Essay Development: The Representation of the 'Power Woman'

Essay development; For my essay I'm looking at the development of a stereotype relating to women's place within the workplace, arguing the point that women are denigrated to submissive positions due to the representation of powerful women as manipulative through the sexualisation of their bodies.

Im analysing the films 'Working Girl' (1988) which portrays a powerful woman as the stereotypical femme fatale, her power genereated from the evil use of her body to deceive men. This connection between female desire, their body and the attainmnet of power is an attitude that I believe continues to exist today, heightened by the overt sexualisation of the femle body is mass media. 

The movie 'The Proposal" (2009), portrays the female authority as a social outcast, whose power prevents her from relating to men or women as her ruthlessness has led to being shun by both groups. The overt sexualisation of her body, seen through the tight fitting garments, again presents her power as a product of the female body, and the manipulation of masculine desire.

These films, both present models for how women should dress within the workplace, ultimately promoting an attitude of the negative effects of female power. 



sources include both fashion, feminist observation and film critics.

film development

we have filmed all of the footage now and have started editing it all out.

Yesterday we filmed the black scenes, constructing an image of depression, anger and inability to express through the use of jerky, restricted movements.

A scene in which transformation is taking place. the over dramatisation of this scene contrasts to the casual and laid back character after the alter ego appears.

We are working to remove the backgrounds and start organising and cutting the film to the music.

as we want the film to respond to the music, it requires a lot of splitting, which takes time moving between Final Cut Pro and After Effects.

Hopefully by next wednesday we will have finished the film.

Film Production: Fashion Film

Today we started filming in the green screen room. It was a process of experimentation yesterday, making sure we could 'key out' the background, so that we could apply are own vividly patterned backgrounds to the film. The editing of the green screen worked well, and we have decided that it would be good to create a similar effect on the 'morph suit' figure, who is the repressed alternate identity of the dark, oppressed woman. 

We began styling outfits, creating a brand image of freedom, exuberant personality and flowing movement of the body. We took inspiration from the fun, seemingly unscripted fashion films of the 1960s, which show models dancing around, treating the clothing as a tool to enjoy the free movement of the body.

We don't want a film which depicts artificiality, rather the brand encourages being yourself. To portray this we let the model, Ellie, create her movements as a response to how she felt in the clothing.

Patterns featured within the clothes used which will be used as backgrounds to the film.

The morph suit could provide difficulty in the editing of the film, as its purple colour is featured in many of the patterns within the dresses. Hopefully this can be overcome.

Fashion Film: Depicting Female Empowerment through Freedom of Movement and Colour

Film idea: We are challenging the current representation of women within the media as sexualised objects through the depiction of a woman who holds two identities: one who is oppressed,  the clothing will restrain them symbolically through the lack of colour but also through a focus on the silhoutte. The film will build to a climax, a sense of drama created through the irrational movements of the body, suggesting that women are anxious to free themselves. During this time there will be flashes of colour and vivid pattern, to suggest this is a tool to bring about freedom of the female figure.

This volatility will shift to a gentleness of movement, with the free flowing movement of the body highlighting the unrestrictive form of the clothing as the other identity is revealed: a sexually empowered woman, who has control obver her body seen through the free flowing clothing that suggests happiness and freedom from idealised notions of female behaviour. The clothing will be over the top in its colour and use of pattern. 

The fundamental idea being that one can free themselves through a reawakening of their soul, inspired by colour which represents social freedom. 


KEY WORDS : bollywood influence, 1960s freedom of the female body, dancing, hippy, darkness.

A fashion film that we have found particularly inspiration that creates a sense of repression and dark anger is the  Fashion Film 'Melancholy' created by Oleg Rozenthal for Gabilo for their fall-winter 2010-2011 collection.


We haven't decided who will be our model, but we are going to use the green screen, to ensure the film is removed from a specific time and place.

Development of Fashion Film

After looking at the visually stimulating fashion Films of Gareth Pugh and Ruth Hogben, I feel extremely inspired to create a fashion film that explores feminine gender representation in an abstract, non- linear sense.

I love the focus on the body through the exaggerated movements within the strong silhouttes, explored by Natalie Khan in 'Stealing the Moment: the Non- Narrative Films of Ruth Hogben and Gareth Pugh' (2012). Khan promotes the medium of the fashion film as the future of fashion, as it allows the designer to have complete control over the depiction of the clothing. Hogben is able to remove the fashion from any sense of reality through the isolation of the model within a featureless space. This void removes the fashion from being connected to any form of time or place, rather existing only within this highly controlled form of space: 'Her bodies appear disposed and dispersed in space'.

Khan suggests that this leads to the objectification of the female figure as their is no difference between the fashion as an object, or a representation as their is no context to connect to, thus the clothing almost becomes 'non-existent', existing in an alternate time and place.

Khan doesn't present the danger that the artificiality of the image presents, a level of bias existing, as she presents a one sided argument of the positive attributes of the fashion film. I think that the ability to have complete control over the depiction of the clothing and the model only serves in one sense to further remove fashion from reality, creating even more unrealistics ideals of beauty and sexuality. I think that by removing fashion from a context, it prevents the viewer from having the ability to question how realistic the image is. This could lead to ever more severe ideals of beauty, that are formed  from totally artificial images.


We have decided to explore the notion of freedom within our film, specifically the use of colour as a tool to restrict expression through clothing.

I think that fashions from the 1960s and 1970s could be of great inspiration for the film, as designers of this time used fashion as a means to challenge the oppressed state of femininity, challenging social values through the generation of new forms of female dress.
I think that we will try to edit the footage heavily, to create an isolation of the film from a time or place, similarly to the films of Pugh and Hogben.


 Khan,N. 2012, 'Stealing the Moment: the Non- Narrative Films of Ruth Hogben and Gareth Pugh', Film, Fashion and Consumption, vol 1, No3, pp 251-262

Fashion, Costume and Cinema

Lecture by Sue Osmond, detailing the need for costume design to hold complete control over the image of a character. Sue, through the exploration of the costume design within the film 'The Matrix' (1999) detailed how they were able to reveal  a multiplicity in Neo's character, the transformation of his mindset as well as to create the shifting existance between multiple worlds throughout the film. As this sci-fi concept is complex, costuming was an integral tool to demonstrate which dimension we were viewing, and to keep up with the plot.


I found it interesting that the costuming had to be removed from a time and place in order to present the story in a convincing manner, however it still pertains to current stereotypes relating to gender representation, especally the sexualisation if the female figure. The use of fetish style clothing to suggest female power is seen in the costuming worn by Trinity. The use of fetish clothing creates a sense of strength, but ultimately through the clear objectification of her body, we recognise that she holds little power, seen ultimately through her falling in love with Neo. In this way, Trinity is used to satisfy the male viewers expectation for an erotic figure. Trinity both subverts and conforms the stereotype of the subserviant woman, as her physical strength is equal to that of Neo's, yet her emotions are portrayed as her downfall, an idea complying to the representation of women as slaves to their emotions which leave them vulnerable. We a made to view Trinity through a male gaze, her body is objectified through the use of form fitting, PVC suits, which suggest that her strength is a product of her ability to evoke desire in men, seen when Neo begins to believe in the alternate world due his  initial sexual interest in Trinity, which draws him into accepting the idea of the 'matrix'.

 Her body is presented in a masculine way through the promotion of muscles and extreme slenderless.

 female power or objectification?


The difference in Trinity's costuming from the the false world to their existance in Zion is key to understanding how gender representations are formed through the costuming. Within Zion, she wears loose fitting clothes that mask her figure, and present her in a soft, typically feminine way. She takes on a submissive position, accepting the idealised notions of femininity that promote men as the holders of authority. It is this characterisation of her, conforming to gender stereotypes of appropriate female behviour, that we recognise that the tight fitting suits she wears within the alternate reality 'the Matrix' are not suggestive of female strength, but only work to sexualise her body, fundamentally demeaning any equality that exists between men and women within the film.

The feminine appearance of Trinity within Zion

The sexualisation of Neo is explored by Sarah Gilligan in 'Becoming Neo: Costuming and Tranforming Masculinity in the Matrix Films' (2009). Presenting Neo also under a male gaze, she suggests that the elements of fetish within the costuming of Neo in the world of the 'Matrix' relate to a male desire to present aggressive movement as erotic. Whilst Neo clearly subverts typical images of male eroticism which features an obsession with the naked male figure, Neo's covered body promotes masculine dominance through violence and the physical superiority of his movement within the clothing. The shift between the obvious agressive intent in his actions to how to clothes present him -  in a poetic motion of movement, suggest that this masculine representation is diverse and multi dimensional, containing both masculine and feminine ideals, that ultimately work to expand the stereotype of the male hero figure.

Gilligan, S. 2009, 'Becoming Neo: Costuming and Tranforming Masculinity in the Matrix Films', Fashion in Fiction, Berg, p149-159.

Costume, Cinema and Film: How do Costumes inform Character

lecture by Tim Chappel, Costume Designer for 'The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert' (1994)

Tim presented the intricate connection that lies between the creation of a character and their costuming. He talked of how the costume becomes a device that can fill in information about the character seperate from the script and plot, as well as a tool of divertion to prevent the audience from uncovering holes within the plot. His description of the development of the costumes for Priscilla was particulary interesting as his inspiration was diverse, and multi dimensional, the subversion of the denigrating representation of homosexuality forming a groundbreaking basis for promoting homosexuality in a new light.

Portraying a range of masculine identities, it subverts and conforms to idealised representations of the Australian male, seen in the characterisation of Tick, who is in the process of accepting his sexuality. His tranformation, and subsequent creation of a new image of masculinity, is detailed through his costuming, which borrows homoerotic symbols as well as symbols relating to the accepted 'brute' of Australian culture who wears  Chesty Bonds singlets, Rm williams boots and displays little emotion.

Displaying the characters through a male gaze, we are positioned through the flamboyant, colourful costumes to recognise the honesty of their characters, and their masculinity, which contrasts to the artificial characterisation of the typical Australian 'bloke', who in their desire to be part of the mass, has formed an ideal mode of masculinity that belittles men who are sensitive, seen in the character Bob. The suggestion that 'maleness' is part of the Australian identity is explored by Rose Lucas in the reading 'Dragging it Out; Tales of Masculinity in Australian Cinema, From Crocodile Dundee to Priscilla, Queen of the Desert' (1998). Ideal Masculinity is linked to aggression, complying to the pack mentality, and displaying little emotion, Lucas suggesting that this obsession with presenting ideal males as displaying heroic superiority, has led to the creation of a masculine form that not only limits male expression but sends negative messages regarding sexual freedom. It is clear from Priscilla that the typical men are afraid of their overt display of  homosexuality, as it reawakens suppressed homo -erotic desires that males have been conditioned to find disgusting, and unacceptable forms of masculinity.

As Tick struggles to uphold his desire to present himself with integrity, the costuming shifts, with Tick wearing many outfits which reflect 'acceptable' images of masculinity: the worker, in shorts and a singlet and the businessman in a suit. These ideals are presented comically as they are infact artificial representaions of masculinity, with Tick's outragous, artificial 'costumes' actually holding greater integrity as they portray him in a honest sense, not conforming to the limiting representation of men promoted by the media.


 

Masculinity and Fashion: The Representation of Men in Magazine editorials

 

lecture presented by Wayne Gross

Creative Director of GQ Magazine Australia

GQ magazine is a mens lifestyle magazine focusing around 'Style, Luxury, life and Girls'. Aiming to engage a wide market of style conscious men, and women, it presents articles on mens style, health, current issues, how-to's, travel, food and women. Concerned with the creation of the 'new man', it presents an idealised image of contemporary masculinity, a style aware, expressive and  culturally diverse man, who treats his body with utmost respect. 

Whilst the magazine works to depict the contemporary man, and in doing so promotes an ideal masculine form, it references the masculine ideals of the past through images steeped in cultural iconography of the brusque, emotionally conservative and socially dominate male valued in the 1960's. These interconnections suggest that the 'new man' hasn't infact strayed that far from the man of the past. I found this particularly interesting in that most of the fashion editorials adopted symbols of the past, seen below. 

 

 Dave Franco in GQ editorial referencing the life of artist David Hockney. Photographer David Slijper.

images occupanying how to article: 'How to be a Better Man' June 2013

 Gross Touched on the conflict that lies at the heart of fashion Magazine publication: retaining journalistic integrity whilst remaining commercially viable by obliging the advertisers demands. This is explored by Cyndi Tebbel in the piece 'Periodical Pains' (2000) which focuses on the bias that exists with magazines as a result of the pressure the receive from advertisers to promote their products, and ultimately their ideals. With magazines totally dependant on their advertisers to fund the production of the content, we have to question what impact this has on the content, and ultimately on the reader...if the content is biased, should the reader be made aware of this conditioning of their opinions, ideals and values stipulated through the promotion of products and images which work to cretae an idealised form of male and female gender.

With magazines promting themselves as having a positive impact on society through their 'aspirational' images,  which ultimately are oppressive images as they breed negative attitudes regarding gender formed due to actually depicting the desires of the consumer market. Tebbel reveals the impact magazine culture has on the representaion of the ideal women by creating 'the Magazine woman.. a "selfish, sex-obsessed, lazy, intellectually incurious and morally vacous" model of femininity. 

Sean Nixon in his article 'Looking for the Holy Grail: Publishing and Advertising Strategies and contemporary men's magazines' (2006), detailing the rising image of ideal masculininty through his analysis of the 'New Man', he questions what the impact of depictions of contemporary masculinity will have for the future man. This article presents the ideal male as diverse in his interests, and image conscious to the point of dangerous obsession with the ideal body. Federico Boni, also traces the development of new idealisations of masculinity, looking specifically at the Italian magazine 'Men's Health'. through this limited representaion we can question how pervasive these ideals are, but he still presents an interesting case more concerned with the development of body politics within mens magazines. Suggesting there are competing forms of masculinity due to holding the male body under such scrutiny, there is a clear sugestion that the representaion of the idealised image relates to the depiction of male sexuality by the consumer market. he ponders the impact this treatment of the male body as an object will have on male idealisations and specifically notions of masculine power.

What was intersting within these readings and the talk by Wayne Gross, was uncovering the intense connection that exists between magazine content and the pressure by advertisers to commodify content. With magazines ultimately representing the ideals of the consumer market, we have to question what impact this will have on the values held by the readers, who are viewing the content through a lense framed by a desire to make readers feel they have to alter themselves, and thus buy the products, to fulfill ideals relating to beauty, the body, and erotic desire.

images occupanying how to article: 'How to be a Better Man' June 2013

 

Readings 

Cyndi Tebbel. The Body Snatchers. How the Media Shapes Women,  Finch, Sydney, 2000

Sean Nixon, 'Looking for the Holy Grail: Publishing and ADvertising Strategies and Contemporary Men's Magazines', Cultural Studies, pp. 466-492

 

Frederico Boni, 'Framing Media Masculinities, men's lifestyle Magazines and the Biopolitics of the Male Body',  European Journal of Communication, 2002, vol 17, pp. 465-478