Barbie Dreamland

Blonde Hair – Race

Blue Eyes – Race

Ken Doll – Sexuality

Breasts – Gender

Imitation Diamond Jewelry – Class

Gown and Tuxedo – Gender

Barbie’s Make up – Gender

           

            Barbie is an iconic brand worldwide. Although Barbie is simply a toy, she is recognized as a major influential example for young girls from the age of five to early adolescence. From her style of dress, current occupation, down to her relationship with Ken, she is constantly criticized and judged. Barbie would be the perfect cultural artifact because she herself is the image of women. There is a Barbie that caters to every race and creed. There is also a Barbie that represents several if not all occupations. For example, she is a doctor, teacher, designer, or veterinarian. Her male counterpart Ken represents the relationship between men and women in our society. These simple toys are truly an identical depiction of our lifestyle and societal hierarchy.

            Originally, Barbie was a blonde hair, blue eyed woman in a fifties style swim suite. During a very racist time in America, Barbie represented the face of the favored race. She was what was considered beautiful at the time. Her thin physique, full breasts, and long legs were every woman’s desire. Barbie’s face was thin and made up with lipstick, eye shadow and blush to highlight her ultra feminine features. The long, thick, blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes were the icing on the cake for beauty. Barbie was the woman that had it all. The problem was, every girl in America did not possess these features especially Barbie’s Caucasian heritage. Blonde hair and blue eyes may be considered beautiful, but the majority does not possess them. Therefore, Barbie had a long way to go before she became the icon she is today.

            Barbie’s relationship with her male counterpart, Ken, is arguably one of the greatest romances of all time. They are the perfect example of a stereotypical heterosexual relationship. The couple was almost always depicted in a home together, on a date, or with their children. The traditional family is made up of two parents and children. This to many people would be considered a positive influence because it is encouraging the dynamic of the nuclear family. Almost every young girl has dreams of getting married and starting a family. In their world, there was no such thing as homosexuality, divorce and domestic violence. Barbie and Ken resided in the dreamland that every consumer desired.

            The world of Barbie tells the tale of the path that every person embarks on in life. For example, Barbie maintained a career, friendships, marriage, children and building homes. If someone knew nothing about the culture of people who inhabit this earth and caught a glimpse of her, they would get a good image of what our society is all about. 

"Carryout" Sexism.

Justin Timberlake and Timbalands music video “Carry Out”, compares a woman’s body with fast food. The dancers and models are dressed in every possible costume that any man would fantasize about; including, maids, nurses, and fifties pin-up. The dance moves are more than erotic only adding to the sexual tone of the video. The women are moving seductively, opening and closing their legs, bending over, and walking sensually to peak men’s senses. Throughout the video, the models are eating confections in a tantalizing manner, coinciding with the theme of the song.

In almost every music video, women are objectified. The men in the music videos are portrayed as ultra masculine macho men, while the women are dancing half naked submitting to their every sexual whim. Personally, I believe that the image of women is contradictory to Devor’s essay about gender. His essay outlines traditional feminine stereotypical behavior. In music videos however, women are far from traditional. These women are far from the general image of housewives and devoted mothers. The women in music videos would more so be placed in the category of a harlot. On the other hand, men are always projected as the traditional masculine male. Somehow, women always end up with the short end of the stick, being labeled as submissive and other condescending characteristics. Especially in this video, a woman is being perceived as something as easy to obtain as fast food. Within the lyrics, they’re sexually exploiting intimate acts that should be done a respectable private manner. For example, “Do you like it well done, cause I do it well…”. That line alone is showing the lack of respect for the female gender in this song. Furthermore, the lack of respect boils over into the music video.

Race is not a major issue in this music video, besides the fact that you can assume that men of all races have the same views about a lewd act such as the one discussed in this song. The women in the video are all from different racial backgrounds. Although it would be incorrect to automatically assume men of every race view women the same way, the media tells a different story. Women are one aspect of life that men of races have something in common. In all forms of advertisement and media, women are scantily clad and sexually objectified, regardless of race. Women of any race are rarely ever portrayed as strong characters. Omi stated, “It is somewhat ironic that real differences that exist within a racially defined minority group, are minimized, distorted or obliterated by the media.”. When it comes to sexual attraction, especially when being viewed through the media, race is completely disregarded. In this particular video, they have a woman for every preference. For example, the white females are dressed the same as the African American females and so on and so forth. If there was meant to be a differential aspect according to race in the music video each race would stand out individually catering to common stereotypes.

        Standing alone, this video may seem harmless but there are many symbols that go unnoticed to the human conscience. Should we as Americans really support a music industry that supports the slandering the feminine integrity? Or shall we continue to ignore the fact that the beautiful part of women is belittled to merely sex symbols to be objectified?

You're Black, So You Love Chicken.

A very common misconception is that all African Americans love chicken, especially when fried. The restaurant chain who is most famous for fried chicken, Kentucky Fried Chicken, apparently believe this myth. The company recently released a series of commercials called "KFC's Cricket Survival Guide", offering solutions to people who may find themselves in an awkward situation. In the commercial below, a white man who appears to be a soccer player is in the midst of a group of Jamaicans. He is the only white person in a predominately black setting. The man looks bored and out of place. To appease the group, he offers them a bucket of fried chicken. As they take the food, he adds the remark, "Too Easy". The problem with this commercial is that KFC is assuming that black people all over the world favor fried chicken; basically catering to the racial stereotype. However,  the commercial then goes on to call the particular meal combo being advertised a "Crowd Pleaser". That leaves the viewer to question whether or not the advertisement was intentionally being racially stereotypical. In my personal opinion, had the crowd been white and the man black, the commercial would went over a little less racist. Since the stereotype is already preconceived, there's no escaping it. As a result of painful experiences with racism, African Americans are very sensitive to the subject of race. Whether or not the stereotypical undertone was intentional is irrelevant. The question is was it offensive to blacks. Omi stated, "Since popular culture deals with the symbolic realm of social life, the images which it creates, represents, and disseminates contribute to the overall racial climate.". Omi's statement rings true when the integrity and character of an overall race is being related to something as simple as a bucket of chicken. KFC supposedly later released an apology for the commercial. 

Sky High

Alcohol is closely related to intimate encounters. In this particular vodka advertisement, the woman's style of dress speaks volumes. Her dress is very revealing, bearing a split that reaches to her hip. The dress leaves nothing to the imagination as it leaves the woman's back and shoulder area uncovered. Her black pumps accentuates her long toned legs. The man in the advertisement is a huge question mark because he is hidden by a retro chair. However, you can see that he is clutching a martini glass filled the the vodka that is contained in the Skyy bottle on the end table beside him. The flawless panoramic view shows that the couple live in an expensive space. The view also serves as a metaphor between the actual sky and Skyy Vodka. All in all, it's apparent that the couple is having an intimate moment.

Alcohol is known to release all inhibitions. Therefore,  many sexual encounters happen under the influence of alcohol. This advertisement displays the beginning stages of such acts. It's basically sending a message that this particular brand of vodka will enhance your interaction with the opposite sex.

The World Of Louis Vuitton.

           When you think of a French Chateau what comes to mind? Personally, I think of the color white, flowing dresses, and a castle like residence, a very feminine setting. The French fashion house of Louis Vuitton has continuously captured the essence of such a setting for many decades. An advertisement for this years Spring and Summer collection perfectly showcases what their idea of a well dressed fashion savvy woman should be. The model is photographed appearing to be carefree in a sundress leaning against an antique vehicle. The Backdrop is of a European oceanic view.

            The model’s attire is accessorized with dainty pumps, a summer handbag and a leather belt to cinch the waist of her sundress. Louis Vuitton is known to design garments that appeal to the prissy sort of women. The luxuriousness of the garments, appeal more to women of the upper class.  While almost all of Vuitton’s items are highly priced they are still made for the everyday woman. Their ready-to-wear collections are usually far less avant garde than that of its colleagues.

             Louis Vuitton is widely recognized for its monogram. However, in this advertisement, the emphasis is placed upon the ultra fem aspect of their product. Although the ad is feminine, sophistication and class are two major selling points. The everyday woman does not desire to be a sex symbol but would still like to remain desirable. Ralph Lauren once said, “I don’t think women should look like costumes. I don’t think they should look like fashion victims. I think these (clothes) are for women that want to look sexy. They want to look smart.”. This advertisement is a perfect example of this idea.

            Fashion is an ever changing industry, maintaining a timeless and classic image is very difficult to achieve. Louis Vuitton has managed to keep their work current while still catering to the simply stylish consumer.  They constantly emphasize the beauty and eternal youth of women without any overbearing styling. Louis Vuitton is not the only company that feels this way. Coco Chanel commented, “Fashion is always of the time in which you live. It is not something standing alone. But the grand problem, the most important problem is to rejuvenate women, to make women look young. Then their outlook changes, they feel more joyous.” The fashion industry is all about beauty and style when it comes to women. Unfortunately, most of the most noted designers that create quality garments are not attainable for the middle and lower class. So, is high fashion really working in the best interest of all women or just those who can afford it?

An African American Woman's Worth

There are unlimited amounts of stereotypes for the average African American female. Not much is expected of us. We're usually depicted as "video vixens", single mothers, entertainers, or even worse drug addicts. Money in the black community is a major issue. I recently came across an article discussing the net worth of the average African American woman. As expected I was appalled at the approximation. Our net worth on average is a mere five dollars, while the net worth of the average caucasian female is 14,000 dollars! The  underlying reason for this is most of us live paycheck to paycheck. No money saved, our liabilities are worth more than our assets and the majority of us are single. Although the rate of highly educated African American women is rising they are also remaining financially unstable. Their financial insecurity is mainly caused by student loans. Student loans are the main culprit of financial insecurity in America period. In my opinion this fact is very ironic. Many people, especially African Americans look to school as a way to secure a rewarding career and become self sufficient.  It's very unfortunate that your way of getting ahead will eventually become your downfall.

"Something that I find pretty disturbing"

Todays society is without a doubt money motivated. If the avenue to make money includes college and college leads to debt, where is the incentive?