Representation Flashcards
How does the Vogue cover featuring Sophia Loren reflect her status and Stuart Hall’s ideas on representation?
- Sophia Loren -
The Vogue cover featuring Sophia Loren, a famous actress in the 60s, uses a close-up to portray her as important, powerful, exotic, and a role model.
The exotic nature of her image may reflect Stuart Hall’s ideas about the use of Middle Eastern stereotypes, representing ethnic minorities as “other.”
Why was featuring a working female expert on finance in the 1960s significant, and how does it relate to second-wave feminism?
- Sheila Black -
Featuring a working female expert on finance, like Sheila Black from the Financial Times, was significant in the 1960s because it was unusual for women to have financial independence or power.
This reflects the influence of second-wave feminism, challenging the historical context where women were often financially controlled by their husbands. An article about women making investments and having financial power was groundbreaking for its time.
How might the representation of women’s financial power in Vogue relate to the socioeconomic status of its typical reader, and what does the inclusion of an article explaining financial terms suggest about women’s independence in the 1960s?
The representation of women as financially powerful in Vogue may reflect the class and wealth of its typical reader (AB socioeconomic groups).
However, the inclusion of an article explaining financial terms suggests that women, while gaining some independence in the 1960s, still relied on their husbands in many ways and were unable to keep finances secret, indicating ongoing challenges to complete autonomy.
How were women typically represented in Vogue during the 1960s, according to the provided information?
- Conventional Representations -
In other magazines during the 1960s, the representation of women on other pages diverged from the depiction of financial independence, portraying them through conventional lenses of domesticity or sexualization.
How does the Cutex advertisement in Vogue reflect societal attitudes towards women’s sexuality and femininity during the 1960s?
The Cutex advertisement in Vogue portrays a woman with bare shoulders, emphasizing nudity with phrases like “bare essentials” and “barely decent.”
The shade names also suggest nudity, implying that showing flesh and being sexualized is important for women. The rhetorical question “Are you woman enough to wear them?” suggests a link between femininity, nakedness, and sexual appeal.
This advertisement reflects and reinforces societal representations of women during the 1960s, where femininity was often equated with sexualization.
How does the Revlon advertisement in Vogue reinforce traditional gender roles regarding women’s appearance and attraction?
The Revlon advertisement in Vogue describes women as “alluring” and “beguiling,” suggesting that a woman’s role is to visually attract others.
This reinforces traditional gender roles where women are expected to prioritize their appearance and attractiveness to appeal to others.
How does the Imperial Leather advertisement in Vogue reinforce traditional gender stereotypes regarding women’s roles and characteristics?
The Imperial Leather advertisement in Vogue depicts a woman in a maternal and domestic role, with her body language and facial expression conveying emotions, care, and love.
By associating soap and soft skin with femininity, the ad implies that women should be soft and gentle, which may perpetuate the stereotype of women as delicate or weak.
How do the picnic articles and fashion pages in Vogue during the 1960s represent women, and what aspect of women’s empowerment do they fail to reflect?
- Historical Representation -
The picnic articles and fashion pages in Vogue often depict women as passive and nurturing, shown lounging around and holding children, conveying a romanticized image.
However, this portrayal fails to reflect the growing power of some women in the 1960s, such as feminists, who were actively advocating for social and political change.
Why might Vogue’s portrayal of women during the 1960s as passive and family-focused differ from the growing feminist movement, and what socioeconomic factors could contribute to this difference?
- Historical Representation -
Vogue’s portrayal of women during the 1960s as passive and family-focused may differ from the growing feminist movement because feminism was still considered new and alternative, while Vogue aimed at a mainstream market.
Additionally, socioeconomic factors such as wealth could contribute to this difference, as affluent women were under less financial pressure to work and often led lives centered around leisure and family.
How does the use of images of young women as mothers in magazines like Vogue during the 1960s reflect the historical context, and how does this differ from modern women’s magazines targeting a younger demographic?
Historical representation
The use of images of young women as mothers in magazines like Vogue during the 1960s reflects the historical context where women were expected to marry young and start families. In contrast, modern women’s magazines targeting a younger demographic often choose not to feature content about children, as many women today prioritize careers first and have children in their 30s or later.
How does the complex language and formal costume in Vogue articles, particularly in the picnic spread, reflect the magazine’s target audience, and what does it suggest about the portrayal of upper-class individuals?
- Class Representations -
The complex language and formal costume in Vogue articles, such as those in the picnic spread, cater to the middle-to-upper-class target audience, assuming an advanced lexicon.
These articles often reference lords, ladies, and famous artworks, representing an idealized upper-class “cultured” lifestyle. This portrayal serves as aspirational role models for readers who are either from the middle/upper classes or aspire to be.
How does Vogue’s portrayal of white models in expensive clothes and jewelry, along with the underrepresentation of darker ethnicities in makeup products, reflect the magazine’s stance on racial inclusivity during the 1960s?
Ethnicity Representations
Vogue’s portrayal of white models in expensive attire and jewelry signifies high status, while the underrepresentation of darker ethnicities in makeup products reflects a lack of inclusivity.
The magazine’s focus on lighter skin tones and the absence of products aimed at darker-skinned readers indicate the less inclusive nature of Britain in the 1960s, as reflected in Vogue’s pages.
How are black Egyptian men represented in the fashion pages of Vogue, and what does their portrayal suggest about societal attitudes towards race and class during the 1960s?
Black Egyptian men in the fashion pages of Vogue are depicted in marginalized roles, positioned in the background of shots and out of focus, often shown working or conducting deals. In contrast, white women are portrayed dancing and enjoying leisure time, implying a disparity in socioeconomic status.
This portrayal suggests societal attitudes during the 1960s where black men were often perceived as poorer and relegated to subordinate roles compared to white individuals.
How does the marginalization of ethnic minorities in Vogue contribute to a postcolonial perspective on ethnicity, and what does the portrayal of the white man in the image suggest about societal views of wealth and professionalism?
The marginalization of ethnic minorities in Vogue reinforces a postcolonial view of ethnicity, depicting them as “staff” or less important than white models. In contrast, the portrayal of the white man in a suit, tie, watch, and writing suggests wealth, status, and a Westernized notion of professionalism.
