1. My argument is that Vogue is a compilation of all the most extravagent and seductive advertizements. It is one big extravaganza to peruse. We have been reading about and discussing the influences of the media and the ads and how they can play the role of the “expert,” who tells what, to do what to buy, etc. Some people are completely vunrable to Vogue’s seduction-live the material life full of expensive, designer clothes and accessories and that life is not complete without that lifestyle. I am going to argue that Vogue can be interpreted two ways-as a fun illusion or as a cause of frustration for ordinary people. I will also be tracing how Vogue’s ads change and how they evolve throughout the years. We have discussed how ads have been gradually changing throughout the years and how they have especially become more erotic. There used to be arguments for the product in the ads, listing the benefits and even telling a story. The earlier ads relied on the reader’s sense of logic. The ads really started to change apparently in the 70’s as the ads started to use sexual images to seduce their consumers. Less words were used gradually in order to convey the message of the product. Ads relied on a slogan and a sexually charged photo. I will examine how this change took place and why.

2. I expect to discover that as the society became more and more focused on sex in the media, the ads changed to accomodate that…or was it the other way around? As society changes, Vogue must have evolved in order to accomadate those changes. The fashions also will become more intricate and strange as a clothing becomes more of an art form than a functial thing. Also, as they do more and more spreads, they are forced to come up with different ideas every time. Therefore, fashion got more and more out-there. Vogue prides itself on being up to the minute with the very hottest fashions and designers featured like Prada, Fendi, Gucci. I think that I will discover a trend in fashion going from functional and trendy to expensive and plain bizarre. ” People want more than just clothing they want fashion.”

3. One book called “As Seen in Vogue” traces Vogue from its very beginning and documents how it has become a part of American history, how it has both documented American society and how Vogue has influenced society. It is an extremely helpful book because it gives me all this information that I need about American Vogue and how fashions, society and history has all changed together. “The Erotic History of Advertizing” explores how Americans have utilized the human facination for sex in order to market theri various brands. It even answers the question of “Why does sex sell?” It gives examples of very early sexually charged ads for tobacco and such.

4. I obviously just need to obtain a couple more sources and start figuring out how my outline will look. I am not sure how many sources are required but I have 5 right now. There is plenty of information about the past and present Vogue so I am not worried about lacking information. i almost wish that we could have a little schedule so that I could track my process. I am interested to see if my conception of Vogue will change for better or for worse.

1. The class would be more of a seminar with the teacher as one of the community of learners. A group of students discussing and analyzing a problem in math, a point in history, or a story in the english class. They should be rich discussions where students pull apart the evidence, questioning the facts, and coming to their own individual conclusions accourding to the arguments. They should challenge each other’s opinions and think about the real circumstances that would relate to the topics and they do not even have to come to a black and white answer for the problem. The exercise should be in really thinking about the problem. Teachers would benefit from the problem-posing classes because they would have a fresher approach to the problem as a result of the students really thinking. During my Humane Letters class, we all discuss the characters and the plots. We deciede what we personally think about the characters and we argue our positions with other people who have opposite views. When I was concious then I didn’t have a certain kind of message forced on me. I get to make up my own mind. 2. Praxis means liberation and in the essay it is refered to as “an action and reflection of men and women upon their world in order to ransform it.” Alienation is a way to isolate somebody and according to Freire people should not be alinated. 3. I think that Freire is faithful to his own beliefs. He allows us to have our own opinion while giving us something to think about.

I think that I changed my mind about the product that I will research.  I hope that this is not too broad but I want to do my project on the magazine Vogue.  I know that it has been around for a while and I am interested to see  how it has developed because it is considered a “bible” for women everywhere.  Women cosult it avidly for the last fashions, colors, and beauty products.  Even if a women cannot afford all the clothes and products she can at least get a glimpse into the lux lifestyle that Vogue is selling.  For me, looking through Vogue is similar to playing pretend.  I can look at all the exquisite fashion shoots and imagine that I am part of that glamourous world.  I think that it one of the first magazines for women’s fashions and all the other magazines like Vanity Fair, Cosmo, Elle, and Jane have come from the inspiration of Vogue.   I do recognize that Vogue sells a lifestyle that is selfish, materalistic, and ultimately unattainable.  The issues are filled with flawless models that can make women believe that they need to change their appearance.  However, what if you just treat Vogue for what it is-an illusion and then just enjoy the beautiful illusion?  Lots of people complain that Vogue is not realistic but that is precisely what makes it so enjoyable.   I get my fill of the ugly, the humdrum, and the prosaic.  When I read Vogue I want something out of the ordinary.  Something magical, beautiful, and glamourous.                                                                                            I am expecting to contrast and compare the earlier issues of Vogue with the present issues of Vogue and see how the products in the ads have changed overall.  I hope that I can access images of earlier copies on the internet or perhaps in the library.  

I think that I will probably be doing a type of beauty product like shampoo or mascara because I thought that it was very interesting when we contrasted the 50’s ads for femine products with the 70’s ad.  I think that doing this essay will help me see what it ment to be a female back in earlier times as compared to today. 

1.  I can see that Bordo organizes her essay in a sort of chronological fashion, she begins with her discovery of the beautiful male model in the Calvin Klein ad and this lead to her venture into the world of ads that have recently been objectifying the male body as much as the female body.  She begins her essay with the story that peaked her interest in this new sort of advertizing and she goes on to relate the history of men in advertizing and why she finds it so facinating.  I feel that she is relaying a story in her essay and that helped to keep track of all the information.  There are numerous facets to her essay and she gives herself room to explore each one in great detail by sub-dividing her essay into different topics.  I enjoyed her essay as whole but it was much easier and more pleasurable to read since Bordo divided her essay up.  I also liked how she integrated her own personal story into the essay since that helped me relate to her.            2.   I mentioned how she splits up her essay into little chunks.  First, she intoduces us to the radical world of modeling with the erotic Calvin Kein ad.  She calls her first chapter men on display.  Then she talks about how she enjoys this new age in Thanks Calvin-the designer who began it all.  She discusses the different typese of models in Rocks and Leaners, also contrasting and comparing female and male models.  Then she talks about how there is a trend of men acting and women appearing in ads.  Then she how men like to look actractive but how they feel self-conscious about pampering and grooming their bodies.  She also discusses ethnic differences in teh world of medeling and what different cultures like and appreciate.  She finally proclaims that she enjoys how men’s bodies are being exposed for the commercials instead of just women’s bodies all the time.  She sees this as a progression.   3.  In the last chapter, Bordo remarks on how she is finally able to objectify a man’s body and simply enjoy it because it is so so erotic.  She feels that there is a pressure in our culture to observe men and women isn seperate ways.  Females may have their bodies on display for male enjoyment but males are not usually objectified in that fashoin until recently.                          

These two ads are both selling food but they are from different time periods.  The ad from  the 40’s is selling soup and it is similar to the last 40’s ad in the sense that it gives a good deal of information about the product and  it’s benefits.  The second ad is selling milk but that is not completely evident at first glance.  A sexy supermodel is the main focus of the ad and there is no argument for the product except for the fact that she is drinking it.  But evidently that is suffient for our culture.  It is just as Douglas says, we are using women’s bodies as objects in order to sell products.  Instead of showing the actual objects, we are showing the people.  Instead of providing us with information, the people selling the object just use a simple slogan now-Got Milk?  It is definitely dumbed down for us which is saying something about our culture.  I do not think that we are getting dumber, I think that we are getting lazier and there is an overemphasis on the visual stimulation of a beautiful body.

It was very interesting to me to see how to different time periods sold the exact same product. First of all, sanitary pads seem like a very awkward thing to advertize; so both actual advertizements turn that concept around on itself. Although they are very different, both advertizements are trying to sell assurance along with their product. The first advertizement is from the forties and an entire argument is presented for the value of Kotex pads. It starts with the provocative question-Are You in the Know? Then it goes on talk about three everyday situations that a woman of the that time period would find herself in. In all those situations, a woman would need poise and confidence and the advertizement talks about how their product provides those things. Women during the forties were expected to be the good housewives and the gracious hostesses. They ensured that social events were run smoothly and that everybody was happy. This ad would appeal to them because it called the sanitary napkin the “poise preserver.” The ad promised them “good judgement,”comfort, safety, and assurance in social situations. Women prided themselves on their presence of mind so the argument for Kotex must have appealed to them. There was a great deal of information on the first ad and there were only drawings of people instead of actual photos. At first glance, one would not be able to tell what the ad was selling. Since the forties were more conservative, the company was probably doing that on purpose, making the advertizement a little more subtle so as not to shock anyone. The other ad, in contrast, was an actual photo with color and the message was a little more direct. However, there was a lot less information about the product and what it’s benefits were. The main benefit was not about funtionality but about beauty because the ad just had a beautiful woman with the caption-Be a beautiful story. She is surrounded by blurred, soft, pastel colors and the ad was about being anything-Be a question, be an answer. It did not give examples about what one could do while wearing a pad like the other ad. In comparing the two ads, it seemed like women have gradually ceased caring about being informed about the products that they use. Instead, they are just buying products because beautiful women are in the ads.