More Than Just a Pretty Face

When Lana F. Rakow writes her article Feminist Approaches to Popular Culture, describes the feminist analysis of the popular culture not as just critiquing cultural products to be sexist or non sexist. Instead Rakow describes the feminists analyzing this "proceed from a variety of theoretical positions that carry with them a deeper social analysis and political agenda" (Rakow pg. 212). Krakow gives definition to four approaches and how they approach popular culture. Her first of the four, The Images & Representation Approach, is defined as examining, cataloging, and criticizing the image characteristics of women.

This approach is characterized by four main questions: 1) what kind of images are present and what do this images reveal about women position in culture? 2) whose images are they and who do they serve? 3) what are true consequences of those images? and lastly 4) how do such images have meaning? We learn from this article that women have a particular relationship to popular culture that differs from men's relationship.

Throughout history we see signs of feminism all over. A typical stereotype for women is that they should be the ones that stay at home and maintain household duties while the men goes out and works to provide for the family. The men are the successful, dominant, and strong figures in the household.

Today in many areas of media, especially in Hollywood, we see many images that portray what "beautiful" women look like. This idea of beautiful women sparked a mini revolution that all women are beautiful in all shapes and sizes.

Betty Friedman studied the images of women in media and they "focused on the fact that popular culture images are for the most part men's images of women" (Rakow pg. 203). The way men view women has become more or less just a pretty face to look at. Women have gone from the stereotype of being a housewife to being "picture perfect." This view women have become just an object that is appealing to the eye lessens women authority in popular culture.

The first thing I thought of when I thought of feminism in popular culture was the movie Legally Blonde. The main character, Elle Woods, is your stereotypical "human barbie," bleach blonde, always dressed up and always wearing pink. Elle was the president of her sorority at just a typical college when one day her boyfriend breaks up with her because he think she will have no success in life. Her now ex-boyfriend attended Harvard Law and now Elle's genius idea was to follow him to prove him wrong.

No one thought she could even get into the school just judging on character, personality and external looks. Soon to come she passes her LSATs with flying colors and gets accepted into Harvard Law. As soon as she pulls up to school in her pink convertible with her little chihuahua, judgmental looks are flying across everyone he crosses paths with. People think because she has a pretty face that she can in no way succeed at anything, yet alone Harvard Law School.

At the end of the movie is the graduation scene where Elle Woods graduates at the top of her class with all types of honors and her ex-boyfriend graduated with no honors and no potential jobs. Elle succeeded all stereotypes placed on her and proved that even with a pretty face and very girly mannerisms, you can not doubt her intelligence or wit. Behind her pretty face there is much more than just an object that is visually appealing.