The Depiction Of Asian Women During The 1920's

The first thing you notice when looking at the advertisement is the dress of the model. She seems to be wearing a kimono with a generic Asian print on it. Oriental fashion was popular during the 1920’s because of the famous plays and operas portraying Eastern Asian women, likes Madame Butterfly. White women were always used to portray the main role of a Japanese woman. Not only does this take the roles from Asian actresses furthering the lack of representation of actual Asian women in the media but it also enforces the idea of using East Asian Culture as a costume or a performance. The first woman to take on the role of Cho-Cho San , the main character of Madame Butterfly, was white American actress Blanche Bates. She was seen as a Yankee
girl and was praised for being able to play a dainty, subdued Asian woman. This didn’t change people's perceptions of actual Asian people though. Yoshihara explains in their article When I done your Silken Draperies, that the American public still saw the role as just that, not an accurate representation of Japanese culture.” People believed that the Japanese were still uncivilized and unrefined (Yoshihara 1968, 86-87). East Asian cultures were diminished to costumes during this time, especially for the “New” woman. These “New” women were challenging Victorian gender norms and fighting for women's suffrage. This new construction of gender identity was linked to the performance of roles that seemed exotic or different (Yoshihara 1968, 100). This may be why the advertisement uses this style of dress. This appeals to the “New” woman by showing what she can relate too. The advertisement then attacks them by inferring that even with this refined style and the performance of another race that they too can become a victim of Halitosis.