Body & Soul2 mins ago
"illustration-Sexism" In Journals - Can You Help Please ?
7 Answers
Recently I have been looking at 2 different journals, 12 - 20 separate issues of each, in which I have noticed several articles about equality, anti-sexism, etc. But in both cases the illustrations tell a quite different story from the articles. Men are shown holding important things, like microphones, laptops, tools and even weapons. Women are shown holding babies, cakes, balloons, soft toys and begging bowls. Positive emotions like pride, courage, confidence, endurance are shown as male. Negative emotions such as despair, disgust, suffering, grief, fear are shown on the faces of women. Men are examples of riches, women of poverty. Men are teachers or scientists, women are students or admiring handmaiden-types.
Even the cartoons carry on this sexism.
Do you know of any journals which also show such examples ? I'd like to do some research on what I call "Illustration bias", and I'd like people to point me to examples, either journals which do the same, or journals which do the opposite, so I can find out the size of the problem, and try to work out the chances of any subliminal effects.
Thanks in advance
Even the cartoons carry on this sexism.
Do you know of any journals which also show such examples ? I'd like to do some research on what I call "Illustration bias", and I'd like people to point me to examples, either journals which do the same, or journals which do the opposite, so I can find out the size of the problem, and try to work out the chances of any subliminal effects.
Thanks in advance
Answers
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Try the Daily Mail. They sell themselves as a paper which is good for women; they have a large "Femail" section; but the sidebar in the online version is presented as, at best, an opportunity to bitch, and the paper version has "pro-women" articles which are always illustrated in the way you describe. Can't say I've noticed women presented as poor in any paper or magazine.
The Times and Guardian excepted, this tendency may be noted in others of our national papers. Private Eye, a satirical magazine, regularly mocks the Daily Telegraph for illustrating stories about exam results with pictures of nubile 16 and 18 year-old girls
The Times and Guardian excepted, this tendency may be noted in others of our national papers. Private Eye, a satirical magazine, regularly mocks the Daily Telegraph for illustrating stories about exam results with pictures of nubile 16 and 18 year-old girls
Just a thought - it might be worth looking at articles about Nicola Adams (olympic boxing gold medal champion) she had some really interesting reviews following her success. I feel images were from the boxing ring however in some of the reports -her stronger traits re boxing and perhaps "male-like" seemed to be twinned up (in the reporting) with quite sickly statements about how she was such a nice girl outside the ring etc etc..and over emphasis here (in my opinion) but I didn't see "softer" images of her around this time but you might find some. I didn't think this would be done if it was a male boxer. I read one article where Nicola was mentioned and it was written by Ester Rantzen - The Express I'm almost sure - I was very very disappointed in the article! and I woudn't have published it.
If you trail the national daily press cartoons and lay them out you are likely to find some interesting material - as the perspective is male! see what you think.
If you trail the national daily press cartoons and lay them out you are likely to find some interesting material - as the perspective is male! see what you think.
Okay suppose you are right, I haven't noticed this personally but suppose you are, so what? Only you appear to think cakes and babies are less important than microphones and laptops. Why? Is it not okay for women to enjoy archtypal feminine interests? Should we all go huntin', shootin', fishin' and become car mechanics to try to stamp this out? I'm very comfortable doing 'girly' things but I can shoot, fight, repair things and dont feel inferior to men in any way. To me there is no 'problem' to point you towards, so I'd stop denigrating females who are feminine, because that's a big problem.
//Men are shown holding important things, like microphones, laptops, tools and even weapons. Women are shown holding babies, cakes, balloons, soft toys and begging bowls. //
Your post echos something of where feminism lost the plot by defining anything typically associated with the male as desirable and all things traditionally associated with the female as burdens.
The absolute rock bottom was their claim that child care was demeaning. That statement has done more damage to our societies than they could ever imagine.
It was done because feminists were out to claim that everything about the lot of the man was wholly fantastic and that of the woman was terrible. They care nothing for objective reality.
You cite "even weapons" as the important things held by men. You forget that countless generations of men endured the life of a soldier because it was expected of them. My uncle committed suicide after his war experiences.
In fact sexism has always worked in both directions. Men had long been denied the opportunity give the primary care to their children because societies expectation of the man as the bread winner. Boys were brought up from a very young age to repress their sensitivity. Much of this influence came from their mothers who wouldn't have dreamed that it was an incredibly sexist way they brought up their children.
Men who didn't fit the stereotype were presumed to be gay. I endured this as I grew up.
Societies as a whole have acknowledged the need to open up the opportunities for women and many men have actively participated in that improvement.
Meanwhile for the men who sought to have the opportunities traditionally afforded to women it has been a lonely struggle against prejudices, many of them perpetrated by women.
Despite their moves into traditional male domains, many women have clung to the notion that they alone are the caring sex by nature. Many women speak of the importance of women in leadership positions citing the "special qualities a woman can bring to the role", in effect denying that a man could possess the types of traits traditionally associated with the female.
They do this because they wish to jealously guard that privilege. Moreover they are afraid to allow men to be sensitive. Most women readily show empathy for another woman but switch off if they encounter a man in the same situation.
Women often pretend that they want men to be more like women but he fact is that many of them fear a loss of identity if men were allowed to be sensitive and vulnerable.
Your "research" as you call it is typical of feminists who start out with something to prove, look for the evidence to back it while ignoring anything that would suggest otherwise. You have made that perfectly clear with your request for examples.
When I was a young adult in the late 1970s feminists told us that those who were not part of the solution were part of the problem. Please be part of the solution and recognise that the emotional emancipation of men still has a long way to go.
Your post echos something of where feminism lost the plot by defining anything typically associated with the male as desirable and all things traditionally associated with the female as burdens.
The absolute rock bottom was their claim that child care was demeaning. That statement has done more damage to our societies than they could ever imagine.
It was done because feminists were out to claim that everything about the lot of the man was wholly fantastic and that of the woman was terrible. They care nothing for objective reality.
You cite "even weapons" as the important things held by men. You forget that countless generations of men endured the life of a soldier because it was expected of them. My uncle committed suicide after his war experiences.
In fact sexism has always worked in both directions. Men had long been denied the opportunity give the primary care to their children because societies expectation of the man as the bread winner. Boys were brought up from a very young age to repress their sensitivity. Much of this influence came from their mothers who wouldn't have dreamed that it was an incredibly sexist way they brought up their children.
Men who didn't fit the stereotype were presumed to be gay. I endured this as I grew up.
Societies as a whole have acknowledged the need to open up the opportunities for women and many men have actively participated in that improvement.
Meanwhile for the men who sought to have the opportunities traditionally afforded to women it has been a lonely struggle against prejudices, many of them perpetrated by women.
Despite their moves into traditional male domains, many women have clung to the notion that they alone are the caring sex by nature. Many women speak of the importance of women in leadership positions citing the "special qualities a woman can bring to the role", in effect denying that a man could possess the types of traits traditionally associated with the female.
They do this because they wish to jealously guard that privilege. Moreover they are afraid to allow men to be sensitive. Most women readily show empathy for another woman but switch off if they encounter a man in the same situation.
Women often pretend that they want men to be more like women but he fact is that many of them fear a loss of identity if men were allowed to be sensitive and vulnerable.
Your "research" as you call it is typical of feminists who start out with something to prove, look for the evidence to back it while ignoring anything that would suggest otherwise. You have made that perfectly clear with your request for examples.
When I was a young adult in the late 1970s feminists told us that those who were not part of the solution were part of the problem. Please be part of the solution and recognise that the emotional emancipation of men still has a long way to go.
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