Manipulated Women And High Fashion

Today's New York Times fashion slide show (permalink) offers image after image demonstrating our society's bizarre infatuation with posing women looking awkward, even deformed, frightened, compromised, uncomfortable, even in pain (click through on the arrows on the upper right).

I am unsure what to make, particularly, of the interest in images in which women are in dirty and uncomfortable, even painful, places and positions (see the "Maiden Voyage" spread with women in the shipyard in the NYT slide show linked to above). I included some of those images that I've collected below. Do we hate women that much? Or is it about something else (also)?

Posted by Lisa Saturday, February 23, 2008 at 5:28 PM Labels: , , , ,  

5 comments:

  Gwen

February 23, 2008 at 9:33 PM

In a lot of the poses, the models almost look like they're supposed to be dead--like they're mangled corpses.

  Gwen

February 23, 2008 at 9:37 PM

When I read your post, I assumed you meant the NYT had an article discussing--and analyzing--this issue. How disheartening to discover it's not a piece ABOUT these types of image, just another example of how ubiquitous they are.

  Anonymous

February 24, 2008 at 5:18 AM

In the examples you've shown, there is a missing (male) figure, lying either below (1) or above her (2-4).

  Emily

February 24, 2008 at 5:17 PM

Wow, that last model really needs to start eating. I don't think the ribcage and hipbone should stick out that far, even in an unnatural position.

  Sasha Martinez

April 5, 2008 at 1:04 PM

Yes, thanks for posting the Cavalli ad. I always thought it was rather painful, when I first saw it.

Still do (ouch!).

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