Originally,
I had a completely different idea for this project on political bodies, but as
I sat in multiple airports this weekend I suddenly felt inspired. As I stopped
at gift shops or news stands at the airport, I spent some time looking at the
magazines and was appalled at the headlines on all these so called women’s
magazines. “How to lose 10 lbs. fast” one read. Another one said “15 tips to
please him in bed.” I was shocked that these kinds of phrases were out there
for any girl, no matter her age, to read.
I began to
think about my relation to these kinds of magazines. As a young girl, I was
enthralled with the copies of Glamour,
Marie Claire, Self, Women’s Health, and
Cosmopolitan my mom had laying around
the house. I used to sneak the magazines away and read them, particularly
interested in the relationship and beauty sections. Before I had even kissed a
boy I was reading articles about “how to keep your man” and “makeup that flirts
for you.” From a very young age, I saw things like this and just assumed that
this is what I was supposed to be interested in. Why would I seek out other
information when what I was reading told me I should be concerned with what
swimsuit fits my body type?
Looking back as a young woman now I
see a huge problem with magazines and media like this. These magazines represent
themselves as magazines for women, when in reality they are all about men. They
are about how to please men sexually, how to dress for men, how to do your
makeup for men, and how to loose weight for men. All of the women I know have
bigger interests than impressing the opposite sex, so I wanted to do a piece
highlighting just how absurd the things women are supposed to care about are.
http://www.glamour.com
http://www.womenshealthmag.com
http://www.cosmopolitan.com
All of my source material came from actual magazines, or so I thought. After further researching one magazine cover where I got phrases like "Mix-A-Lot is right: Why losing your butt may mean losing your man" was actually from an article from a men's website saying what they would put on women's magazine covers! Although I understand it was for "satire" purposes, this disgusted me even more than the other headlines. Below are some examples of what these men think women should be interested in:
http://coolmaterial.com/link-roundup/if-men-wrote-womens-magazines/
The artist
who acted as my main inspiration for the piece goes by the name of Julie Houts.
Houts is known to most of the world as the Instagram handle @jooleeloren. When
I first discovered her work, I spent well over 30 minutes scrolling and
laughing at her eerily relatable and comedic work. Her sketches are done in a
cartoon/fashion illustration style and highlight just how ridiculous it is to
be a woman in today’s world. Her pieces cover topics such as social media,
women’s fashion, and relationships. On the surface, you could read her work as
just funny little doodles, but I think they act as a great commentary on women
and their role in society.
https://www.instagram.com/jooleeloren/?hl=en
http://www.refinery29.com/2016/05/110228/julie-houts-instagram-illustrator
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