What is a woman? Even a seemingly straightforward question can have many potentially contentious answers!
- Someone who identifies as a woman
- A female
- A collection of stereotypes!
- It can be biological or cultural
- Being feminine
- A human!
- Something to do with having a uterus?
- XX chromosome array
- Long hair, breasts, makeup, high pitched voice…
- There is a difference between sex and gender
- Sex: is what you’re born as. Biological differences…
- Gender: what you become…
It’s complicated!
However, in woman magazine, the representation of women is clear, stereotypical, hegemonic, straightforward and simple!
Symbolic annihilation: where a representational group is completely missed out or omitted
What groups are completely omitted from Woman magazine?
- Queer women/LGBTQ+ women
- POC - people of colour
- Women with disabilities
- Very few older women
- Hegemonically non-attractive women
- Non-gender conforming women
- Larger women
- ‘Religious women’
bell hooks - ‘feminism is for everyone’!
- Feminism is a struggle to end patriarchal hegemony and the domination of women
- Feminism is not a lifestyle choice: it is a political commitment
- Race, class and gender all determine the extent to which individuals are exploited and oppressed
- Intersectional feminism
Feminist readings of Woman magazine: in what ways does the Extra Special On Men page offer audiences a complex series of identities?
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| The 'EXTRA SPECIAL ON MEN' feature adopts a playful and perhaps even subtly feminist mode of address, that lightly criticises patriarchal hegemonic values and even includes some mildly sexually fetishistic imagery! This is about as explicit as a mainstream mass market magazine could get in 1964 |
- “Man is creation’s masterpiece… but who says so? Man” - The lexis of this quote is rhetorical, and presents a cheeky and undermining mode of address, poking fun at men and the patriarchy
- “He'll buy most on Mondays after talking it over at the weekend with his wife” - The assumption that a man must consult with a woman to make the ‘right’ decision heavily infers that men are useless and incapable of making decisions
- The MES of the main image of the woman standing on the man’s head is striking and heavily connotative. The MES of the woman’s casual pose connotes her power and dominance over a male figure. She is wearing a fashionable and exciting midi dress, which reinforces her hegemonic femininity. Her expression is full of pride and her chin is raised, which anchors her sense of power and authority. Additionally, she is clearly extremely happy, which emphasises her pleasure in crushing this man’s head with her foot. She is not wearing shoes, which forms a binary opposition between power and vulnerability. Her lack of footwear connotes a gentle and feminine form of domination. There is a fetishistic aspect to this image, and for certain audiences, it may be sexually provocative. The male model has his legs crossed in a feminine manner, which forms a binary opposition with his suit. A number of binary oppositions are constructed, between male and female, suit and dress, upright and lying down, and dominant and submissive. The male model's facial expression is exaggerated and silly, which makes him seem even more ridiculous. The image may be deeply humorous to the target audience, and it may also be inspiring and aspirational. This subtle nod to feminism would appeal to a female target audience who are fed up with patriarchal power.
- Lexis - that’s where we differ! - The article explicitly points out, in a humorous way, the hierarchy that exists between men and women in society. It takes an informal and comedic mode of address, bringing light to the fact that there are differences that culturally exist between men and women, and it subtly challenges social stereotypes.
- Eye catching graphic in centre of page - “man is creations masterpiece - but who says so? Man!” A deliberate and direct attack on patriarchy and the hypocrisy of patriarchal hegemony. An ironic mode of address
- The MES the male model’s suit creates a binary opposition with the woman’s fashionable dress drawing attention to and challenging the difference between men and women. Her power is anchored through the MES of the female model standing on the head of the male model, forming a proairetic code of power and domination. Her arm is on her hip, a powerful and even masculine pose that makes intertextual reference to hunting photographs, with the man taking the submissive role of a captured animal. His submissive status is reinforced through his feminine pose, with the MES of his crossed legs, and his annoyed facial expression constructing a humorous mode of address. A highly ironic mode of address is constructed, challenging the respective statuses of men and women. Finally, the image has fetishistic connotations which may be an exciting mode of address for the adult female target audience.