Constructing Feminine Form for Masculine Sake Essay Example for Free

Constructing Feminine Form for Masculine Sake Essay invent provides one of the most ready means through which individuals can make expressive visual state workforcets about their identities. (Bennett, 2005)Constructing Feminine Form for Masculine Sake.Does it make instinct to say that sex is at the heart of indistinguishability today? The answer is surely yes, and more so than ever earlier. (Gauntlett, 2008). Introduction. Consider the cover of the December 2011 magnetic declination of FHM (Fig. 1). It portrays a constructed ideal of female attractiveness. Aimed at the male market it conveys the attributes of female assort ment deemed attractive to custody. Has this identity been constructed by women or imposed upon by men? Butler (1999) suggests the female body is marked within masculinist discourse , and women have non had the immunity to create their own identity, women with the ostensibly intimateized features of their bodies and, hence, a refusal to grant freedom an d autonomy to women as it is purportedly enjoyed by men (Butler, 1999).Macdonald (1995) notes that this enforced construction is neither a bracing concept nor just present in magazines aimed at a male audience The body has historically been much more integral to the formation of identity for women than for men. If women had defined for themselves the ideals of their bodily shape or decoration, this would not be problematic. It is the denial of this right in the western cultural representation, in medical practice and in the multi-billion dollar pornography, fashion and cosmetic industries, that has granted women completely squatters rights to their own bodies. However for the purpose of this essay we will concentrate on the feminine identity constructed in mens life style magazines and identify from where this was created.Why we enjoy beauty. It is suggested that what makes one thing beautiful and another less so is our psychological attraction, probably unconscious, to some qual ity in the origin that is absent from the latter, combined of course with equally-implicit cultural biases. (Lakoff and Scherr, 1984) Considering this, it is hard to determine how a particular portrayal of the female form is universally attractive. However studying the sideline passage from Sigmund Freuds study Civilization and its Discontents we can note the possibility that the pics constructed of women in mens magazines are not to portray beauty, but to get up sexual feeling through lack of clothing and provocative poses Psychoanalysis, unfortunately, has scarcely everything to say about beauty either.All that seems certain is its derivation from the field of sexual feeling. The love of beauty seems a perfect example of an impulse inhibited in its aim. Beauty and attraction are originally attributes of the sexual object. (Lakoff and Scherr, 1984) Another clinical psychologist Lacan puts forward the idea women are objects for men men are objects for women men are objects for men, and women are objects for women. Each of us can only ever be objects for another subject, however much we try. (Hill, 1997) With this in mind it can be said that all identity is constructed to receive the admiration of others, regardless of sexual activity. (Gauntlett, 2008) states sex as being at the core of identity further suggesting that male identity is constructed with the same intentions the female.Although it has been women in particular who have been defined primarily in foothold of their physical appearance (Negrin, 2008). The emergence of new mens lifestyle magazines. It is interesting to note that mens lifestyle magazines are not a new concept, neither has their content changed over while. The earliest attempt to launch a mens lifestyle magazine in the UK was in 1935, it consisted of undaunted masculinity with style features and pictures of female nudes. (Gill, 2007).The 1950s saw the launch of Playboy, a lifestyle magazine aimed at an emerging class of men who enjoyed consumption as much as their female counterparts. The magazine became the bible for the men who dominated this class fraction its individualistic, hedonistic, consumption-orientated ethic of personal gratification represented a insubordination against the old figure of male as breadwinner and family provider and opened up a space of libidinous fun and lascivious consumption, albeit premised on troublingly sexualized and objectified representations of women. (Gill, 2007). The content of such magazines was not necessarily in trust to objectify women but to protect the new mans masculinity.Consumption for men was promoted in an atmosphere not threatened by suspicions of homosexuality (Gill, 2007) and said of Playboy the breasts and bottoms were necessary not just to sell the magazine, but also to protect it (Ehrenreich, 1983.). If we nip forward to the 80s and 90s we see a new generation of mens magazines emerging, constructed around an assumed white, working class aestheti c and sensibility, centred on football, (beer) drinking, and heterosexual sex. (Gill, 2007) In circulation terms, figures from 2006 show that over 370,000 copies of FHM are sold per month and almost 300,000 copies of Nuts per week. (Gauntlett, 2008).From this we can see the popularity of such publications and the importance of the portrayal of a new type of masculinity. Considering the content of these magazines numerous photo-shoots of semi-clothed and topless women appear in the UK magazines (Gauntlett, 2008), and speaking of the launch of Loaded the sexual politics of the magazine were in place from the first issue, which feature photographs of Liz Hurley, a homage to hotel sex, porn channels etc., a travel feature recounting cheap cocaine and cheap women, and the Miss Guyama two-piece contest. (Gill, 2007).The magazines depict the rise of a new type of masculinity or the new lad, the figure of which became embedded in advertising and popular culture- his binary articulations i n different spaces generating a sense of his solidity and realness, making him instantly recognizable as an embodiment of a type of masculinity (Gill, 2007). This new generation of Lads Mags has often been attributed to two factors firstly the feminine kick back occurring in the 80s. These new publications constructed around knowingly misogynist and predatory billets to women, represents a refusal to realise the changes in gender relations produced by feminism, and an attack on it. (Gill, 2007) served to reaffirm male dominance in the gender war and a refusal to change.They are considered by Whelehan a direct challenge to feminisms call for social transformation, by reaffirming albeit ironically the unchanging nature of gender relations and sexual roles. (Gill, 2007) study the content of these magazines in more depth there is an underlying theme where feminist becomes a pejorative word to label, dismiss and silence any char who object to the lad mags ideology (Gill, 2007). Tw o examples of such an article concerned with the question of how to get your girlfriend to come in your face (FHM, April 2000) any contingent feedback is forestalled with the comment now before I get any angry letters from feminists..I have asked women and they agree it can be an incredibly rewarding hold up. (Gill, 2007) and a letter to FHM from a womanhood called Barbara who wished to object to the magazines portrayal of women as weak, frail, obedient, submissive and sexually available is dismissed as a blundering rant from butch Babs (FHM, May 2000) (Gill, 2007.)Two prime examples of where the subject of feminism is dismissed before it has even been raised, suggesting the magazines know their content is anti-feminist, but either dispel the argument before it is raised or ridicule and patronise anybody that dares challenge their viewpoint. The second factor is again a backlash, this time on a type of masculinity, himself more adjust with the ideals of feminism, referred to as The New Man. (Gill, 2007). Trying to dispense with this, the masculinity they constructed was regarded as true to mens real selves, in contrast to the contrived image of the new man. (Gill, 2007.)As with the issue of feminism this form of masculinity was ridiculed and dismissed, leading the way for laddish behaviour to be accepted. New man was derided for his miserable liberal fault about sexual affairs and presented as insipid and unappealing. By contrast, new lad was presented as refreshingly uncomplicated in his unreserved appreciation of womens bodies and heterosexual sex. (Gill, 2007) Are these the views of the average man? So we can deduce how these magazines and images within them came to be but where does this leave the average male? Are these depictions of woman the ideal for men? By mens own admission, the man-about-town ideology has created conflicts both in mens view of themselves and in their attitude towards women. (Lakoff and Scherr, 1984)Many men insist they do no t subscribe to this scantily clad, temptress type identity as being their ideal. (Lakoff and Scherr, 1984) suggest what most men fantasize about is a woman they can connect with and that personality is more important than looks Many men spoke of movement, gracefulness, a direct look in the eyes, an aura of mystery, attributes which cannot quite be captured by a camera, as what they felt constituted female beauty. Their observations seem to contradict what the media not only tell apart us men want but also what they propose women should look like. This seeming indifference to contrived images of female form could be the over product and readily available means to consume them. we are so bombarded with visual images that men are taking refuge and looking for the real thing (Lakoff and Scherr, 1984)to a fault another factor is that as we are increasingly aware of artifice in the production of images it can cause the consumer to be disillusioned with them And its disappointing to dis cern that the women, when interviewed, dont sound that interesting really. And its disappointing because you see these gorgeous women who wouldnt look twice at you, but then you think that they probably look like people you know, really, and its the careful styling and makeup and photography that makes them so irresistible (Gauntlett, 2008)Where do women fit in? What we have to phone is there always a willing subject to construct identity upon. In this case, a women to present as the ideal to men. Whilst feminists may view the women featured in the magazines as submissive, obedient and sexually available, do the subjects themselves feel this is the case? Pre-feminist women were programmed to be as attractive as possible to their male counterparts. Anne Fogarty an highly successful American fashion designer highlights the importance of dressing for men when your husbands eyes light up as he comes in at night, youre in sad shape if its only because he smells dinner cooking (Fogarty, 1959).It is possible that even now women are still programmed by society to want to appear as attractive as possible to men. With the post-feminist shift in gender relations it is argued that women are now objectifying men in the same way that they have traditionally been looking at scantily-clad women was clearly quite wrong for a right-thinking man, but have started to change their views as time has moved on and gender relations have changed again (including the development of the new language in popular culture where women can treat men as disposable eye-candy too). (Gauntlett, 2008).This seems to have caused a sense of double standards when talking of the objectification of women I used to agree, and I mean I really did agree, with women who said that au naturel(predicate) women in magazines was a bad thing. But now-a-days I can hardly remember what the argument was. Women can look at handsome men in films and magazines, and men can look at attractive womenit seems fair. (Gaun lett, 2008) Another reason argued why women cultivate this identity is it can provide means to increase their economical and social standing denied access to power and status by legitimate means, they had to resort to using their looks as a means of furthering their aims. (Negrin, 2008).This was very true of the playboy era where working class women did not have the same opportunities for advancement as their male counterparts. Conclusion. So who is determining this supposed ideal of the female form? Psychoanalysis tells us we all respond to natural sexual urges and have the need to objectify other beings. Yet todays mens magazines were not primarily constructed to satisfy their sexual urges. The content was also put into place long ago, not to objectify women, but to protect masculinity from any suggestion of homosexuality. What better way to diminish these threats than by filling the pages with naked women?The tone of the new generation of mens magazines was constructed around a backlash to feminist principles and the emergence of the sensitive, understanding man. Again what better way to protect these new threats by objectifying women and distancing themselves to new mans ideals?As gender roles have shifted and the issue of equality is facing us, men do not feel that looking at women is a guilty pleasure, as women do it themselves towards men and are compensated for it by the advancement of their social and economic standing. It can be said that this construction of female identity truly is for masculines sake, not necessarily for their consumption and enjoyment, but to protect and cultivate the meaning and existence of masculinity, reminiscing of a time where men were secure in their place in society.Fig. 1.Bibliography.Halberstam, J. (1998) Female masculinity. Durham, N.C. capital of the United Kingdom Duke University Press, 1998..Bennett, A. (2005) Culture and everyday life. London Sage, p.95 116.Berger, J. (1972) Ways of seeing based on the BBC tel evision series with John Berger / a book make by John Berger et al... London Penguin.Butler, J. (1999) Gender Trouble Feminism and the Subversion of Identity.London Routledge.Forgarty, A. (2011) The Art of being a Well Dressed Wife. 2nd ed. London VA Publishing.Gauntlett, D. (2008) Media, Gender and Identity An Introduction.. 2nd ed. Oxon Routledge.Gill, R. (2007) Gender and The Media. 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