Is it about Beauty or is it about Power?

Is it about Beauty or is it about Power? 

References also

Class notes and own thoughts

You see men and women portrayed differently in the fashion Beauty industry, they both model and pose differently, but why? Men model in a dominant, powerful stance whereas a majority of high end fashion shoots women are in awkward poses in different angles, with their bodies facing away or their head is tilted in an odd way. You don't think about it until you really look and see beyond the picture, you really think and question, is this a pose of a powerful, supermodel? Or are they reflecting child like poses, helpless, defenceless, victimised women? 

http://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/gwyneth-paltrow-vanity-fair-argument-2461968

Model Gwyneth Paltrow 

I believe there is too much sexual desire in photographs, magazines all over the media and outer beauty is being focused on instead of the character of the person in the photograph. You will see in most beauty campaigns young women modelling clothes or advertising certain products as it reflects youth and the look of never getting older, media put young people in magazine and across media as they believe this is beauty and this will make a product sell, the 'desire to stay in your twenties' forever. They feel as you become older, you become less desirable, less beautiful and I strongly disagree with them.

What is Beauty? What is true Beauty? 

You see in the industry how the media is defining beauty, skinny women in awkward poses, young and never older women posing, also poses that you would never see a man do. Why is this? You would never come across a man on the front page biting his lip or placing his fingers in his mouth, when you think about it these are childish poses. But why would it be weird for a man to do this? People would be shocked, they would laugh and find it odd to look at because we've been brainwashed into thinking this, the media has made such an impact on how we perceive things. Men are in masculine poses, standing tall and proud, they appear powerful, strong in their statements they are making to the public.

Women was usually put in a 'sexual' pose, why are women half naked, why is she laying on the floor looking defenseless, they appear like victims, they aren't showing power or authority, they look uneasy. You'll see in high end fashion magazines e.g. Vogue, Elle, Marie Claire women on the front cover pulling these poses, but it's become so common that the public do not question it or even notice it. I think a lot of people believe its a 'sex appeal' and it sells, this reflects out beauty an idea of what women want to be; instead of showing inner beauty of character within the person, reflecting what their about. Women are made to feel anxious when buying these magazines, for example on the front cover of Elle magazine it says 'Love...could you do better' it is making women of the world feel anxious and question themselves about their love life, when they probably have a happy relationship and never needed to question it until they see what is printed on the magazine. This really is manipulating and the media are controlling their audience.

http://www.elements-magazine.com/2011/07/british-elle-august-2011-lily-allen.html

Lily Allen as powerful young woman, millionaire with a successful career with her hands on her face? This photo doesn't reflect these things, it shows anxiety, defenseless with the placement of her hands on her face. She looks in control in 'the gaze' but why are her hands on her face? She's not helpless she is a strong successful woman.
It all doesn't fit.

I have got a few images I have found from beauty campaigns which portray all of this gathered information.

http://street-fashion.net/photos/katy-perry-photo-shoot
ghd Campaign photographer David La Chapelle

Katy Perry in David La Chappelle photograph- Laying on the bed? with her fingers in her mouth? I feel she needs to show power her status as a successful woman of music, but this isn't reflected in this photograph.

Tom ford Campaign to sell perfume, this is too explicit and why is there two naked people laying in a pool to sell it??

http://ftape.com/media/?p=79339- Tom Ford Campaign

Tom Ford perfume campaign, why is this photograph so graphic? Why is the lady naked? It makes the audience feel uncomfortable and shows the man is the powerful one with his clothes on and shes the exposed female. We precieve them as sexual, everything is all about 'sex' which I believe there is too much of, which is truly frustrating to see all the time.




No accomplished man would rest their hands on their face, looking defenseless, you wouldn't see this, they always seem very in control and with a lot more clothes on compared to women in high end fashion magazines. In the industry most women make less money and power then most men and this reflects in photographs, it shows that men are always above and in control, it doesn't feel like there is an equal balance between men and women, as ''Women watch themselves being looked at'' they want to be desired my men, where they commonly use the 'gaze' 'dream like' stare in order to engage into a mans attraction and to gain their attention. I feel this is immoralising and shows vanity, they are looking up for acceptance of men, this reflects their power and dominance towards women; why can't women be powerful and dominant in pictures instead of laying helpless or positioned awkwardly?