Children are bombarded with messages and signals from almost every waking moment, and a great deal many of them imprint on them what gender is “supposed to be like”, what it means to be a boy or a girl. And children are naturally adept at picking up on even the most subtle of messages, and incorporating it into their daily lives and thoughts.
Shopping for clothes is a pretty universal experience; and when a child is out with their parent or guardian, shopping for clothes, their eyes will inevitably be drawn to the mannequins peppered throughout the stores; they will invariably notice, perhaps without ever consciously recognizing it, the differences between the male mannequins and the female ones. It’s one of those things you never really think about, but suddenly seems impossible to miss once you realize it. The male mannequins are almost always posed stiffly; their bodies rigid and unexcited. Occasionally there might be one doing something interesting: perhaps looking off to the side, or with an arm slightly bent; the rest will, without fail, stand resolute, with both feet planted firmly to the floor: boring, but professional.
This is very much not the case with female mannequins. They are almost always posed askew, teetering off balance, as if the slightest breeze would send them toppling. Their hands are usually on their hips, or perhaps raised towards their heads, touching their non-existent hair.
It doesn’t take a genius to recognize what’s going on here; female mannequins impart a very clear message: women’s bodies are to be looked at, to be ogled. They exist solely for the pleasure of others. This great gulf in disparity can sometimes seem shocking, for something as minor as a bunch of statues that stores put up to help sell clothes. Where male mannequins are basic and functional, existing only to show people what an article of clothing will look like when worn by a certain body type, female mannequins are almost always designed and posed in sexualized ways, reinforcing the ways society treats women as less than people, and more as sexualized objects who exist for the pleasure of those around them
1 comment:
I think there is a clear message with this picture. There are certain roles of society that females and males both project in order to fit into a category in which they try to identify with. In other forms of advertisement, such as movies, magazines, and sales advertisements we see the same projections of women and their bodies. Their bodies are shown as frail, week, less than that of a man. Their poses are inferior and soft, like she is not capable of taking care of herself or defend herself in the case of danger. This is in comparison to the tough, strong male exterior that is presented in every day advertisements. Masculinity, in itself is a phenomenon that focuses solely on being tough, dominant even violent, strong willed, physically built, and emotionless. These roles of masculinity can be shown through different poses or postures as well. The male body is to have two feet on the ground as you said to show dominance and assertion. They do have a stiff or unexcited look as you mention, referencing to the emotionlessness the stereotypical “male” has. The gender roles and schemas showered on us since early childhood manifests in strange ways. Even the mannequins you see in the mall that you normally don’t think about twice have their own specific story of unrealistic gender role expectations. Without even knowing it, we are internalizing these schemas and in return could potentially be biased because of it.
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