Buszek’s argument is
that these images weren’t only intended for the male gaze, but could also be empowering
to women. For example, women painted on fighter airplanes in WWII were symbols
of protection. They may have been overly sexualized but in a place where women
were absent it was nice to get some recognition somewhere. Also these women
looked powerful and confident. Instead of simply looking at her body, looking at
her expression or her pose could tell you more about the woman posing for the
photo. These kinds of photos were a sign of sexual freedom and not oppression.
I thought this photo represented a lot about
pin-up culture. It’s clear that most things about this photo were to entice the
male audience, from her outfit to the beer it is advertising. Her perfect body
and the fact that her outfit outlines her every curve is overly sexualized. Beer
is also typically considered a man’s beverage so putting a beautiful woman on
it gets their attention more. This relates to the idea that sex sells. It can
be argued that this is empowering to women due to the fact that she is in a
naval uniform, which is usually a career held by men. Second her position makes
her seem very free since she’s not posed or standing in a provocative way. Her
facial expression looks genuinely happy compared to other pin-ups we have
viewed in class. However, I don’t believe that this image is meant to be
empowering to women. There are more aspects to the photo that make it meant for
the male gaze.
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