Naomi Wolf. "The Beauty Myth"

     Women have always done things like change the way that they dress, and wear makeup to make themselves look beautiful. But, now women have a much stronger emphasis on making their bodies perfect and becoming the epitome of beauty. Naomi Wolf explains how with new rights that women have gained over the years, focus has gone from becoming a stronger more empowered woman to becoming a more beautiful woman. But what is the definition of beauty?

     One company that has always been characterized by beautiful woman is Victoria Secret. In the ad above we see a woman with what has been come to be known as the "Perfect Body," wearing Victoria Secret. This in itself created two beauty myths, one is the clothes you have to wear to be beautiful and the other is what your body has to look like to do the same.
       Anyone who knows a woman knows that clothes are very important to her. This has become more important as of late because of all this new advertising that has come for clothing that is supposed to make a woman look sexy and attractive to men. Due to all this advertising women see this clothing as what they have to have to be attractive and it causes them to go and purchase more of it.
     The myth of the "Perfect Body," has caused much more change in woman than any other myth. In today's society it is possible to see many women who will go to extremes to make their bodies exactly how they think it should be. Where do these images of the "Perfect Body" come from? They originate from commercials or advertisements like these that are shaping our image of what a woman should look like. The things that woman do to get these bodies are sometimes not very docile at all and are actually very detrimental. Eating disorders have sprung up a lot because of women who are trying to lose wait very fast. Not eating at all, or making yourself vomit after eating has been very common as of late. This is happening because some women think that if they don't look like these models that they are just plain ugly. This is not true, but it is just how the world is shaping up to be.
      Another image in this ad that woman might try to copy to become beautiful is the models hair. Long flowing hair seems to be a staple of woman in the modeling business, as you very rarely see models with short hair or even no hair. This means that a lot of woman will grow out their hair and style it to try and be like the models they see in ads. Again, the reason they do this is because the image models portray shapes our thinking into seeing that as what true beauty is. In reality, while the model may be naturally beautiful, she has also put on a lot of makeup, and hours have been spent preparing her for this photo shoot.
     Another thing that the ad is trying to portray as beauty is breast size. If you read the text on the ad it says "it still adds 2 cup sizes." This obviously shows that making your breasts appear larger would be very important to a woman. Why would this be so? Again, these ads make it seems like if you do not have large breasts that you are not a beautiful woman. To make yourself appear that you have larger breasts, they make a bra that adds cup sizes and make it appear so. This is just another aspect of the beauty myth that woman are trying to attain. There is no one standard in the world for what makes the perfect breast size, and in all honesty ever woman would be perfect in her own way. However, due to all this advertising that makes it seem as if there is only one perfect answer, women go out of their way to change themselves into becoming one of these models, who in today's society embody beauty.
     It would be very hard to find one woman that would not be flattered if you called them a model. This is exactly why many woman try to reshape themselves into looking as close to a model as possible. However this image that Victoria Secret and many other companies have made is changing women for no reason. The women in this world are beautiful as they are, but because of the images we see that is suddenly not good enough for themselves.

Timbaland- Carry Out ft. Justin Timberlake

     The Carry Out video by Timbaland depicts, though images of social identity, the myth of the wealthy artist in America.The video consists of Timbaland and Justin Timberlake dancing around a drive in singing the song. While this is happening they are surrounded by many images of seductively clothed women dancing.

       The image of gender is played with multiple times throughout the video. All the women in the video have very little clothing on them, and the clothing they do have on is very seductive. The women's clothes show a lot of skin which is very feminine. Also they way that they are dancing in the video is in a direct attempt to get the attention of the men in this video. This means they are dancing in a seductive manner, and in a manner that you would never see a man dance. The type of dancing further feminizes the women. In the video the women interacting with Timbaland and Justin Timberlake are skating around them serving them while they are in a car. This enhances the idea that these women are very feminine because serving the men in the car is like the maternal characteristics of a mother.
       Later on in the video we change settings into an empty room. The two men are now wearing suits while the women are wearing maid outfits. The clothing of the people in the video helps to portray a sense of class within the video. Suits are often worn by the wealthy and this is why wearing the suits in the video shows off their wealth. However, in the case of Justin Timberlake he is wearing a white suit, which gives off the same sense of high class wealth, while adding in a classier feel to his dress. The women dressed as maids further feminizes themselves but also helps to add to the idea of these men being very welathy. A rich artist in America should live a life of luxury having all the women they want and being served their every whim by others. This is the exact idea that is being portrayed by this video. The thought that very attractive women in seductive outfits would be serving you is how the American Artist would love to be seen. This is later compounded even more when the video switches to a new setting. The women are now dressed in maid outfits and are all over the men. This is a clear attempt at showing the women as less than the men and as subservient to them.

      Having so many women in the video dressed in such outfits also gives off a great sense of sexuality. This video is clearly playing with heterosexuality by putting all these women around Timbaland and Justin Timberlake. It is also clear when looking at how they look at the women that they are admiring them and want the women. The lyrics of the song say a lot about sexuality too. One lyrics "ima touch you in all the right areas," is clearly a sexual line portraying the idea of one of the men with these women. The overall image of the video is hetereosexual because of the fact the it is just these men surrounded by women. There is no other interaction with other men anywhere throughout the video.
      Throughout all this video Timbaland is represented as the wealth American artist. However, despite all this he is still able to keep the persona of a rapper throughout the video. He does this by way he dresses. An extreme example is when he is wearing a suit. Even though he has a suit on he is still wearing a casual button down shirt and has a chain on. In the beginning of the video he and Justin have this kind of look on by the way they dress. They are both wearing leather jackets, and Justin is still the one wearing the white of the two. They are wearing jeans, which is the standard as to what a rapper would wear. Also the hat that Timbaland wears says a lot about him. It is a flat brimmed hat which is what you would see any rapper wearing.
      In conclusion, this video shows Justin Timberlake and Timbaland in a manner where they are waited on hand and foot by attractive women in seductive outfits. All of this is in an attempt to portray them as the wealthy American artists of today.

Cultural Artifacts and Racial Identity

    Throughout the world today we have so many different cultural artifacts and many of them constitute stereotypes of racial identity. Many of these tv shows used racial stereotypes as a means of creating comedy, which did work to some degree, but it also offended those who the racial stereotype was playing off of.
     One tv show that commonly does this is SNL or Saturday Night Live.

     When watching this show we will commonly see a black person stereotyped by how he/she is dressed and how they are acting. This can be seen in SNL's skit called scared straight. In the skit a black man is talking to people and intimidating them. This plays off of a common black stereotype that they would be aggressive and intimidating. He is also wearing a du rag which is something that could be commonly seen worn by black or also many times associated with people who are in gangs. Either way you look at it, the du rag is definitely being warn to try and portray an image of toughness that would not be there had he not been wearing it.

     Friends is another show that can be seen as racist but for an entirely different reason. If you look at the cast of the show, or just watch the show you will notice one thing, there isnt a black person. Now was this there for a reason or is that just how the casting went? A little known fact about the show is what the original theme song was drafted up to say. "Your job's a joke, you're broke, but you're white so it's okaaaay!" A clearly racist theme song and its not hard to notice why the song was changed for the show. So obviously the show was meant to be all white but for what reason? Well, when watching the show you see many images of wealth, whether it be fancy cars, or nice clothing. All these images would play off of stereotypes for white people. A stereotype would be that white people own nice things and that other races do not. So in a way this show was being racist for not including any black people because the show has other signs of wealth which would not be stereotypical of a black person.

    Glee at first glance would seem to be the opposite of a racist show. With such a diverse cast it is obvious that they are trying to make the show appeal to all races and reduce the belief of all the standard stereotypes. However if you really look at the show you will notice is just as racist as many other shows. By paying attention to who the more successful people in the show are you would notice that they are commonly the white people. When looking at the other races you would notice how common stereotypes are played out in this thought to be progressive show. There are two asians in the show and the show stereotypes them by giving them a geeky persona. This is the common stereotype for asians that they are smart and are always using electronics. Also the black girl in the show has a very sassy attitude. This attitude plays along with the common black stereotype of being aggressive. She is always very easy to snap back at other people if they disagree with her.

     One of the biggest offenders of the racial stereotypes would have to be the show south park. You cannot go one or two episodes without hearing something blatantly racist and many times it is coming out of the mouths of children. The black people in the show clearly act based on the black stereotypes that they are given and it is common for racial slurs to be heard  Along with many different slurs in one episode the n word was uttered 42 times in one episode. Some may say it is bring light to the negative connotation of the word, but many others cannot get over the fact that that word is being used so lightly. When watching the show almost anytime a person of a different race is introduced they are almost immediately made fun of in some way shape or form due to their race. In a show where many people are made fun of for many different reasons, race is definitely one that stands out strongly in this blatantly racist show.
     Many shows withing society today continue to include many racial stereotypes even though many believe that we are no longer a racist society anymore. Even though we may have come a long way from racist actions in the past, it is very clear that racist thoughts and ideas still exist and are very engrained in our society.

Devor “Gender Roles, Behaviors and Attitudes”

     In today's world the line between masculinity and femininity is very defined. Aaron Devor wrote of these gender differences and describes them as being polar opposites of each other. Masculinity shows aggressiveness and dominance, while femininity portrays caring, nurturing, and a sense of vulnerability.
     It is obvious in today's world that these characteristics are used by advertising companies to make their products known. In an advertisement by SKYY vodka there is a man standing above a woman, which may not seem like that big of a deal, but how the image is set up speaks much more than that. First of all the man is standing directly on top of the woman, which gives of a feeling of dominance, that he is in complete control of the woman. The way he is standing says a lot about him too. It is a very firm stance which would further show this man's authority and also shows he is very confident.      
      His and her attire say a lot about the situation as well. She is wearing a bikini as she tans on a beach which gives her a sense of vulnerability. Most of her skin is uncovered and she is dressed very casually not wearing anything that would demand respect. The type of bikini chosen was also a major factor in how this woman looks. A bikini with more coverage or even a one piece swimsuit would entirely change the mood. The revealing nature of the bikini is used in an attempt to show that this woman would be sexually open to this man. This could lead a viewer of this ad to draw the conclusion that drinking Skyy vodka would help you if you were attempting to sleep with a woman. The man however is wearing a suit, which gives him a sense of power. The suit immediately would influence a spectator to think this man is important and that he should be treated with respect. The fact that he is on a beach, a generally more casual setting, also shows he is very professional and most likely a very wealthy man. This sense of power and wealth also most like plays into the way that he is holding the vodka. In one hand he has the vodka, holding it by the top. In the other hand he has two glasses as if expecting another person while he is drinking. This shows that he believes he will have no trouble getting this woman to drink with him after she sees him in his powerful stance and attire.
     The way the woman is laying down under the man also tells a lot about the thought of femininity. Lying on the ground under the man is putting the woman in a stance of being subordinate to the man. In this situation he holds the power and seems to be in control. It can also be inferred that the way the woman is taking off her glasses and looking up at the man also puts her as lower in society than him. You would usually look up to someone of higher authority and that is what the woman is doing in this picture. She is in a position that she would be subject to his will, what she does seems to be dictated by what the man wants. This plays into what is though as feminine qualities of not being intimidating and being very gentle.
    The picture also insinuates that if you are a consumer of Skyy vodka, that woman will be able to picked up very easily. It is clearly trying to make the case that if you drink Skyy vodka then you are a wealthy person and in a sense "better" than other people, which is why you would be able to pick up women easily.
     The image many ads portray in this day and age commonly falls upon these ideas we have of masculinity and femininity. It is generally an easy way to gain the attention of audiences and to properly market your product. However, it also stereotypes men and women alike and puts them into groups that some people just do not fit into.

Cholos and Surfers

     Jack Lopez grew up in east Los Angeles where you became one of too things, a cholo or a surfer. At this time race wars were on the rise and there was a obvious hatred of the surfers by the cholos. If a cholo saw a surfer a fight was almost sure to ensue just for the fact that cholos did not like surfers. In fact this situation almost happened to Lopez as when he walked by a cholo in his surfer attire he was immediately judged and approached with the intent of a fight. However, as soon as Lopez mentioned he was Mexican the cholo backed down and the fight did not happen. Obviously race and stereotypes played a huge role in the reason many fights happened during this time and there are still examples of this today.
      In my high school there were never any fights just because one kid was a different race or liked different things than another person; but it was very clear that stereotypes still existed all throughout high school. Of course there was the typical jock and nerd groups that formed almost immediately at the beginning of the school year and you could see the jocks making fun of the other kids just because they played a certain game or did something they though was "nerdy." However, there were also many different "cliques," that started up that in a way segregated the school into sections. If you liked sports you were in one group, and if you liked music you were in another group. Among all these groups the people within them often did not like people who were not in there particular group. Whether they made fun of other groups, or just plain ignored them it was clear that people were not becoming friends because of stereotypes.
      As these stereotypes stopped high school friendships from happening, so did some of the same stereotypes stop a friendship on the streets of Los Angeles. In a different type of world maybe Lopez would have made friends with the man he walked by that day. But just because he was a cholo and Lopez was a surfer, an immediate hatred began and if it was not for Lopez's race a fight would have occurred. Unfortunately stereotypes like this occur all around the world today and people continue to judge people just by how they look, and unless something major changes within people its going to stay that way for a long time.
                                                         
                                                            Thats my two cents for the day on stereotypes. Dejuah out.