The photo that I choose for this assignment is a picture I took over the summer. I met the two girls who I am going to call “Rini” and “Luna” after who they are dressed as at Otacon, an Anime Convention, last August. I choose this photograph because I felt that it relates to “The Two Cultures of Childhood” The creative techniques I used for this photo are Color, Foreground, and Symbolism.
Rini and Luna are participating in costume play (better known as cosplay) as characters from Sailor Moon. The pink sailor fuku that Rini is wearing, along with her tiara, and Luna’s pink accents codes this shows as being for girls. While Sailor Moon initially advertised itself for both girls and boys (friendship and magical transformations for the girls, epic fight scenes for the boys) over 25 years later, the franchise has a majority female audience. Additionally, because of its longevity and popularity Sailor Moon is a gateway anime, meaning that it is one of the first anime that western audiences ever learn about making it important to understand the values it teaches young viewers.
Notice that only three people in the picture are in focus. Rini and Luna are in the foreground. These girls are dressing up as characters who are relatable to them in age and who serve as good role models to learn from. The girls pose together, ready to fight against evil as a team just like the senshi that they are emulating rather then pose in a fight against one another like a boy of the same age would probably do (Rudman, 2015). However in the background I left an older cosplayer in focus to show what lies in the future for these girls in terms of anime role models. Her cosplay is much more revealing than the ones that Rini and Luna are wearing. Most female characters wear outfits that are very revealing, and are often sexualized by both their fellow characters and the audience watching.
I took this picture while Rini and Luna were waiting in line with their guardian for one of the panels. As a result, the people around them form a barrier that prevent the two girls from growing to forge their own path. Behind the duo is a offshoot hallway that they could get out through to escape the looming pressures of future role model, a light in the darkness. However the older cosplayer blocks their path and, unless Rini and Luna are willing to push their way through, keeps them stuck in the same path.
Rudman, Laurie A., et al. "The Two Cultures of Childhood." The Social Psychology of Gender: How Power and Intimacy Shape Gender Relations. The Guilford Press, 2015, 59-63.
1 comment:
From Trishauna
I really like how you used a photo from Otakon for the assignment I would have never thought of that. I also like how you blurred out everyone except the two young girls and the one older woman. It not only helped you to prove your point, but it also helped to protect the identity of the other bystanders at the con who possibly didn't want their picture taken. At anime conventions, I tend to see many female cosplays that are shown as revealing and even when a female has armor, it still seems to be revealing and "sexy" which makes me question what's the point because since the creators are so focused on making the women seem sexy the game becomes less realistic. I do see your point with how the girls now are dressed up to be cute and there is the possibility of them growing up and learning that girls are supposed to be "beautiful" or "sexy" then possibly start to wear more revealing clothes to promote their sexuality as they become older in today's society. Many young girls do start to learn about what is expected of a girl from Sailor Moon since in the anime the main character is a middle school aged princess who works with a team of other girls and also falls in love with a guy who turns out to be a guy who was actually pretty mean to her at the beginning. She also needed to be saved a few times because she is a princess.
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