Discourse: Identity (race and gender)

(fig.1) Dove Advertisement

(fig.2) Victoria Secret Advertisement

Last Lecture was most probably the most interesting session that i had come across yet. The subject of identity, race and gender steered a lot of heated debates and tension as strong opinions were being thrown back and forth across the theater. Students were given these two images along with two others to look at and discuss how the females within the two images are being portrayed. Immediately discussion began with student sharing there views, I instantly noticed the composition similarities between the two as they both portray the females striking elegant posses. This was agreed with most of the students in the room but soon contradicted with discovery of the Dove advertisement showing a more natural side to the beauty of women representing natural hair, exultant smiles and varied body sizes. Where as the Victoria Secret image shows more of an glamorous representation of women particularly showing what media seems to think is a perfect women, size zero, long legs and pretty women full of make up as well as keeping the race of the females Caucasian. These observations resulted to another topic on how men force women to portray themselves as the perfect women looking like the Victoria Secret models. Another student counteracted this statement referring to girls trying imitate there role model that the media portray such as Lady Gaga, Beyonce Katie Pryce etc.

I found both statements to be valid as they both have good points to there opinions, Yes i do agree that most men have an image of a perfect women similar to the Victoria Secret models but this is only because of the constant repetition of females that the media portray on daily T.V. Men cannot only be blamed for insecureness for females as media plays a huge part of our everyday lives. As a result it is not surprising for one wanting to be like a Victoria model nor for one Lusting a Model.

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