July 23, 2007
· Filed under body, cleavage, clothing and makeup, sex
This Washington Post article: “Hillary Clinton’s Tentative Dip Into New Neckline Territory” explores the meaning of Hillary’s clothes, past and present, and the subtle ways in which her style of dress may be changing.
One sentiment that I like:
“Showing cleavage is a request to be engaged in a particular way. It doesn’t necessarily mean that a woman is asking to be objectified, but it does suggest a certain confidence and physical ease. It means that a woman is content being perceived as a sexual person in addition to being seen as someone who is intelligent, authoritative, witty and whatever else might define her personality. It also means that she feels that all those other characteristics are so apparent and undeniable, that they will not be overshadowed.”
April 29, 2007
· Filed under Hillary Clinton, Hillary vs Obama, Obama, clothing and makeup, female vs. male politicians, reporting, sexism
A classmate of mine recently found this Media Matters article which discusses the sexist nature of MSNBC’s coverage of the first presidential debate.
Click on the link above– the story and transcript of the coverage speak for themselves.
April 6, 2007
· Filed under Hillary Clinton, clothing and makeup, face-ism
Like any other people who consistently make an appearance on TV or in magazines, politicians are definately in the public eye in a visual sense. It is no secret that in the United States, we like to elect presidents who are tall (only two presidents since 1908 have been under 5′10″, and most are about six feet), good-looking, and strong– for example, we have no problem electing ex-actors, and FDR concealed the fact that he was in a wheelchair throughout his presidency. Clearly, we live in a culture that does not even feign blindness to physical appearance for any of our public figures– even for those people on whom we rely on (in theory, anyway) for their brains, integrity, and decision-making. The way in which politicians present themselves and are represented in the visual media is very important to their overall image, and plays a strong role in their success.
In everyday life, women tend to spend more time modifying their appearance than men Read the rest of this entry »
