Doll -- Lure

from: Tina

In this picture, children’s dolls have been chosen to act as photographic models to convey the photographer’s intended message. The dolls represent the particular groups of children who play with them. Boys are the group represented by the male doll; and the female dolls represent girls. Children learn from a variety of sources which toys are appropriate for girls or boys. Page 190 of the class text specifically mentions advertisements as such as source.
The large, strong rescuing male doll in the picture represents the gender characterization taught to male children by overly masculinized dolls. Children are taught gender character traits via a multitude of media sources. Page 191 of the class text reveals “a recent analysis of award winning picture books for children found,.. That males continue to be portrayed as more powerful and active than females.”
My photographic representation centrally focuses on the male doll as displaying the only powerful action in the picture. The male doll is positioned to show the feat of swooping into view to lift and save the female doll. The size of the dolls and the angle of the picture emphasize a larger more powerful male image in contrast to the smaller less powerful female dolls. The male doll clearly dominates the photo.
The female doll that is helplessly waiting on the book is positioned in a posture that could be interpreted as sad and passive. Page 185 explains “children act on gender stereotypic emotional cues”. It further explains that females associated with the emotional cue of sadness are perceived as needing help. Such expressions of sadness elicit help from boys quicker and more often. The text clarifies how these emotional cues are reinforced: “ By being taken care of more often, girls learn that they are needier than boys.” The female doll in waiting is practicing her passive role and expressing a sad emotion while waiting for her turn to be rescued. The vision of the other doll being rescued reinforces her helplessness and need for rescue. The book upon which she stands is intended to represent the element of learning since these roles and characteristics are learned gender characteristics.
The exposed hook on which the rescuer is attached reveals the controlling force behind the roles and action played out in this photograph. The hook represents the culmination of all societal lures and strategies purposed to hook individuals into their acceptable gender roles, thereby maintaining the security of those in power.
I chose to use this scenario since I had observed my own daughter as a little girl repeated play out a rescue scene between Ken and Barbie. It seemed that wherever she was playing with these dolls, Barbie found herself in peril and needed Ken to rescue her. I often wondered where she came up with this repeated play scene. The woman’s study class is answering this question.

Reference information and quotes are taken from Women and Gender A Feminist Psychology
by Mary Crawford and Rhoda Unger