Hitchcock's face is repeated 4 times in a row, which resembles a roll of film. The M$ES of this film roll functions as a referential code, and reinforces Hitchcock's involvement in Hollywood. Furthermore, the repetition of his face functions as a symbolic code, suggesting his importance. His influence on society is therefore clearly cultivated and anchored through the MES of his suit.
However, Hitchcock was clearly not hegemonically attractive, which itself is reinforced through the repetition. The representation of this hegemonically unattractive man as influential and important stands in stark contrast to the representation of Grace Kelly.
The portrait/glamour shot of Grace Kelly serves the sole purpose of representing her as significantly hegemonically attractive. This stark binary opposition constructs a clear ideology of society in the 1960s, that women were expected to be beautiful to be seen as valuable, while men simply had to be well known or simply talented
Grace Kelly stares directly at the audience in a direct address, and ultimately suggests dominance. Leaning forward assertively, suggests she is controlling the conversation. Her dark lipstick is symbolic of power and sexuality, and her slightly parted lips construct a sensual mode of address. She is not smiling, and in fact, her facial expression is annoyed, which suggests a complex representation. Her makeup accentuates her sleepy eyes, which is connotative of her hard work and demanding lifestyle.
Kelly stares directly at the working class, heterosexual British target audience. She functions as a aspirational role model to the target audience and reinforces the ideology that in order to be important and powerful as a woman, one must be sexually attractive
The four images of Hitchcock appear in a film strip like motif that symbolically suggests that he is important enough to photograph.
However, Hitchcock is not hegemonically attractive, yet warrants a full five pictures of him in the double page spread. Here, Hitchcock is noted for his importance and his accomplishments. However, Grace Kelly's inclusion as the main image focuses instead on her hegemonic attractiveness. This reflects normative hegemonic values that existed around gender in the 1960s: they are a binary opposition, and serve completely different functions.
The film strip of Hitchcock suggests that he is animated and active, which is anchored through the gesture of pointing his finger, a symbol of assertiveness and aggression. However, Kelly’s function is to passively sit still, and be looked at. John Berger argued that men act and women appear, and this hegemonic stereotype is clearly reinforced here.
The MES of the suit connotes Hitchcock’s sophistication and intellectualism, and suggests that his words are important. However, Kelly’s costume is revealing and invites the male gaze, a form of glamorous sexualisation.
Kelly’s makeup connotes glamour and sensuality, and anchors an idealistic representation of women. The dark heavy lidded eyeshadow and lipstick connote sexuality and seduction. It is sophisticated and more difficult to pull off. She stares at the target audience with a direct and sexualised mode of address, the fourth wall break here connoting and anchoring seduction. Her pouting, slightly parted lips parted lips proairetically encoding a romantic encounter. Yet her facial expression is serious and slightly annoyed
The middle aged, white, working class and straight audience will aspire to this unattainable beauty standard. It also reinforces the hegemonic ideology that in order to be successful, women must be attractive, and a subtle sense of sexuality and attainability
.JPG)
Exploring how gender is encoded in the lexis of the Alfred Hitchcock interview
“To me, they’re the most unobtrusively seductive creatures in the world” - Here, Hitchcock refers to English women. The lexis here is highly leading, and highly sexist. The use of the term ‘seductive’ is a classic example of objectification, and suggests that all English women are actively trying to seduce men. This blatant stereotype is softened through the lexis “unobtrusive, that suggests that this sexuality does not stick out and is not easily noticeable. This reinforces the patriarchal hegemonic ideology that women should be both innocent and also sexually active. This binary opposition is a classic example of the Madonna/whore complex. This is the idea that heterosexual men obsess over a virgin (the virgin Mary) who is also sexually promiscuous (the whore). This leads to unrealistic expectations from men. Finally, the lexis ‘creatures’ is deeply dehumanising and wildly sexist. This suggests that this sort of dehumanising was more socially acceptable in the 190s.
“I can look at women objectively without emotions cluttering up the view” - A clear voyeuristic mode of address is constructed here, yet Hitchcock professes his objectivity, suggesting a lack of emotion. His role as director also includes casting, and this process clearly involves an element of voyeurism. It also reinforces his power: his role as a patriarchal benefactor who is able to give poor women a start at their career.
“I’ve come to these conclusions after years of selecting, grooming and directing some of the most beautiful actresses in the world” - This use of exaggerated, hyperbolic language flattered the audience and more importantly reinforces his patriarchal ideological perspective. It reinforces the ideology that in order to be successful, women must be hegemonically attractive. The candid images of hegemonically attractive women surrounding Hitchcock here anchor this sexist ideology. The word grooming is particularly problematic here. This word has extremely negative connotations, and suggests that the appearance and personality of his stars is Hitchcock’s responsibility. This hints at highly controlling and even abusive behaviour. Yet it also infers that the women who submit to Hitchcock's demands will gain money and fame
"Personally, I find this far more intriguing than the Latin brand of sex appeal that puts everything in the shop window" This broad reference to Spanish and Hispanic women constructs a deeply sexist ideological perspective that they are far too sexually promiscuous. Not simply sexist, but also deeply xenophobic, this constructs a world where we can judge and rank countries based on the ‘quality’ of their women.
"they're like snow capped volcanoes" Referring to British women as ‘they’ is a classic example of othering. It reinforces to the target female audience that they are different from men, the most powerful group in society. The imagery of snow has connotations of racial purity but also of innocence, i.e. of virginity. Yet underneath the snow cap is hot lava, connotative of sex, passion and promiscuity.
“selecting , grooming and directing” - the use of lexis here is telling. The three verbs here not only reduce women into Hitchcock’s ideology that the perfect woman is submissive, it also constructs Hitchcock as the active figure within his relationship. The word grooming is particularly problematic, suggesting the upkeep of animals. This likens the female actors he comes into contact with as dogs, animals, actively dehumanising his actors. It also has connotations of sexual manipulation
“They’re the most undoubtedly seductive creatures in the world” (British women) - Once more the lexis creatures dehumanises all British women. It furthermore sexualises them., and constructs a stereotypical representation. It also suggests that British women are seductive, as in actively seducing Hitchcock/ This suggests that Hitchcock believes that British women wish to seduce him in particular, and also infers their consent.
“Perhaps its because I am such a happily married man that I can look at women objectively” - constructs a voyeuristic intent from Hitchcock and reinforces the dominant ideological perspective that the sole function of women is to be looked at, by heterosexual men. Hitchcock’s reference to his marriage however is an attempt to retain respectability, which is further anchored through the MS image of Hitchcock’s wife, an older woman who is not sexualised in any way.
“That potent kind of sex appeal certainly isn’t the private property of the stars” - suggestion that sex appeal and sexual activity for women should not be private, but should be shared. Additionally, the target audience are middle aged, working class British women, boosting the ego of the target audience
“They’re like snow capped volcanoes” - a simile, a direct comparison, and once more a comparison with a nonhuman object. It constructs an oxymoronic image of snow and fire. It suggests that on the surface, British women appear pure and innocent, they are snow capped. However under the surface, they are promiscuous and fiery. This quote has been selected as a pull quote as it is scandalous, and audiences will take pleasure in the scandalous. Hitchcock was known for his shock factor, and it could be another example of him shocking his audience. However, the article uses poetic language to provide a more poetic mode of address, as he constructs himself as a wise and even attractive man for the target female audience.
“Nottingham has an industry of pretty flirty girls” - positions Hitchcock as the boss, and women as the potential candidates, all demonstrating their suitability by being flirtatious and being willing to sleep with
"Naturally I chose an English girl for a wife..." - a creepy and diminutive mode of address, referring to a grown woman as a girl here suggests that she is naive and uneducated
“Any man who hasn’t been caught off guard by an English girl’s sudden revelation of seductive depths doesn’t know what he’s missing” - a boastful and bragging mode of address here. This is in stark contrast to his purported happy marriage
By reinforcing a patriarchal hegemonic viewpoint, Woman magazine essentially acts as a system of control. It normalises predatory patriarchal ideologies, and reinforces the ideology that in order to be successful, women must submit to men.
How are themes of sadistic voyeurism encoded in the shower scene of Psycho?
- A focus on the body of Marion in the shower. We are forced to fixate on the nude body through a montage of CU and MSs of her nude body, which serves to sexualise her for the audience
- Her nudity connotes vulnerability
- Her murder is constructed as slow, panful and brutal, and constructs a sense of desperation, pain and victimisation
- The combination of sexualisation and brutal sadistic murder constructs a highly upsetting and shocking preferred reading
- The encroaching shadow behind the shower curtain symbolises a voyeuristic invasion
- The montage constructs the model’s naked body and invites the audience to sexualise and to stare at her naked body
- The rapid fire editing confronts us with blood, a CU of the knife, her facial expression, and jarring jump cuts, all of which construct a chaotic and terrifying perspective
- At the state of absolute vulnerability and voyeurism, Marion is brutally murdered
- A conflation of voyeurism, vulnerability, sadism and brutality
- Audiences would be well aware of the violent and psychosexual content of Hitchcock’s films. And yet the interview completely avoids all aspects of this. Why?