Lipstick Names
Clara Silwal
Ivan Kalmar
SII199 – How to Study Everyday Life
November 25, 2017
1004394381
Merskin, Debra. "Truly Toffee and Raisin Hell: A Textual Analysis of Lipstick Names." Sex Roles56, no. 9-10 (2007): 591-600. Accessed October 20, 2017. doi:10.1007/s11199-007-9201-9.
The article "Truly Toffee and Raisin Hell: A Textual Analysis of Lipstick Names" by Debra Merskin analyzes 1722 names from 52 lipstick brands with a twofold approach: first, with Canadian-American sociologist Ervin Goffman's theory of presentation of self; and second, with French Philosopher Roland Barthes' semiotic model, to explore the meanings constructed through lipstick naming. By explaining the subtle implications of something as easily overlooked as lipstick names, her paper reveals the underlying social structure of patriarchal hegemony in our lives.
Merskin's paper uses Goffman's concept of presentation of self to demonstrate why women choose to wear lipstick in social interactions. In his book "Presentation of self in everyday life", Goffman states that we are
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This is very different from the connotations of sexuality through shades like "Orgasm" or "Commando", when viewed from the perspective of gender equality. "Beautiful Rights" encourages women to wear makeup not from a place of submission, but from that of empowerment and aesthetics. This campaign raises a question about how there are very few lipstick names associated with meanings of female empowerment, and sheds light to the fact that women are still viewed as sexual objects who wear makeup to attain the beauty standards constructed by the makeup industry. The aspect of aesthetically pleasing artform is taken away from makeup, and is replaced with the desperation to "look good
In the article, “The Fashion Industry: Free to Be an Individual” by Hanna Berry, Berry discusses how for decades women have been told to use certain products and that if they used those products they would be beautiful. Women over the years have believed this idea and would purchase items that promised to make them prettier, thinner, smarter and even more loved. However, in reality it was never what they wore on their bodies that helped them be any of those things; but what it did help with was to empower women to become fearless and bold by what they chose to wear on their bodies as a form of expression.
Just like this campaign for safe cosmetics its purpose has been to aware women, parents, workers and everyone who is affected by this problem of what big corporations are putting in the products we think are non-harmful. The title itself Chemicals in Beauty Products: The Story of Cosmetics is automatically supposed to draw women’s attention because of the words “chemicals” and “cosmetics”. Since this film was originally put on The Story of Stuff, a website for a variety of campaigns, we can assume this film was made for people who care and want to change the world to make it healthier. In addition, it also targets women who are interested in what they are putting on their bodies. Interesting enough, this video was released the same time the Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010 was introduced for the purpose of pursuing women, workers, and everyone affected by this chemical problem, to push congress even more to enforce this cosmetic act to be passed. The underlying purpose the producers of the film wanted from its viewers was to have them help get congress to ban all corporations from using hazardous chemicals in beauty products. Some strategies used to help their goal was to use logos and pathos to help evoke its audience to ultimately help put a stop to this problem once and for
Nguyen states the programs that NGO’s provide for women who do not have the knowledge to make themselves beautiful, serve as programs of empowerment that are connected to forms of dominance (360). Nguyen claims through beauty, Afghanistan women are suppose to feel a sense of self-worth and agency that was denied to them, while adhering to a set of western ideals of beauty. Nguyen claims this produces individual...
/The beautiful wife. / For sometimes she fancied he looked at her as though, / Measuring her. As if he considered, had she been worth it? […] Whatever she might feel or half-feel, the lipstick necessity was something apart.” (Brooks, 48-53). It wasn’t as though she was afraid of her husband distinctly killing a young boy or even her being partially the cause of it; it was a feeling of guilt she was trying to cover up. Her entire fantasy is distributed and destroyed, she retreat inwards and uses her makeup to create a wall to maintain the foundation of her life based upon the fairy tale imagery. For many women, makeup is an extension to certain parts of themselves. Carolyn worked so hard to maintain this ideal image of having the perfect family, being an obedient housewife, looking after her children and basically being beautiful, than watching it all fall to ruins because of individual actions. One can only put on so much make up, like a placebo, it is harmless but it really only hides and masks the reality behind it. Eventually the truth will show, whether it is someone’s natural appearance, the qualities of a family or an individual’s true
In The Rape of the Lock and The Progress of Beauty, both Pope and Swift give representations of the nature and function of cosmetics in eighteenth century society. Their representations are completely contrasting, as the representation of the nature of cosmetics given by Pope is positive, yet Swift represents a negative nature of cosmetics. Pope represents cosmetics to perform the function of enhancing natural beauty. On the other hand Swift’s representation of the function of cosmetics is one that destroys natural beauty. Evidence for these representations can be found in the tones used by both of the poets, in their descriptions of cosmetics and its effects, and in distinct phrases where they offer warnings and speak distinctly about cosmetics and its advantages and disadvantages. Essentially, Pope represents the nature and function of cosmetics in eighteenth century society as positive and as something to enhance natural beauty, whereas Swift represents the nature and function of the same cosmetics as being negative and as something which destroys the natural beauty of women.
In a society where equality is constantly fought over, there are bound to be disputes. Feminism, the movement to create empowerment and equal rights for women, has been criticized by those who argue who, what, and how feminism should be fought with. Many conservative feminists believe that succumbing to men’s pleasure is never the answer, whereas “lipstick” feminists believe that they should be able to use all of their essence in order to establish equality. However, society needs both women and men equally. Feminism shouldn’t focus on how women reach that equality, but rather to reach that point of equality in the first place; with anything they got.
Escaping poverty was one of the themes of “A Raisin in the Sun.” The family’s chance of escape becomes a reality when a $10,000 check arrives in the mail. Everyone is wanting to spend their money for their own dream, each with their own way of escaping poverty. Walter believes that investing all the money into the liquor store will put the family higher in the ranks while earning them more income, therefore they would no longer be poverty-stricken. He believes money is everything and wants his family to have the best. This can be seen when he tells his son, “[without even looking at his son, still staring hard at his wife] In fact, here’s another fifty cents…Buy yourself some fruit today – or take a taxicab to school or something!” (pg 1.1.59).
I have examined and analyzed the COVERGIRL™ NatureLuxe advertisement that uses common feminine stereotypes. In this advertisement, COVERGIRL™, which runs in Seventeen magazines, targets women through their choices of colors, fonts, and images used. Certain stereotypes are used; such as, those who are more feminine tend to prefer lighter, happier colors, such as pink. Also, the use of a celebrity, who many young women look to as an icon, assists in the advertisement of the COVERGIRL™ product. COVERGIRL™, more than likely, is able to successfully market their lip-gloss product in the United States by using common gender stereotypes to show femininity and how those, mainly women, should be presented in today’s society.
To be efficient, it must correspond to products and be relevant to people, expressing and sustaining competitive advantages. My image appears in Glamour, a specialized publication for women, where the cultural context is gender, thus providing a greater degree of authority and the intention is to promote the reputation and sales of the perfume. The image is a collection of signs, these signs may include paradigmatic and systematic elements such as the name of the perfume, the fonts used, the colors or the woman which appears with a green apple in her hand. ‘The goal of semiotics in the study of advertising is, ultimately, to unmask the arrays of hidden meanings in the underlying level, which form what can be called signification systems’ (Beasley et.all, 2002: 20). It is obvious that in the interpretation of an image controversies can arise and the meaning could be different from person to person due to the cultural level or ways of image analysis, because the reader approaches an image from a personal ideological perspective.
Exact Beauty: Exploring Women's Body Projects and Problems in the 21st Century. Mandell, Nancy (5th ed.). Feminist Issues: Race, Class, and Sexuality (131-160). Toronto: Pearson Canada, Inc. Schulenberg, Jennifer, L. (2006).
Naomi R. Wolf is an American author and former political consultant. In “Beauty Myth”, Wolf is blaming the fashion and beauty industry for contributing to the “Iron Maiden”. Wolf states that these industries target women’s insecurities and exploit them are the cause of men’s high expectations and of women’s low-self-esteem. Wolf is trying to offer some incite to men and women about this false sense of beauty that is created by big corporations, is then used to objectify and humiliate women. Wolf’s easy to understand analysis is the reason I got interested in my research her article is going to provide me with information and examples of how women are affected by the visual images advertised by the fashion and beauty corporations. The problem with wolf’s article will have to be that her information from 1991 will be outdated by 2014, so I will have to be selective and be aware and update any facts I use, that may have changed over the years. This article is what sparked my interest and will provide some general information on my topic but will mainly serve as a reminder to myself as a reason for me writing my research paper.
“Medieval noblewomen swallowed arsenic and dabbed on bats' blood to improve their complexions; 18th-century Americans prized the warm urine of young boys to erase their freckles; Victorian ladies removed their ribs to give themselves a wasp waist.” 5 Even from medieval times, the extent to which women have gone to achieve ‘ideal beauty’ is extreme. In the 21st century, Americans spend more money on beauty related product than they do on their education, creating a 160 billion dollar a year global industry, all in the name of ‘perfection.’ 5 Intensification of body image ideals has increased through media and manipulation in the advertising industry, due to the portrayal of women, leading to the creation of a 20 billion dollar cosmetic surgery industry. Driven and fueled by sexual instinct and desire to achieve perfection, images of women in advertising will not cease to hold a huge amount of power over the everyday woman who spends her life chasing an ideal, which does not exist, often leading to psychological and physical effects which can last a lifetime.
I will show you my understanding of how in the past women were marginalised in the media. and how men were shown as powerful figures. I will use the following sources in my essay: Kenzo perfume for women advert (4.2a), Yves Saint. Laurent perfume for men advert (4.2b), IBM global services (4.14a). Lanvin (4.14b) -.
16.)Utt, Jamie. "Navigating The Difference Between The Appreciation of Beauty and Sexual Objectification." Everyday Feminism 18 Apr. 2013: n. pag. Web. 19 Apr. 2014. .
Here in America, the conventional definition of beauty is what is perceptible in any form of our popular culture. This includes television, movies, music videos, billboards, fashion blogs, social media (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter), as well as anything ran on print and in mainstream media. The business strategy that is often used in these forms of media is that, women’s bodies are often used as a tool for advertising products that are entirely not related to the items in play, for instance, fancy cars, liquor, as well as guns (Kitch 56). Much as utilizing women’s bodies as a tool for selling the products that are totally unrelated