Stereotypes Of Women In The 21st Century

Does the world of photography, fashion and advertising still stereotype women in the 21st century?

Underpinning photography, advertising and fashion, Voyeurism plays an important part in how we perceive stereo-types in contemporary society, and has done so for some time. From the Victorian angel of the house ideal, the domestic goddesses and pretty pin ups of the 1950s to the size zero catwalk models we see parading the fashion of today. The idea of ‘a woman’s place’ has altered somewhat over the years, moving from the confines of the house to the ‘freedom’ of the working world in some respects. Nevertheless, the stereotypical woman we see in photography, advertising and fashion and the concept that underpins her, remains very much the
“As long as she thinks of a man, nobody objects to a woman thinking.” - Virginia Woolf. The term ‘angel in the house’ was often used in reference to wives who embodied this Victorian feminine ideal. The term comes from the title of a hugely popular poem written by Coventry Patmore, published in 1854 in which he models his own wife as ‘his angel
“Western women have been controlled by ideals and stereotypes as much as by material constraints.” - Naomi Wolf. Advertising also depicts stereotypical gender roles. Gender displays are heavily used in advertising so that the role of one gender can be established in relation with the other, for example; we see more women in television advertisements than men because women are automatically associated with the responsibility of making everyday purchases, which I think nowadays isn’t exactly the case. Men are generally used to advertise cars or business products where as women are usually seen showcasing cosmetics, fashion and domestic products and are often portrayed as beautiful housewives and desirable objects rather than career focused independent women. A perfect example of stereotypical advertising would be the television advertisement showcasing Jean Paul Gaultier’s perfume Classique. The perfume comes in a small bottle in the shape of a slender woman wearing a corset. The involvement of the corset and the way it is used to shape women’s bodies into a desirable shape presents us again with the idea of ‘the perfect