I’ve written previously about the portrayal of women in the military — in particular, the U.S. Navy’s attempts to redefine femininity to make the Navy more appealing to women by assuring them they can be strong, smart, and still go shopping and stuff. In another example, a number of former female Israeli Defense Force soldiers posed for Maxim magazine back in 2007. The first line of the article:
They’re drop-dead gorgeous and can take apart an Uzi in seconds. Are the women of the Israeli Defense Forces the world’s sexiest soldiers?
I’m putting the images after the jump because they’re potentially not safe for some workplaces — the women aren’t nude, but they are quite scantily clad.
Lest you think this was simply a bunch of individual women who are no longer in the IDF choosing to pose, the Jewish Post reveals that “the strategy was in fact, a government sponsored push to evoke a sexier depiction of Israel to American males in New York.” While the above video was created to attract women to the IDF, the Israeli government conceived of the Maxim spread as a way to use IDF women to appeal to men:
David Saranga, Consul for Media and Public Affairs at the Israeli Consulate General in New York, explained that they were just seeking good demographics. “Israel’s image among New York men aged 18-38 is lacking.” Saranga figured the spread in the popular men’s magazine would offer “an image they’d find appealing.”
And apparently this series was an attempt to make Israel seem less masculinized:
“Israel is viewed as a very macho society. We want to show that we are a normal society like others,” said Saranga.
How depressing that showing pictures of nearly-naked women in an attempt to appeal to men is the essence of being “normal.”
It’s a good example of segmented marketing — presenting different audiences very different images of a product (in this case the IDF) that may even seem contradictory. In this case we have the IDF as a place for women to prove themselves and escape unwanted male attention…and the IDF as a source of hot chicks for men to ogle.
Gwen Sharp is an associate professor of sociology at Nevada State College. You can follow her on Twitter at @gwensharpnv.
Comments 29
Jess — July 30, 2010
I wonder if Yann Tiersen knows that his music is used to recruit soldiers in Israel.
(And if the IDF knows that he has an EP called "Palestine"...)
K — July 30, 2010
Nothing's sexier than a woman who looks like she's about to fall off a very tall building.
I think another reason for these ads is to soften the IDF's image, diluting its association with ethnic cleansing. (I'm a Jew and I don't hate Jews etc.)
Eneya — July 30, 2010
"We are completely normal. We objectify women the same way you do. Also, they may be military but this doesn't change that we see them firstly as hoooot babes, than as professionals, so we will talk about them as objects. Good we cleared that out."
I imagine the full intended message to the Americans sounded something like that.
Gomi — July 30, 2010
Another perspective of women in the Israeli Army, shot by a woman who used to be in the Israeli Army:
http://www.serialno3817131.com/
Granted, the photographer presumably chose her subjects purposefully, but these women are pretty and with long hair, similar to the Israeli video in the post.
But, unlike the video (and the Maxim shots), these aren't overly glamorized. Just young women doing their service. Except for the olive drab, they look little different from a lot of the women when I was in college. No more masculinized for the role of soldier than a bunch of UofC undergrads.
Anonymous — July 30, 2010
I'm struggling to understand this dichotomy female soldiers apparently *must* experience between being femenine or not. Been there, done that, identity as a woman nevertheless startlingly intact. I don't know about other armies, but in the IDF at least this isn't an alienated, individualized process - you're not a lone woman surrounded by men, you're not expected to behave as if you are, your commanders at all levels include women, and theres an awareness for 'girl' issues in the 'public' realm, from how to deal with a period in the field to anti sexual harrasment lectures.
holly — July 30, 2010
dang, I almost feel like enlisting. XD
Marianne — July 31, 2010
The Norwegian army did a similar thing in 2009.
Here is a picture of the ladies you can meet in the army. (NSFW: Topless/almost nude woman) http://www.vg.no/uploaded/image/bilderigg/2009/11/30/1259590126288_367.jpg
The picture is from this article in one of Norways largest newspapers: (Norwegian only, sorry about that) http://www.vg.no/nyheter/innenriks/artikkel.php?artid=577669
Here is a blogger talking about the campaign. In English! ;) http://www.kullin.net/2009/12/nude-photos-on-norwegian-army-social-network/
Norway also lets women serve in combat positions. I didn't know that some nations refused women to do that.
Dublin Graffiti _20b 15-02-05 - The Urban PhotoJournal — July 31, 2010
[...] Depicting Women in the Israeli Defense Force (Potentially NSFW … [...]
arielle — August 1, 2010
I'm half Israeli and I just came back from traveling in Israel and I just want to clear up some things you mentioned in the first paragraph of the article. First of all, this is not a recruitment video. In Israel, it is mandatory to join the army after you graduate from high school whether you're male or female (although women serve less time). It seems to be some sort of poorly done movie about women in the Israeli army because the youtube video title is "IDF Female Combat Soldiers - Part 1 - The Movie (English Version)".
Secondly, because everyone is required to join the army all sort of girls with all levels of feminine and masculine traits become soldiers. In Israel, most women have long hair, especially girls who are teenagers or young adults. Additionally, most of the girls I saw walking around in uniform had makeup on although I'm sure there are plenty who don't wear make-up too.
Last of all, I know that a pianist is obviously a feminine job while a combat soldier is a masculine one but you need to put the value of each of these jobs into perspective. Later in life when these girls go to college or apply for jobs people will want to know what they did in the army. Since becoming a combat soldier is a courageous and difficult position to have, it's more respected than the role of a musician which might seem lazy or even unpatriotic to some.
If I knew nothing about Israeli culture and the IDF's role in people's daily lives then I would have jumped to the same conclusions, but the cultural significance of becoming a soldier is much different there than it is in America.
Anonymous — August 2, 2010
This is true of the IDF's recruiting pages for foreigners too (I'm not sure on the exact details, but there are a couple of units that foreign Jews--and non-Jews--can take part in, such as that which Rahm Emanuel participated in). One of the pages, if I recall, has rotating pictures of male and female soldiers--the males ALWAYS in official combat mode, the women often casual, and always looking pretty.
Rev C — August 5, 2010
Haha, Spirited Away music.
The music, is it all credited at the end of the film?
It all seems much too dramatic.
someone — May 7, 2011
I'm sorry but people who are talking about "opportunities" for woman to serve in the army...do you realize you have no rights of your own as a soldier? You're not even considered a civilian. You basically do what the big men at the top do. Weren't women a hundred years ago fighting to be considered civilians? How is serving in the army an opportunity then? And yeah, I'm an Israeli jew too...