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
Egyptian women are protesters too
Who's to say the woman in this photo isn't a protester too?
By now, everyone on the Internet has heard of the protests in Egypt.
Powerful and moving images saturate the media, bringing us face to face with these brave women and men.
The New York Times offers this image on the left. The caption begins, “A protester consoled a woman during a demonstration.”
Okay, let’s break this down.
A protester? I see two.
A woman? Oh, now I get it, New York Times. The man is a protester. The woman is…a woman.
I seriously doubt that this woman found herself unexpectedly in the center of a protest, unless she was taking an extremely scenic route to her kitchen. Continue reading
Vogue Paris thinks it’s chic to sexualize young girls
Animal print: sexy at all ages! At least Vogue Paris thinks so.
Move over, Toddlers and Tiaras.
Vogue Paris has just upped the creepy, pedophilic ante with its recent fashion spread featuring dolled up models of oh…about six-years-old or so?
The only French words I know are for pastries, so the kind people at The Hairpin translated the spread’s title for me: “Cadeaux” means “presents” or “gifts.” Um, is this the sort of thing I can re-gift? Because I sort of want nothing to do with it. Continue reading
Love ya, “Glee”, but stay decent.
OK, so why did Rolling Stone find it so necessary to show Lea Michelle (Rachel)’s underwear and hint at the idea of Dianna Agron (Quinn) riding a bike’s handlebars sans panties? Oh, that’s right. It’s Rolling Stone, makers of the most sexist magazine covers I’ve ever seen. And we use women’s bodies to sell magazines. How could I have been so silly.
Vancouver 2010: Why do I see women Olympians in their swimsuits?
I cringe every year when Sports Illustrated releases its swimsuit edition—it’s page after page of half-naked women in a sports magazine that rarely features females otherwise. So, in early February, when this perennial athletic publication decided to include women winter Olympians in this particular edition, there was no lack of sexism. The women athletes, like all the other models, are photographed in overly sexualized positions and in skimpy swimsuits (even though they’re not swimmers).
Four American women in the 2010 Winter Olympics—snowboarders Claire Bidez and Hannah Teter and skiers Lindsey Vonn and Lacy Schnoor—appear in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition. In doing so, the women seem to be showing off their hot bods for a male audience that already values women’s sports less than men’s. These talented women have dozens of reasons to be admired, and none of them should have to do with their physiques in bikinis.
Check out these photos of Vonn, Bidez, and Schnoor and really think about what these images are saying about women athletes to a readership that is dominantly male.
Notice how the women’s sports equipment is secondary. Vonn is in bed, wrapped around her ski jacket—in a swimsuit. Bidez walks in the snow with her boots, snowboard and even goggles—in a swimsuit. With her skis strategically crossing in between her legs and donned in a bikini, Schnoor seems to be saying, “Yes, this is my body, which you can ogle. Oh, these skis? I use them for winning medals. But really, check out these legs!” What are these images telling male readers? And what are they telling young girls who look up to these Olympians? Continue reading
How do we draw the line between sexual exploitation and harmless presentation of children?
Do these American Apparel models convey similar messages despite their age difference?
When it comes to children, it can be very difficult to distinguish what is exploitative from what is innocent. If a certain pose signifies sexual provocation amongst adults, must that pose have the same meaning when created by a child? And how does this increasingly blurry territory affect how the judicial system defines child pornography? Continue reading
What is Real Beauty? Photographer Jodi Bieber shares her vision.
"Michele" by Jodi Bieber
What words have we been programmed to use when defining beauty? How about flawless, skinny, model, glamorous, celebrity, or perfection? How about painful? Well, I’m rebelling.
I have a word I would like to include my in my definition of beauty; that word is “real”. “Real” as in something we all possess. “Real” as in every woman in her own uniqueness. “Real” as in the stunning photographs by acclaimed South African photographer Jodi Bieber.