These two images were part of the campaign to raise awareness about breast cancer at my college this year. I think it is fascinating that, even when spreading a message about women’s health, the images include sexualization and objectification (on the right) and a woman posed to look insecure, vulnerable, and maybe slightly scared (on the left).
While tampons have been around since the 19th century (see the Museum of Menstruation for more history), they really took off in the U.S. in the 1940s. One of the reasons for this was a targeted campaign by Tampax that took advantage of women’s new labor participation during WWII. These newspaper ads from that time period show the ways tampons were marketed to women who were not only working, but wearing pants on the job.
These ads would make for a great class discussion on gender and the homefront during war (not to mention a discussion of women’s work and bodies)– particularly on how gender relations and practices can change (temporarily or permanently) during wartime.
I found these at the amazing database of old ads that Gwen posted about. Thanks again for the link Martin W.!
This image is from a New York Times article on how different ways of measuring graduation rates produce very different results and turn out to be, no surprise, political.
The article discusses some of the varying measures and it, along with the image, could make for a great example in a Methods or Statistics class.
I posted this first image back in October. This ad is disturbing because you can’t really tell if it’s consensual or an attack. And the perfume is called “Unforgivable.”
One of my students recently pointed out the ad for Unforgivable for Men:
Could provide a really interesting discussion of differing images of masculine and feminine sexuality and power. Thanks, Laisa P.!
NEW: Here’s an ad for Isaia Napoli clothing that is very similar:
Thanks, Laura L.!
Gwen Sharp is an associate professor of sociology at Nevada State College. You can follow her on Twitter at @gwensharpnv.
Kimberlee M. sent us these stills from a Winsor Pilates video and an explanation. She writes:
The Winsor Pilates series is something you might be familiar with since it is advertised on TV and is endorsed by many celebs. I recently bought a bunch of second hand Winsor Pilates DVDs and found that one particular DVD was incredibly racist.
Though Mari Winsor uses mainly white fitness models (and I have seen 8 of her dvds), in her dance fat burning workout, suddenly she has several black models in the foreground dancing with her. And the music? Some live drumming which is being played by black people.
A few particularly offensive moments:
At 29:55 minutes Mari Winsor exclaims “shake that booty” just before the scene fast cuts to a shot of the black woman’s behind:
Around 33 minutes Mari says to the drummers, “Boys, my loves, ya mon! Cool it down for me, you gonna cool it down for me? Let’s go back to the island mon!” One can hardly ignore the dramatic change in her ennunciation and diction when she talks to them, (gonna, mon etc) and her patronising, “boys, my loves”.
What is worse, not representing black people? Or only representing them in stereotypical demeaning roles?
…this workout dvd is CURRENT and is for sale on the front page of their website.
You might pair this post with these images that fetishize Black women’s behinds.
An ad for a bar at the Monte Carlo casino in Las Vegas. I found it in Las Vegas Living.
I just found this ad for a bowling alley in Las Vegas Weekly.
NEW! Here’s another ad that uses the idea of “scoring” to refer to sex:
One of the frames for Obama and his candidacy that Wendy’s post didn’t cover involved the extent to which he does whiteness (and the degree to which we approve). This t-shirt, available on CafePress, riffs on his whiteness and the common compliment/insult about black people’s ability to be articulate:
Thanks to Jenny S. for sending along this image!
Truthfully, I don’t think I have ever seen so many symbols of masculinity mobilized in so short a time. I had to watch it three times:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Anl_7Q05C8c[/youtube]
Thanks a bunch to Christine who recommended this in our comments.
