"U HAVE 2B SEEN 2B BELIEVED"
Seventeen is a magazine that aims to attract teenage female readers through
different avenues of appearance. This predominantly white magazine strives to
be politically correct cover to cover in both its advertisements and its articles.
The magazine’s idea of ‘otherness’ is not to embrace difference
but to offer an avenue that easily disguises and ultimately eliminates it. This
avenue runs through the small and continuously changing window of fashion. The
idea of what it means to be "American" is represented by the way a
female chooses to appear physically. Seventeen is a ‘how-to’ manual
for sexual attractiveness and racial conformity.
Seventeen is a very prominent magazine for female teenage readers today. Primedia,
which is the number one special interest magazine publisher in the U.S. with
more then 300 titles, publishes Seventeen. Seventeen has more people working
in the area of "fashion" than any other division and, as always, Seventeen
is able to tell us "What's cool now." (Cover)
Featured on the cover, is an 'All-American girl,’ Britney Spears. This
picture reveals an idealized female American teen that is like most of the other
pictures of Caucasian girls in the magazine. Britney has pale and clear skin,
blond hair and appears to be very sweet, innocent and almost complacent. This
idea agrees with the engrained expectations of white women and females in general.
Although, since the Women’s Rights Movement began, the stereotypical female
role has been challenged and changed, yet the ideology of females from the past
is still prevalent. The ideology is that women are the lesser sex and therefore,
they are to be submissive to their male superiors (i.e. husband or father).
Throughout Seventeen, there are articles and advertisements with pictures that
include women of color. Yet, the only difference between these women and others
in the magazine is the color of their skin; they are positioned and dressed
like everyone else. Therefore, this tells the reader that, race is only skin
deep if you want it to be. This idea is easily achieved through the narrow window
of fashion where equality is obtained through appearance and anyone can be "American"
(white) as long as they follow the white guides of style.
For instance, the advertiser for Wet Seal, a clothing company that appeals
to the white ideal of style in modern times, felt it necessary to include a
person of a different race (P. 4-5). It is as though the ad is trying hard to
reach out and say that, "she is just like everyone else," when in
fact, she is not. The ad communicates the feeling that nothing about her is
different and that she is just another American teen modeling trendy clothes.
There is equality among these people achieved through the fashion they wear.
The only difference between them is facial features. The new ideology teaches
that race is only skin deep, there is no longer any social, political or economic
grain to it. Race no longer carries a history; there is no background because
everyone can be equal through fashion. The caption for "Wet Seal"
is "life’s a blur. focus on fashion." This message can be read
literally yet, at the same time, it is also saying that although who you are,
where you come from and what you stand for is confusing, if you only stick to
today’s trends, you can blend into the white crowd and find meaning.
Another example is an advertisement for "Jansport," a backpack company
(P. 6-7). It shows a dark-haired, pale-skinned girl from behind and a black
and white backpack. The caption reveals that the backpack has been made to represent
the symbol Yin-Yang, which represents the idea of peace and harmony between
black and white, negative and positive, and feminine and masculine; all of these
images display the idea of binary opposition. The model has her back to us,
thereby not allowing us to define her exact nationality, but her identity as
an American actress is noted in small type underneath the word "back".
She also has a bar code tattooed on the back of her neck. This advertisement
is suggesting that not only should all people strive to make peace and find
balance in life, but that their back pack is designed for everyone. However,
the advertisers still have a pale-skinned, American actress endorsing this product.
A perfect example of the idea that race is only skin deep is the advertisement
for JC Penney (P. 14-15). The three models are all dressed in the same style
of clothing and all look relatively similar. The only difference between them
is that two of the girls are Caucasian and the other is not. Farther on there
is a picture of a girl who has "street style" (P. 29). The caption
reads, "Annie pulls off the ‘80s pop-icon thing sans hairspray and
shoulder pads." After a closer look, I question whether the phrase "pulls
off" would still be used if Annie were a Caucasian female. It seems as
though this article is saying that because Annie is not white, at best, she
only "pulls it off."
"Lady Like" is the catch phrase for the Lady Foot Locker advertisement
(P. 35). The model in the advertisement is outfitted in Nike apparel with the
"Air Max" Nike shoes being the focus. The model is Native American
with two pigtail braids to accentuate her ethnicity. This image is common because
society is used to seeing ‘people of color’ in the majority of sports
advertisements because they have dominated athletics for many years. On the
other hand, the model is shown in a workout room, not participating in a sport.
This is interesting because white culture places a lot of stress on working
out and staying fit; they value exercise because they are a culture whose majority
is overweight and at the same time places a high value on thinness.
Athletics is one area that permits and even encourages African-Americans and
other people of color to be proud of and display their race. An advertisement
for Reebok shows a close up of an African-American female athlete with very
defining African characteristics (P. 99). The picture emphasizes her facial
features and she is shown displaying a look of pride and determination. "It’s
a man’s world" is the phrase written with a bold red line through
it. This line not only encourages women to be all that they can be, proud of
their accomplishments and who they are, but also for women of color to be proud
of their race.
Another great example of women who are freed from the pressure of white society
through sports is found in the advertisement for Kodak cameras (P. 128-129).
Out of the nine female athletes, shown participating in a basketball game, only
three are white. The idea of having the majority of the girls be of color is
not only acceptable but also expected; it causes the scene to take on the appearance
of reality. However, if the majority of the girls were Caucasian, we would be
more likely to question the reality of the advertisement, which would then cause
us to question the reliability of the product.
"Piercing pointers" is an article on testing the limits of safety
when it comes to fashion and beauty (P.74). Here Seventeen has an African-American
model that appears to be on the wild side. This idea is stressed by her stringy
red hair, her flashy blue top and her wide open mouth revealing the piercings
through her tongue and lower lip. Seventeen constructs the idea of race by choosing
an African-American female to be the model for this article. Throughout the
magazine, Seventeen shows white females displaying the new fashions, which are
all correlated with beauty. Yet, when it comes to questions of pushing the limit,
doing things that are not safe, unacceptable and going overboard, they do not
choose a picture of a hyper white girl; they show an African-American. On the
flip side, a white girl is pictured in an article about having a good hair day
(P. 66). This girl chooses "smart-punk accessories." The magazine’s
message about race is clear; black people are not as smart as white people are
and their actions have to be questioned.
A page dedicated to giving advice on what is the new "fashion scoop,"
shows an African-American woman modeling peasant-style clothing (P. 44). The
choice to highlight a woman of color to represent a peasant, instead of a white
girl, is done in order to show society who best fits this profile. Ask Jeeves
is an Internet company that also provides fashion advice. The advertisement
shows a pale-skinned, but not necessarily Caucasian girl exclaiming "can
you believe I get fashion advice from a guy?" The most interesting part
of this ad is that Jeeves is posted as a stuffy, old, over-weight white man
in a butler suit. This is a very vivid example of the ideology of fashion that
is engrained in our culture (P. 77).
Seventeen encourages sexuality in teenage girls. Davidoff shows this in an
advertisement for a woman’s fragrance called "Cool Water." This
ad suggests that to be a woman is to be sexy, sweet, pretty, skinny and white
(P. 41). Teenage girls are also learning to be very selfish in that they are
encouraged to be beauty-obsessed. A great example of this is in an article titled
"way-cool wish list," which has a cartoon picture of a white girl
exclaiming, "I want it. I need it. I have to have it for the Holidays!"
(P. 134). Another example is an Asian model who has "got the look"
of a "beauty-obsessed California girl" (P. 64). Not only is the idea
that everyone or anyone is able to achieve the American (white) look being expressed,
but the magazine tells us that an obsession with beauty ensures equality and
acceptance.
The idea of race is constructed again in an article that pictures an ethnic
girl modeling a beanie hat, which carries the connotation of being poor and
lower class (P. 146-151). A few pages away, a white girl is shown in a hat,
yet hers is an up-town 'mobster' hat that carries with it the connotation of
money, upper class, influence and power. Again the ethnic girl is put in her
place by modeling a "slinky-slip dress" with combat boots in comparison
to a white girl modeling a mini jean skirt with high heeled shoes. Not only
does the white girl appear to be sexier because of her tight-fitting, short
skirt, but the idea of social class and power is shown through the fact that
she is wearing classy high-heeled shoes, while the ethnic girl is wearing combat
boots. (Perhaps they equip her to combat racial stereotypes?) The ethnic girl
is also shown to be wearing pearls and the text says "pair pears (fake
work great, too) with a T-shirt." Perhaps this is suggesting that she also
is a fake in that she istrying to live a fashion lie in order to fit in (P.
146).
"Getting back to nature" is another article that displays new fashions
by showing six teens modeling clothing out in the woods (P. 159-160). In this
article there are four women and two men. There is a white man standing at the
far right and front of the page, which causes him to appear the biggest on the
page. Then there are three girls, one of who appears to be Native American,
who are all looking up to him as though listening to what he is saying. The
fourth, is a very pale skinned white girl who is seated beneath him. Finally,
there is a picture of a black man who is looking down at the ground and appears
to be trying to explain himself. This scene reveals the ideology of race and
gender: the white man is powerful and everyone looks up to him; the submissive
‘wife’ sits beneath him looking at us complacently; and the black
man who is not even good enough to look up at him, looks down instead.
Towards the end of the magazine is an article titled "everything is changing,"
which discusses the terrorist attacks of September 11 (P. 172). The last two
pages of the article offer contrasting opinions between white students from
Kansas and Muslim students from New York. The white teens talk about their sacrifices
for the effort and the Muslim students defend themselves and their religion.
The magazine tells the students stories this way because that is how they, and
the majority of people in America, see the different roles that these different
races play.
Seventeen has created a how-to manual for sexual attractiveness for today's
teenage female. It offers acceptance in a world where fitting in is hard to
do. Through the window of appearance, teenage girls can find friends, popularity
and happiness. This magazine is looking for the reader to take the subject position
of being needy. Teenage girls who are wanting, willing, open and looking for
keys to success are going to get the most from this magazine that offers them
the best and quickest way to achieve a very shallow life. It does this by teaching
them that success is all about how trendy you can look and how flirtatious you
can act. Toward the end of the magazine there is an advertisement for the merchandise
that is shown in Seventeen. It has a picture of an ethnic looking girl in the
background and typed across the page are different things that you have to buy
in order "2B cool, 2B different, 2B cute, 2B serious, 2B together, 2B popular,
2B apart, 2B hot, because "U have 2B seen 2B believed" (P. 179).
Hillary McClintick
J388, Communication Theory and Criticism
November 30, 2001