The cover just demonstrates our continued gloification of a beauty myth. Mary-Kate is suffering from an eating disorder and TeenVogue's advertisement on their cover is reminding us that the "waif" is still chic, continuing the perpetuation of a dangerous cycle in teen girls, among other things.
The #1 reason why I stopped reading "beauty" magazines...
If you look closely (the picture is a little blurry, so it's not obvious), his hand is mainly on her upper arm. She is half turned away from "front". Not that his arm isn't resting across her breast, but it's not an overt "tit grab" kind of situation. :) Speaking from experience, it can be a cozy kind of position, assuming it's someone you like. :) Although HE appears to be facing the camera a little more straight on... Kind of a strange pose; gotta wonder what the photog was thinking.
Interesting analysis about the approval/big strong arm connection. I wouldn't have analysed it that way. I would have gone the "of course she has to have a guy to hang on" route. ;) And the "look what making yourself over can get you!" route. 'Cause of course, no guy would want you the way you are. There's the big "ick"!
Of course, it is possible that we are overanalysing a magazine cover picture. The imagery is just so prevalent, though, esp. with the mags aimed at the younger women, that it can be hard to believe that there isn't some conscious thought behind it.
Regarding the title that seems to be the actual topic ;) I find the range of body types listed to be rather, uh, *narrow*. I know they have to go with who's hot now to "connect" with the teen girl demographic, but a wider choice would have been good. Not to mention that body _type_ is pretty much genetically determined, weight gain/loss and muscle toning not withstanding. I mean, I'll NEVER be Lucy Lawless! Not until they figure out how to make me grow half a foot! And lengthen my waist. ;) There's also just the general emphasis on beauty, and making over, and (not overt on this cover) attracting guys, and up to the second fashion that pervades these mags. That would be why I never read these things as a teenager, and only read the grown-up versions when I'm at my hair stylist. Hey, a little trash now and then isn't a horrible thing; it's a steady diet of it that can warp you.
Anyone ever notice how many guys (especially young high-school guys) will crook their inner elbow around THEIR GIRLFRIEND'S NECK and then sort of drag her around by the leverage?
Yesterday I was talking to my students (it is an intro level WS course) about representations of women in the media (particularly advertising)and I had them bring in some examples of how women are represented/objectified etc. One student actually brought in this very edition of TeenVogue because she thought the whole thing was awful. The specific article that Jessica refers to was quite fascinating as it showed different celebrities and had teenagers commenting on who they wanted to look like. The article was also trying to discuss these body image issue along racial lines. It pretty much was asking what is wrong with white girls, why are they so worried about being thin? The part that disturbed my class and I most was a quote by one particular young woman who said she wanted to look like Kate Bosworth becasue she desires to look "frail". This Teenager wants to not only be helpless, but she wants everyone to see her as being such. where could she be getting these ideas? TeenVogue was trying to uncover this mystery and somehow they forgot to look within the pages (or the cover) of their very own magazine.
To be fair to the photographer, it's hard to get a picture of two people embracing where both are facing the camera without having it look like one is draped all over the other.
Does this comment system allow me to post without linking by sending the actual .jpg file as an attachment or embedded in my post?
This freaked me out so bad, I wasn't even thinking of this thread, but was off doing some unrelated surfing, when I ran across a perfect shot of the inner-elbow neck grab in, of all placcements, the public wedding announcments! I'd prefer not to link and bring their personal info into the matter, but if there is a way post the image otherwise, it really is priceless.
Maybe it's not a male domination thing. Maybe the cover model has discovered that she can accessorize her look with the appropriate boy toy for the occasion. She probably calls this guy "Grey Sweater" and tells all her girl friends to "Just throw him over your shoulder like so.." I picture her tossing him out for "Navy Swimtrunks" when summer rolls around. He's more of a waist wrap to hide the love handles.
- But probably pretty easy not to crop off the heads.
I think that was a space saving thing for the blog here. The proportions are wrong for a magazine cover. =) But Amanda is right -- sometimes models have to get pretty contorted to get the right pose that will come across in the 2-d medium of print.
I'm curious about that picture you (Wilhemina) found, though! I hope you can figure out how to post it.
-- The part that disturbed my class and I most was a quote by one particular young woman who said she wanted to look like Kate Bosworth becasue she desires to look "frail". This Teenager wants to not only be helpless, but she wants everyone to see her as being such. where could she be getting these ideas?
Terese:
Did your class ever come up with any concrete ideas about why young women want to be seen as frail and helpless? (I would have loved to be in on that discussion! :) It is very easy to blame the media, and I think they have to share some of the blame, but what did they think was the root cause of it? Especially the "frail " part. Whenever I hear the word frail, I think invalid. As in, sick, although the other pronounciation of the word is interesting also.... I also think of the upper class feminine ideal of the mid/late 19th century which was pale and delicate, and decidedly NOT vigorous. Women actually took small doses of arsenic or white lead to get the fashionable pallor and delicacy. Ick! But there are so many parallels today.
So, what did your class come up with? :) I'm seriously missing those kinds of philosophic, deeply analytical discussions these days....
"I also think of the upper class feminine ideal of the mid/late 19th century which was pale and delicate, and decidedly NOT vigorous. Women actually took small doses of arsenic or white lead to get the fashionable pallor and delicacy. Ick! But there are so many parallels today."
Because I've read it about four billion times, :o I can't resist telling everyone to go to the library and get a copy of Bram Djikstra's *Idols of Perversity.* The "Cult of Invalidism" has more about the antecedents Laurie describes than you'd ever want to know. Still, it's fascinating, in a deranged sort of way. You might also be perversely cheered as you peruse the rest of the book to see just how much bad T&A there's always been in Western culture, it's just that back then there were gallery shows instead of lad rags. :/
How appalling!
The cover just demonstrates our continued gloification of a beauty myth. Mary-Kate is suffering from an eating disorder and TeenVogue's advertisement on their cover is reminding us that the "waif" is still chic, continuing the perpetuation of a dangerous cycle in teen girls, among other things.
The #1 reason why I stopped reading "beauty" magazines...
Here, have an antidote to that stuff:
http://teenvoices.com/
Something seemed to be wrong with that link:
teenvoices.com
What about the arm wrap ?
I thought the arm wrap and hand on the breast was what Jessica was commenting on. Ugh.
I thought it was the "body you want" text she was referencing. Like approval is the big strong arm thing was my peeve.
My opinion:
If you look closely (the picture is a little blurry, so it's not obvious), his hand is mainly on her upper arm. She is half turned away from "front". Not that his arm isn't resting across her breast, but it's not an overt "tit grab" kind of situation. :) Speaking from experience, it can be a cozy kind of position, assuming it's someone you like. :) Although HE appears to be facing the camera a little more straight on... Kind of a strange pose; gotta wonder what the photog was thinking.
Interesting analysis about the approval/big strong arm connection. I wouldn't have analysed it that way. I would have gone the "of course she has to have a guy to hang on" route. ;) And the "look what making yourself over can get you!" route. 'Cause of course, no guy would want you the way you are. There's the big "ick"!
Of course, it is possible that we are overanalysing a magazine cover picture. The imagery is just so prevalent, though, esp. with the mags aimed at the younger women, that it can be hard to believe that there isn't some conscious thought behind it.
Regarding the title that seems to be the actual topic ;) I find the range of body types listed to be rather, uh, *narrow*. I know they have to go with who's hot now to "connect" with the teen girl demographic, but a wider choice would have been good. Not to mention that body _type_ is pretty much genetically determined, weight gain/loss and muscle toning not withstanding. I mean, I'll NEVER be Lucy Lawless! Not until they figure out how to make me grow half a foot! And lengthen my waist. ;) There's also just the general emphasis on beauty, and making over, and (not overt on this cover) attracting guys, and up to the second fashion that pervades these mags. That would be why I never read these things as a teenager, and only read the grown-up versions when I'm at my hair stylist. Hey, a little trash now and then isn't a horrible thing; it's a steady diet of it that can warp you.
Anyone ever notice how many guys (especially young high-school guys) will crook their inner elbow around THEIR GIRLFRIEND'S NECK and then sort of drag her around by the leverage?
YES!! Hate that! Or the related but subtly even-more-icky *hand* on the back of the neck. Eeeew....
I personally would have taken the guy's hand off at the elbow, even in high school. Bleah! Talk about controlling postures!
Yesterday I was talking to my students (it is an intro level WS course) about representations of women in the media (particularly advertising)and I had them bring in some examples of how women are represented/objectified etc. One student actually brought in this very edition of TeenVogue because she thought the whole thing was awful. The specific article that Jessica refers to was quite fascinating as it showed different celebrities and had teenagers commenting on who they wanted to look like. The article was also trying to discuss these body image issue along racial lines. It pretty much was asking what is wrong with white girls, why are they so worried about being thin? The part that disturbed my class and I most was a quote by one particular young woman who said she wanted to look like Kate Bosworth becasue she desires to look "frail". This Teenager wants to not only be helpless, but she wants everyone to see her as being such. where could she be getting these ideas? TeenVogue was trying to uncover this mystery and somehow they forgot to look within the pages (or the cover) of their very own magazine.
To be fair to the photographer, it's hard to get a picture of two people embracing where both are facing the camera without having it look like one is draped all over the other.
But probably pretty easy not to crop off the heads.
Yes Laurie, the hand on the neck too. What the hell? Makes my shoulders tense up to my ears just thinking about it.
Does this comment system allow me to post without linking by sending the actual .jpg file as an attachment or embedded in my post?
This freaked me out so bad, I wasn't even thinking of this thread, but was off doing some unrelated surfing, when I ran across a perfect shot of the inner-elbow neck grab in, of all placcements, the public wedding announcments! I'd prefer not to link and bring their personal info into the matter, but if there is a way post the image otherwise, it really is priceless.
Maybe it's not a male domination thing. Maybe the cover model has discovered that she can accessorize her look with the appropriate boy toy for the occasion. She probably calls this guy "Grey Sweater" and tells all her girl friends to "Just throw him over your shoulder like so.." I picture her tossing him out for "Navy Swimtrunks" when summer rolls around. He's more of a waist wrap to hide the love handles.
- But probably pretty easy not to crop off the heads.
I think that was a space saving thing for the blog here. The proportions are wrong for a magazine cover. =) But Amanda is right -- sometimes models have to get pretty contorted to get the right pose that will come across in the 2-d medium of print.
I'm curious about that picture you (Wilhemina) found, though! I hope you can figure out how to post it.
Here, I'll try it and see what happens:
-- The part that disturbed my class and I most was a quote by one particular young woman who said she wanted to look like Kate Bosworth becasue she desires to look "frail". This Teenager wants to not only be helpless, but she wants everyone to see her as being such. where could she be getting these ideas?
Terese:
Did your class ever come up with any concrete ideas about why young women want to be seen as frail and helpless? (I would have loved to be in on that discussion! :) It is very easy to blame the media, and I think they have to share some of the blame, but what did they think was the root cause of it? Especially the "frail " part. Whenever I hear the word frail, I think invalid. As in, sick, although the other pronounciation of the word is interesting also.... I also think of the upper class feminine ideal of the mid/late 19th century which was pale and delicate, and decidedly NOT vigorous. Women actually took small doses of arsenic or white lead to get the fashionable pallor and delicacy. Ick! But there are so many parallels today.
So, what did your class come up with? :) I'm seriously missing those kinds of philosophic, deeply analytical discussions these days....
Laurie writes:
"I also think of the upper class feminine ideal of the mid/late 19th century which was pale and delicate, and decidedly NOT vigorous. Women actually took small doses of arsenic or white lead to get the fashionable pallor and delicacy. Ick! But there are so many parallels today."
Because I've read it about four billion times, :o I can't resist telling everyone to go to the library and get a copy of Bram Djikstra's *Idols of Perversity.* The "Cult of Invalidism" has more about the antecedents Laurie describes than you'd ever want to know. Still, it's fascinating, in a deranged sort of way. You might also be perversely cheered as you peruse the rest of the book to see just how much bad T&A there's always been in Western culture, it's just that back then there were gallery shows instead of lad rags. :/