to drastically change her hair style with extreme color, hair extensions, or the ultimate “big chop”? Despite the real video girl anthem by India.Arie, many reality TV shows that offer to give a girl her dreams most often give makeovers as a way to “improve” and help define their contestants.
I love pop culture and must confess that every week my DVR is set up to record literally ten reality TV shows–they make good research material! And though each show is full of drama and has the same formula to advertise and sell products through the commercials or product placement, I’m always most interested in the makeover and transformation episode on shows like America’s Next Top Model and, most recently, BET’s Born to Dance. Rivaled only by the eliminations, the hair makeover transformations evoke real, powerful emotions from the contestants. Continue reading
“Slip into a size sassy” and other bad advice from Special K
According to Special K, this is the basis of your new life-changing diet regime. Ooh-la-la!
Some businesses relish in funny, clever, and creative advertising. They take pride in their wit and ability to connect with consumers, making them feel connected to and appreciated by the brand. In short, they have respect for the people they hope will come out and buy their products.
Using that reasoning, Kellogg’s may not fall into this category. If you’re unfamiliar with the company’s campaigns, they’ve developed the “Special K Challenge.” This restrictive diet masquerading as healthy behavior change suggests that in order to quickly lose weight – which they seem to think most women should and want to do – we just substitute two daily meals with a bowl of Special K cereal, a meal bar, or a protein drink.
Their latest commercial is particularly hypocritical, and unfortunately it isn’t available online. Kellogg’s has enthusiastically jumped on the gender bandwagon, telling us that women suffer through emotionally crippling trips to clothing stores, when the number on a pair of jeans somehow morphs into their very identity and worth as a human. Continue reading
Raising the bar on bouncing back after baby
Heidi Klum just five weeks after having her fourth child--for real.
As a mom to two small kids with limited time for my own fitness regime, very little gets my goat (and by that I mean pisses me off) more than gossipy reports on how fast today’s celeb mommies drop baby weight. Sure, a small part of it is jealousy. I’ll fess up right now to wishing I had a nutritionist, trainer, and live-in nanny to get me back on track. But the part that I find more troubling is the implication that new moms’ post-partum body transformations need to happen immediately and thoroughly, lest they risk becoming totally unworthy and forgettable.
The poster girl for this phenomenon is no doubt supermodel Heidi Klum, who (over the past decade) kicked things up a notch by walking the Victoria’s Secret runway eight weeks after giving birth to her third child and five weeks after giving birth to her fourth child. However, girlfriend is a total slacker compared to models Miranda Kerr (a.k.a. Mrs. Orlando Bloom), who returned to the runway barely two months after giving birth to her son Flynn, and Vogue regular Anna Freemantle, who strutted her stuff just nine days after delivering her second child. Continue reading
Australia takes action with the inaugural Positive Body Image Awards
Australia's Voluntary Industry Code of Conduct on Body Image
It took two years, but it’s finally here! The Australian Government will be rewarding media, fashion and advertising outlets that promote realistic and natural images, healthy weight models, and a diverse range of body shapes, sizes, and ethnicities.
Back in 2009, I wrote about the National Advisory Group on Body Image, a group that included media personalities and representatives from the industry such as Sarah Murdoch and Mia Freedman.
This group advised the adoption of an industry-wide Voluntary Code of Conduct, which included recommendations such as: “Use models that are clearly of a healthy weight” and “Use advertising that supports positive and healthy body image behaviour.” They recognized that adopting these voluntary actions could bring about long-term cultural change. Continue reading
The Tides are changing — aren’t they?
Cleaning product ads have an infamous rep in the feminist world for adhering to age-old gender stereotypes. Commercials featuring men doing laundry, the dishes, or cleaning house are few and far between. Commonly aimed at a middle-aged audience, these ads are disturbing – but when their sexist stereotypes directly reference young girls, their disturbing factor skyrockets.
This month’s culprit? Tide.
In this terrifyingly traditional commercial, a dainty mother expresses distaste at her daughter’s interest in “hoodies,” “cargo shorts,” and “car garages.” The mother bemoans the fact that, although her daughter’s clothes were washed with crayons, the stains were gone thanks to Tide.
Oh, the agony! God forbid a young girl expresses even the slightest interest in defying gender stereotypes.
I’m sure many of you have recognized the media attention this ad has been gaining in the past weeks – so why bring it up now? The truth is, the most horrifying aspect is not the ad itself, but how people are reacting to it. Continue reading
Fair or Not? The Snow White Complex
I love this documentary from filmmaker M. Hansa M. about how Eurocentric standards of beauty have become prominent across the globe, and how those beauty standards promote and exacerbate sexism and racism. In just eleven minutes, “Fair or Not?” addresses the many connections between racism, sexism, colonialism and exoticism, painting a clear and troubling picture of the issues facing all women, but especially women of color, in westernized cultures.
The film features young women who have found themselves at the center of racist, sexist expectations of beauty, and discusses how the media reinforces internalized racism and sexism, leading to low self-esteem. In one featured discussion, a young woman sums up her struggles as such: “‘Exotic’ means from a faraway place, somewhere unfamiliar. If we’re exotic to ourselves, then whose voices are we speaking from?”
This film is short, poignant, and incredibly important. Please do yourself a favor by watching and sharing.
–Melissa
A media juggling act
This kid is seriously connected, but what's he hearing and seeing?
When I read about media multi-tasking, or the act of using multiple screens at once, my mind jumped to a vision: a child watching the images of an advertisement on a muted television screen–“dial this number for weight loss supplements!”—while hearing a commercial between songs on Pandora—“stop by for our new double bacon Hawaiian burger”—while surfing the Internet on her smart phone and coming across the latest sex-driven Skyy Vodka ad.
In an age where the thought process among young people seems to be, “why just watch TV when I can also text my friends AND use my laptop?” this vision isn’t just likely, it’s potentially harmful. Continue reading
Pixar goes “girl power” with Brave
Almost a year before its release, we’re already hearing about Brave, Pixar’s lucky thirteenth animated film to be released on June 22, 2012. And — the big news — it’s their first to feature a female protagonist.
Set in the 10th century in the Scottish highlands, the film tells the story of a rebellious princess. Princess Merida is “a skilled archer and impetuous daughter of King Fergus and Queen Elinor. Determined to carve her own path in life, Merida defies an age-old custom sacred to the uproarious lords of the land.”
Some of the film’s concept art, along with a teaser trailer, has been released. These images and video reveal Merida’s fierce look, with wild curly red hair and piercing eyes. She wields a bow and arrow and looks very kick-ass.
Much has already been written about Pixar’s up-until-now absence of a true female lead. Not only have they failed to give female character to inherently genderless objects, like robots and cars, they have also twisted nature by assigning maleness to characters like bees and ants who would in real life be the female of the species. Their reputation regarding gender balance also hasn’t been helped by the replacement of Brenda Chapman (Pixar’s first female director) as director of Brave. She is now credited as co-director of the film. Continue reading