Thursday, May 21, 2009

Victoria has a new secret: You can be too sexy.


In the media there are many conflicting messages presented by images in magazines, on television, or in advertising. One of the points made by Jean Kilbourne is how media images tell the audience to “be sexy, but not too sexy.” On a dating and relationship advice website, one reader asks, “I want to know how to be sexy for my man, but I don’t want to be a slut.” (http://www.dating-relationship-advice-for-women.com/be-sexy.html). Where exactly is the line between sexy and slutty? Media images presented by magazines and tabloids depict conflicting views of what is sexy and what is too sexy.


Laurie Ouellette says, “Commercial women’s magazines offer a temporary ‘window to a future self’ rooted in male visions of idealized femininity and consumer solutions.” (121). Most women’s magazines, including Cosmopolitan, Glamour, and Seventeen offer women advice on “how to be sexy.” They run articles such as “be sexy for your man,” and feature dozens of photos of models in sexy outfits and makeup, which readers may see as the ideal version of themselves. They see these visions of “sexy” which the magazine suggests readers to try to look like to better themselves. Magazines like GQ put female celebrities in minimal clothing on their cover because it appeals to the male reader, but females may also see this as something they should strive to achieve or be like. Additionally, the Victoria’s Secret Angels may be models that walk around in sexy lingerie to sell products, but they are portrayed in the spotlight as role models and are icons for many women.


However, as women’s magazines list ways to be sexy and sexual images are used to sell and catch the eye of women who want to be sexy, there are also instances in which someone can be “too sexy.” Anastasia Higginbotham refers to teen magazines as “A series of catch-22s—ugliness is next to nothing, yet [a girl] who is too sexy is also in trouble.” (94). There are many controversies in which an advertisement is too explicit, a young teen celebrity’s photos are too racy, or a children’s doll is too sexy. Several of the photographs in this collage show examples of images people have said were “too sexy” or may be interpreted in that way. Miley Cyrus is an icon for young teen girls, but she was photographed wearing only a sheet, by a professional photographer for Vanity Fair magazine, which sparked much controversy over whether these photographs were appropriate or not. In another example, the new “Dora the Explorer” doll features a more feminine silhouette, a little short dress, and long flowing hair, which many parents perceived as too sexy. One article pokes fun at the situation comparing this new “Dora the Explorer” doll to the popular Bratz dolls. Jennifer Armstrong says, “And here's to hoping she stays away from those tarty Bratz dolls -- you know that's really what had all these moms so jumpy.” The Bratz dolls are very controversial because of their sexy outfits, lots of makeup, and appeal to young girls. To refer back to Victoria’s Secret, the company has used sexy advertisements to sell their lingerie, however even the CEO of this company admitted to their advertisements becoming “too sexy”. After sales declined in 2007, Victoria’s Secret toned down these advertisements to turn back to their traditional portrayal of sexy advertising.


Works Cited

Higginbotham, Anastasia. " Teen Mags: How to Get a Guy, Drop 20 Pounds, and Lose Your Self-Esteem." Learning Gender: 93-96.

Ouellette, Laurie. "Gender, Race and Class in Media." Inventing the Cosmo Girl: Class Identity and Girl-Style American Dreams. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, 2003. 116-128.

Armstrong, Jennifer. “Is the new 'Dora the Explorer' doll too sexy?” http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/shepop/index.html

http://www.dating-relationship-advice-for-women.com/be-sexy.html



Collage Photos:

Bratz
http://www.milkywayandthegalaxygirls.com/solarsisterhoodblog/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/bratz.jpg

Miley
http://image.thehothits.com/300x400/Miley_Cyrus_vanity_fair_photshoot_300x400_290408.jpg

Cosmo
http://www.fadedyouthblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/scarlett-cosmo.jpg

Victoria's Secret
http://www.marieclaire.com/cm/marieclaire/images/victorias%20secret.jpg

So Sexy So Soon
http://www.womanspace.org/images/so_sexy_large.jpg

GQ
http://lh6.ggpht.com/fisherwy/SM_Sb54XkDI/AAAAAAAAPqA/C1GlDjDm2eY/Megan%20Fox%20GQ%20October%202008%20Photos%5B4%5D.jpg

Dora
http://bellaandmax.typepad.com/.a/6a00e008d73213883401116906a701970c-320wi

Vanity Fair
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-09/09/xin_130902090917410172132.jpg

Angels
http://www.ruggedelegantliving.com/a/images/VS.Fashion.05.Angels.jpg

Self
http://thedishingdiva.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/vanessa-hudgens-self-magazine-may-2009.jpg

2 comments:

  1. Nice job Jess!

    The argument, images, and quotes all work well together to make the argument that women are told to be sexy, but not to cross an unspoken, never clearly defined line (albeit a line that's policed by societal norms and expectations) onto the realm of "the slut."

    Great work!
    :o)
    Jessie

    ReplyDelete
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