Breasts : does size matter?

It is undeniable that to some men, size really does matter and the bigger the better. The inventor of soft porn, Russ Meyer was evidently obsessed with highly well endowed women such as Helen 'kitten' Natividad and Pandora Peaks. Meyer's trashy 60s movies like UltraVixens made an art form of the over sized booby, and these were all natural; no surgical enhancement here.

Similarly, Howard Hughes also harboured a large breast fetish. He was so obsessed with Jane Russell's breasts he custom designed bras for her. In the 1930s, the torpedo look was in vogue, and Hughes bra was designed to enhance this effect without showing a trace of nipple. It didn't really work and Russell attained the same effect by putting tissue paper inside a standard bra.

These guys are however, the exception rather than the norm. Hughes in particular had a bizarre relationship with his mother and his breast fetish is very likely an expression of this. In my experience, size really doesn't matter to most guys.

Put a pair of boobs in front of a guy and he is biologically incapable of ignoring them, no matter what size, no matter how many he's seen before.

a cautionary tale

Caution: do not swallow chewing gum before an aerobics class...

Contemporary art goes down the gurgler

"I Give You All My Money" by Scottish Artist Cathy Wilkes

A naked mannequin draped in horsehoes sitting on a toilet is one of several art works nominated for Britain's Turner Prize this year. Scotland-based Cathy Wilkes, who has also positioned a mannequin with her head in a bird cage in the work, is one of four artists nominated for contemporary art's most prestigious prize at London's Tate Britain museum. Brisbane Times

Photos: the nominees

Also on display are old porridge bowls and a clip from The Simpsons cartoon. There is sculpture, installations and film – but no figurative painting. What would the great Joseph Mallord William Turner (for whom the prize is named) have thought? Very little one would imagine; he's likely to be furiously turning in his grave. The Turner Prize has established a reputation for pushing the boundaries and usually manages to spawn outrage and debate on what constitutes art. The questionable merits of this year's nominees beg a larger question: is this the end of Western Art?

Over the last 20 to 30 years, western modern art has become increasingly obscure and inaccessible. It has seemed to deliberately alienate the general public and to become increasingly elitist. Only an exclusive circle of dilettantes pretend to understand what the contemporary art scene is all about and it has become all but irrelevant to the average person.

After the second world war, the old order having ground itself into the ground due to the ravages of two world wars, the epicentre of the 'art scene' moved from Paris to New York. Abstract Expressionism established itself as the new cutting edge with artists like Pollock, Rothko and De Kooning the new messiahs. This change coincided with the establishment of America as the new super power.

Due to the current economic crisis, America now stands to fall off the pedestal as a super power. Just as China seems set to assume the mantle as the new super power, an explosion in creative energy has come from the Chinese contemporary arts after years of isolation. The centre of creative innovation is shifting inexorably eastwards.

Works like Wilkes "I Give You All My Money" can hardly even claim to be original; Marcel Duchamp exhibited a toilet bowl (Fountain) as early as 1917. A naked mannequin on a toilet is a fitting death knell for western contemporary art.

Men on a leash: reverse sexism?

Several years ago a passing trend emerged in advertising; using sexualised images of men. In 2002, Voodoo produced an ad featuring a woman in a mini-skirt "walking" two naked men wearing collars - an image strangely prescient of the prison abuse images which have come out of Iraq. Is there such thing as reverse sexism? Who cares, as long as it creates a controversy that generates sales.

Voodoo's "men-on-leash" ad generated about 60 complaints to the Advertising Standards Bureau. All were dismissed. The ABS apparently appreciated the humour, reasoning: "This ad clearly intends to depict a tongue-in-cheek view of the well accepted right of a woman to be in control of her choices and her 'accessories'."

Censors in England were not so open minded. A very similar ad showed Jerry Hall holding men on a leash with the tagline: "Twelve get trained, only one gets kept". The ad was banned by London Underground Rail on grounds that it "breaches our advertising code relating to the depiction of men, women and children as sexual objects." A series of bans also saw the ad removed from television.

The fact that this kind of ad was only a passing fad indicates that they do not resonate with women and are not effective advertising. In fact, they probably attract more of a response from men. Is this kind of image offensive and exploitative? Clearly advertisers could not get away with using women in the same way. An image of a man walking naked women on a leash would certainly create an outcry. However, considering the rarity of this kind of image in mainstream advertising, they can be seen as redressing the imbalance to some extent.

There is never a shortage of advertising using exploitative images of women. Putting the boot on the other foot certainly makes commuting a great deal more interesting.

Palin: a pit bull in a bikini

Of course this photo of Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin has been digitally altered, but it does outline what she stands for to at least some extent. Fake bikini pics of Sarah seem to be all the rage at the moment. Her popularity as an object of desire has been compared to that of ex British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Many of 'the iron maiden's' political colleagues expressed that they thought Maggie was a nice piece of crumpet. Her one-time junior minister, the late philanderer and diarist Alan Clark, was an admirer of Thatcher's "pretty ankles", Francois Mitterand described Thatcher as having "the eyes of Caligula and the voice of Marilyn Monroe" and Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi called her "una bella gnoccha"; roughly translated, it means "a nice piece of pussy". Does the attraction to strong and powerful women indicate a desire to be dominated in otherwise ultra conservative men? The intricacies of the conservative psyche are probably too distasteful to dwell on in any depth, but Sarah Palin has certainly made a splash and is rapidly attaining 'sex symbol' status.

By choosing Palin as a running mate, John McCain has truly nailed his colours to the mast. Palin is pro guns, pro death penalty and 'pro life'. Despite his calls for change, no one can now be in any doubt as to what kind of change McCain is likely to support. A McCain presidency would certainly usher in an even more conservative regime with stronger ties to the religious right. 'Pro life' is of course a euphemism for 'anti abortion'. These platforms seem to present an anomaly but are of course cornerstones of religious conservatism. If you are 'pro life', how can you support the death penalty or less control over gun lovers? How can 'pro life' campaigners justify attacks or even assassination of medical staff at abortion clinics? Exponents such as Palin would probably direct us to the good book for answers; all life is sacred yet the 'eye for an eye' principle still prevails.

The outcome of policies like these have obvious outcomes; unwanted children are brought into the world courtesy of pro life policies, only to suffer abusive, deprived childhoods. They progress to delinquent teen years and avail themselves of firearms thanks to pro gun policies, only to find themselves on death row facing the death penalty. The pro lifers can then be satisfied that justice has been done and that God's will has prevailed.

Palin's description of herself as 'a pit bull with lipstick' needs to be taken more seriously than she perhaps intended.

Olympic porn

dancers perform at the women's beach volleyball gold medal match

Just what is the fascination with athletes in skimpy costumes, posing nude for magazines etc. etc. all about? There are surely much more explicit pornographic images all over the internet. Just why are pictures like these so popular? It's about the context of course. We somehow associate the Olympics with ideals of 'athletic purity'. Seeing semi dressed or nude athletes is all the more titillating because it seems at odds with what the games are supposed to be all about. The nature of the games have definitely changed, women's beach volleyball being the prime example. At one time, any involvement with professional sport meant instant ineligiblity for the Olympics. Women's beach volleyball, with it's skimpy bikinis, rock music between points and sexy dancers is about as commercial as sport can be. After all; who really watches it for the sport?

The average man must see thousands of naked women in any given year, either in pictures or in the flesh, yet he is physically incapable of ignoring the possibility of seeing more. Many spend almost every spare moment persuing tits and ass and never seem to be able to get enough.

Testosterone is a highly potent chemical, and driven by this force men will completely irrational things. Many women understand this and have turned putting it to their advantage into lucrative careers. Most of us are not complaining.

May the force be with you...

Restoring Olympic Traditions

Posing nude for the cameras is a trend gaining increasing popularity with athletes. Four German Olympic sportswomen: sailor Petra Niemann, hockey striker Katharina Scholz, canoeist Nicole Reinhardt and judo fighter Romy Tarangul have posed for German Playboy, joining a host of other stars like Amanda Beard using nudity in the name of a cause. British triple jumper Phillips Idowu , British cyclist Rebecca Romero and Scottish swimmer Gregor Tait have also bared all for an advertising promotion. Why shouldn’t they? Their bodies are beautiful and judging by public reaction the majority aren’t complaining. If the Olympic movement can turn it’s back on it’s purist, amateur tradition and go all out for big bucks, why can’t athletes flaunt their sexuality?

Why not then take the whole thing a step further and revive the ancient tradition of staging the entire Olympic games nude? In the ancient Olympics, of course only men competed, but surely that rule could also be relaxed. Nude Olympics would boost television ratings into the squillions and arguments over discrimination with beach volleyball uniforms would be put to bed forever.

In ancient times, the ideal for male athletes was the possession of a small, uncircumcised penis. Circumcised athletes tried to conform to the fashion using the painful procedure of epispasm to restore the foreskin. If this ancient Olympic tradition was restored, this might also be a problem for many male athletes. After all, who wants an unfashionable penis? Circumcision features in this list of the top 10 bizarre surgical procedures.

Debate still rages over the benefits or otherwise of this form of mutilation. Dr Karl Kruszelnicki commented that saying a circumcised penis functioned better was akin to saying an eye functions better without an eyelid. Whatever the health benefits of genital mutilation, one could certainly object on aesthetic grounds.

The Door in the Floor

In this excerpt from the movie ‘The Door in the Floor’, Mimi Rogers who plays an artist’s model poses nude for Jeff Bridges, a sculptor. What is interesting about this scene is the completely impersonal relationship between the two people. Usually nudity implies some kind of intimacy in a relationship, but quite the opposite is the case here. This is as it should be between an artist and model where the pursuit is beauty in art rather than sexuality, although it’s hard to deny that some sexual element always exists. The very fact that the relationship between the two is so detached and impersonal serves to increase the sexual tension. The slight look of pained embarrassment on Roger’s face as she disrobes further increases the tension.

The fact that Rogers is not a young woman but still manages to be very sexy and the way the artist manipulates the platform to position her, treating her very much like an object is also interesting. In a way it serves as a metaphor for the relationship between all men and women; the male active and the female passive and devoid of personality. Judging by the number of women who eagerly pose for the camera, women enjoy this kind of attention and find it flattering. This only perpetuates inequality.

Wife's eBay Revenge

lover's knickers and empty condom packet for sale on eBay

A woman who caught her (soon to be ex) husband cheating is selling his lover's underwear and a used condom packet on eBay. After coming home unexpectedly and noticing a suspicious sms she found her husband reluctant to allow her into the bedroom. In the bedroom she found a pair of knickers and an empty condom packet.

» view the eBay page & read the wife’s full story

As the couple hadn’t used condoms for years he needed a fast explanation. ”I dropped my phone down the toilet, I didn't want to put my hands down there and I could't get it out with the toilet brush so I used a condom because I couldn't find any rubber gloves...” is what he came up with. To explain the knickers he explained that he had been a closet transvestite for years and had been meaning to tell her.

The evidence has been posted on eBay with the title: “EMPTY CONDOM PACKET & A PHOTO OF 'THE TART'S' KNICKERS FOUND IN OUR BED AFTER A TWO TIMING LOW LIFE'S AFFAIR.” Bids for these items are now over $11,000 with over 200,000 page views. A flood of supportive comments have been posted to the sellers’ page.

While exposing your husband to world wide ridicule and humiliation like this might seem just a tad extreme; you really have to question the husband’s judgment. If you do have to cheat at least have the sense not to do it in your own home in your own bed. If you must use your own bed, have the sense to remove the incriminating evidence. Furthermore, when you are caught, you might as well admit your crimes. After the ridiculous excuses given, who can blame this woman? Good for her and he deserves all he gets.

Short Skirt Scandal

short skirt scandal

In a story entitled 'Woman booted from shopping centre over skimpy dress' the Daily Telegraph felt compelled to post a gallery of completely unrelated pictures of women in short skirts just in case readers had forgotten what they looked like.

» view the gallery

A woman in a short skirt was asked to leave a suburban shopping centre by security guards when they decided her skirt was too short. According to the Telegraph "The story has opened up a barnstorming debate over the issues of having freedom to dress how you like versus the potential of offence to others..."

Does the Telegraph really think they are kidding anyone? Stories like this are much more about grauitous titillation than any kind of serious debate.

Australian Beauty

Two naked women cavorting in a bath to promote a new art gallery have drawn fire from a family group.

Peak-hour motorists have been treated to the nightly spectacle for the past week to advertise an exhibition at the Joshua Levi Galleries, titled Naked New York, the Courier Mail reports. The exhibition by world-renowned artist Tracey Keller and featuring 25 original acrylic paintings on linen depicting naked women in various poses, has reignited controversy about artistic freedom following the recent Bill Henson furore . In the stunt, two apparently naked women take a bath together and separately from 5pm to 7pm in the gallery's window, in candle-lit scenes reminiscent of those made famous by Mena Suvari in the movie American Beauty.

more images

Is the controversy justified? The models are at least partially covered and as the exhibition is of nudes, relevant to the theme. Art isn't just about painting and sculpture and an exhibit featuring live models might seem a perfectly legitimate piece of modern art.

However, the nude models in the gallery window are clearly not an artwork but a piece of advertising. If the gallery wanted to promote Tracy Keller's exhibition, why not display examples of her work? It would give the public a much more accurate idea of what to expect. This is, of course, a cynical attention grabbing stunt and most who take an interest are unlikely to be art lovers.

The problem for 'family groups' who protest about this kind of exploitation is that their protests are counter productive. Creating a scandal just provides very welcome free publicity.

It certainly worked for Bill Henson.

Laure Manaudou: read my lips

This picture appeared in the Daily Telegraph online edition with the caption:

"France's Laure Manaudou talks to compatriot Esther Baron (L) during a swimming training session at the World Swimming Championships in Melbourne in March, 2007."

The Telegraph seems to be dealing with its transition to an online publication by publishing an increasing number of images of athletes and celebrities which can only be described as soft porn. It may well have been an interesting conversation, but leaves one wondering what they were talking about.

View Telegraph Laure Manaudou gallery

More Telegraph images of Laure Manaudou

Bush thumbs up for beach volleyball women

President George W. Bush temporarily switched roles Saturday from commander-in-chief to cheerleader-in-chief at the Summer Olympics, stopping by to offer support for the American volleyball and softball teams.

He made a surprise visit to the beach volleyball venue, where he watched the U.S. men's and women's teams practice. But it took a little coaxing to get Bush out on the sand court.

source: Reuters

more pictures

Is it just me but does this picture look kind of compromising?

Kind of bummed; beach volleyball bikinis

Ever wondered why female beach volleyball players wear micro-bikinis? Four-time Olympian Natalie Cook has provided a straight answer. While the rules of the sport have changed to make it more pacy for television coverage, 2000 Olympic gold medallist Cook said the bikinis are not about audience eye candy but all about the conditions.

"...we wear a bikini because it is hot out there most of the time,'' Cook, the first female beach volleyballer to go to four Olympic Games, said.

If a woman wants to play under the auspices of the International Volleyball Federation, she better get out her tape measure; women's uniform bottoms have to be two and a half inches wide on the sides. The federation, based in Switzerland, decided the uniforms should be standardized. It says beach volleyball is played on the beach, so swimsuits are in keeping with the sun and fun atmosphere.

Apparently the 'fun atmosphere' only applies to women; male volleyball players are now required to wear shorts that fall a bit above the knee.

"I'm kind of bummed; I like my tights," said the sport's most famous player, Gabrielle Reece, who is known for wearing black Lycra tights rather than a bikini suit while playing.

Despite Natalie Cook's 'straight answer'; I'm still wondering why female beach volleyball players wear micro-bikinis. If this ruling is not simply about providing eye candy for TV cameras, surely male beach volleyball players should be made to wear skimpy bikinis too.

In your own skin

Olympic gold medalist swimmer Amanda Beard had to launch her naked, anti-fur campaign poster outside the Athletes' Village on Wednesday after Chinese authorities cancelled a planned unveiling, citing safety concerns.In a poster for the animal rights group PETA, the reigning 200-meter breaststroke champion appears naked in front of the U.S. flag and the slogan "Be comfortable in your own skin. Don't wear fur."

Source: Chigago Tribune

A host of other celebrities have protested on behalf of PETA, including Alicia Silverstone. While the motives behind such protests are noble, one has to wonder about the means.

Nudity obviously attracts attention, but does it do anything to convey the message? Are people who view nude images of people like Beard and Silverstone swayed? Are they any less likely to wear fur or eat meat? I would say not. They are much more likely to simply view the images as voyeurs. There is always a large market for celebrity nudes and these images just add to the ever increasing stock available. While any publicity might be good publicity, there might be more effective ways of getting the message across.

Are they becoming meat to protest the eating of meat? Most of the audience these images reach will enjoy looking at them and continue eating their big macs and wearing their fur lined caps. Using nudity to convey this message tends to put these women on the same level of the animals they seek to protect.

Beijing: the naked olympics

The image above shows Guangdong TV news presenter Ou Zhihang performing pushups naked in front of several China’s landmarks. One wonders how many people in China can view these images. China's intternet is quite likely to be like Ned Flanders' cable TV; 99 channels and all blocked except for the weather.

Under international pressure, China has now allowed unrestricted internet access for foreign journalists covering the games. The internet remains restricted for the rest of the country. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has admitted it was aware of China's plan not to unblock the internet, although journalists were lead to believe otherwise. Some Olympics commentators have made comments like "Can't we just forget this and concentrate on the positive aspects of the games?" China's record on human rights is perhaps another aspect we should just forget so we can sit back and enjoy the fun.

The IOC was of course well aware of the extent of China's human rights abuses when choosing the games host country. The booming Chinese economy and potential for making large amounts of money was probably a much more important consideration.

Perhaps some positives will come out of the games. International pressure may encourage China to curb its excessive pollution and destruction of the environment and may even improve its approach to human rights, but don't hold your breath. China's repressive regime may one day find that repression works against it in the long term. Over censorship of the internet only increases curiosity about that which is blocked. The most positive outcome would be the undermining of China's government.

I'm sure this site is blocked in China...

Elave: Nothing to Hide?

"elave commissioned this risqué eye-catching method of communicating the serious message that elave has no worrying chemicals in its formulations and therefore ‘nothing to hide’.
Nudity has been used as a device within the ads to highlight the elave product range’s comprehensive ‘free from’ chemical list and the fact that the elave brand lists its ingredients openly on its packaging. A growing number of consumers are starting to request chemical safe skincare and it is hoped that this campaign will bring these issues into the public domain and ignite the debate, particularly amongst chemical concerned consumers and sufferers of sensitive skin conditions."

Source: http://www.elave.co.uk/nothing-to-hide

This commercial was shown briefly on 'The Gruen Transfer', an interesting ABC series which analyses advertising. Click here to read the critique The CEO of the company actually appears in the ad.

Perhaps Elave actually does have something to hide: while purporting to "bring these issues into the public domain and ignite the debate..." all they are really doing is practicing the tried and true strategy "sex sells".

Vodafone's folding girlfriend

In a recent Vodafone ad shown on Australian TV, a guy going on a trip decides he wants to take his wall map with him so he neatly folds it and puts it in his pocket. He then decides to take his computer, his TV and then his CD collection (including a large cabinet). He neatly folds them up one by one and puts them in his pocket. Just as he's almost out the door he looks at his sleeping girlfriend, then comes back, folds her up and puts her in his pocket too. Vodafone uses the slogan 'Take your world with you' for this ad.

Is this commercial not just the slightest bit insulting to women? Firstly, he takes his girlfriend last, almost as an after thought. She is perhaps the least important of his essential accessories? Secondly, is that all she is? An accessory? An object on a par with a computer or a TV? Vodafone might not have meant to be sexist and offensive but they have ceratinly managed it. It may provide an insight into the subconscious of the guys that create ads like this. The CGI are impressive and the concept is clever, but the bottom line leaves a lot to be desired.

Watch the full commercial here:

The war on drugs

"Marijuana potency increased last year to the highest level in more than 30 years, posing greater health risks to people who may view the drug as harmless, a new US report says.

The latest analysis from the University of Mississippi's Potency Monitoring Project tracked the average amount of THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, in samples seized by law enforcement agencies from 1975 to 2007. It found that the average amount of THC reached 9.6 per cent last year, compared with 8.75 per cent in 2006".

Source: http://www.smh.com.au/news/science/drug-potency-doubles/2008/06/12/1212863811747.html

The rise in THC levels is hardly surprising. For years police have been targeting marijuana plantations, of both the backyard and commercial variety. This kind of bust has always been a soft target due to the high visibility of crops and improvements in aerial surveillance. It has forced growers to abandon outdoor crops in favour of indoor, hydroponics. Under controlled indoor conditions, marijuana can develop much higher potency. Higher potency levels can contribute to psychological, cognitive and respiratory problems. The problem seems to lie more with the law than with the use of marijuana itself.

Just what is the so called ‘war on drugs’ about? Every year, countless billions of tax payers money is spent on drug enforcement. Countless people end up in prison or worse in some countries for choosing to ingest prohibited substances. Is this expense justified? Why are crimes involving drugs given a higher priority than most others when this is essentially a victimless crime?

Governments and law enforcement agencies might warn that if the prohibited substances in question were legalised social disorder would quickly ensue. They worry they would lose control over large sections of the community, and being in control is always of prime concern.

However, the fact that recreational drugs is illegal does little to discourage their use and somehow society does not come crashing down around our heads. They might argue that if drugs were legal, people would be constantly off their heads and unable to be productive members of society. It is possible to sit down in the gutter with a bottle of scotch but the fact is, most people just don’t. Of course, any drug can be abused, but there have always been a much higher incidence of health problems related to legal drugs like alcohol and tobacco than illegal drugs. Persecuting those who insist on taking drugs has done nothing to solve the problem; in fact it only makes things worse.

Tenaciously targeting soft targets like marijuana does make it difficult to buy, and this increases it’s price. This is very welcome to organised criminals dealing drugs. It makes marijuana sales ever more lucrative and makes buyers with less money much more likely to try cheaper alternatives like heroin. The addictive nature of heroin and narcotics means customers are all the more likely to keep coming back for more; again the dealers profit. The deadly nature of heroin is caused by varying levels of imputy; it might be cut with sugar one week and cement the next. No one knows what they are getting when they buy on the street and addicts frequently die. Another argument often cited is that relaxation of drug laws could make drugs more available to children; but couldn’t age restrictions be applied more easily if the drugs weren’t illegal? As things are there are no restrictions.

Farmers are now being encouraged by many governments to grow non drug producing marijuana. This plant produces the strongest known natural fibre and has an incredibly high yield. It also has other health related benefits and has been used to treat conditions like glaucoma. Perhaps such things are signals that the laws need to be rethought.

The ‘war on drugs’ has been described by some as a modern day version of prohibition. Prohibition failed dramatically and did little more than lead to a rise in organised crime. The war on drugs is little different. Criminals get rich and users suffer. It is more a war on freedom than anything else.

Roberta's Underbelly

she devil Roberta Williams

Roberta Williams, former wife of crime baron Carl has posed for men's magazine Zoo Weekly in a bikini. Carl and Roberta have practically become household names since featuring as key characters in the hit TV series Underbelly. The shoot has also been covered by A Current Affair. The press has commented that Roberta has sunken to a new low by posing for a tacky magazine. How can this woman who for years benefited from the proceeds of drug dealing and murder be allowed to profit from her notoreity? How deplorable? How sordid? Really?

Has Roberta really sunken to a new low by posing for a few photographs in a bikini? If Underbelly is anything to go by, she was well aware of most of her husband's illegal activities. How else did he come by such a huge fortune when he had no job or other means of income? After initially complaining about her portrayal in the TV series, Roberta is now reaping the benefits of her new found celebrity. Scandal mongers like A Current Affair and Zoo Weekly are very happy to cash in on her fame, and large numbers of consumers are just as happy to lap it up. After living association with drug dealing and murder, posing in a bikini hardly seems 'a new low'. Descriptions of Roberta as 'a tragic figure' seem a bit melodramatic. Her bank account is likely to be anything but tragic. Perhaps we should just be grateful she spared us doing the photo shoot nude.

It's interesting that as soon as a woman comes into the public eye; almost the first thing she's asked to do is take her clothes off for the camera. I doubt Carl will be asked to pose for a photo shoot in his speedos if he ever gets out of prison. Women are always sex objects first and people second (if at all).

Benefiting from the proceeds of crime; sordid, tacky, deplorable: maybe. Surprising? No.

Beowulf's Femme Fatale

Ray Winstone as Beowulf and Angelina Jolie as Grendel's Mother

When I saw this ad on a billboard for the movie 'Beowulf', (directed by Robert Zemeckis 2007) I just had to see it. This film was created with digital animation and the whole thing has the look of a video game. I enjoyed it; no great work of art but it's kind of fun. Ray Winstone must have found it very flattering to have his short, stocky physique transformed into a buff nordic god.

However, the Beowulf story is evidence that the devouring female versus passive victim dichotomy is not confined to classical mythology alone. (This was discussed in an earlier post 'The Rock of Doom') .

Angelina Jolie appears nude as Grendel's mother in Beowulf

In Beowulf, Angelina Jolie plays the monster Grendel's mother. She appears nude except for a thin coating of liquid gold. She has a tail and sexy high heels (I didn't know you could get shoes like that in 6th century Denmark!). She is the archetypal femme fatale; half alluring woman, half devouring beast. She proves to be the nemesis of King Hrothgar (Anthony Hopkins) and then to Beowulf himself. The 'woman as victim' is Queen Wealthow, played by Robin Wright Penn. She endures a loveless marriage with a much older man (King Hrothgar) and then endures marriage to a husband (Beowulf) with a younger and publicly acknowledged mistress Ursula (Alison Lohman).

Again; the female charaters are relegated to stereotypes; victim and monster. The fact that the monster has a certain number of hybrid beast attributes is certainly a metaphor for a dangerous sexuality. Sure, you're attracted to the femme fatale but the quiet, passive girl is the one you'd take home to mother. Only the male characters in the story; Beowulf, Hrothgar, Unferth (John Malkovich) have any true individuality or personality.

So if this flick is just bit of harmeless fun, why is such sexual stereotyping a problem? It is a problem because this view of women as secondary entities continues to pervade our conscious and subconscious minds. These ideas are deeply entrenched in myth, history and conditioning and need a huge amount of rethinking and re-interpretation before women have any hope of equality.

Norse god: monster slayer Beowulf

The real Ray Winstone: a bit of a monster

Venus and Olympia

While I was at college, I was set this essay question: "In his early work, Manet was heavily influenced by the old masters. What do you make of this?"

Kind of a strange question. What I made of it was this: In his early work, Manet was heavily influenced by the old masters. What I also made of it was the image below.

The image compares Titian's 'Venus of Urbino' to Manet's 'Olympia'. There is obviously a strong similarity. Both depict naked women in a reclining position, and both women are 'courtesans' which is a nice way of saying prostitute. Titian's Venus has long been held by the art establishment as one of the ultimate examples of figure painting and female beauty. In stark contrast, Manet's 'Olympia' created a scandal when it was exhibited at the Paris Salon of 1865. In fact, it ignited a scandal over art and decency that has rarely been paralleled.

If the two paintings are so similar, why did Olympia cause such a scandal? It's always been considered ok to paint nudes if the context was one of mythology, ancient history, or some exotic, far off place, such as in 'The Turkish Bath' by Ingres.

Manet's 'Olympia' depicts a contemporary scene, not an exotic or mythological context. Manet's 'Olympia' depicts a prostitute. Rather than allowing the viewer to assume the role of an unseen voyeur, her gaze engages the viewer as she would a customer. As many of the male visitors to the Paris Salon were likely to have visited prostitutes in a similar setting, 'Olympia' was much too close to the bone. While Titian's Venus has a passive, alluring gaze, Olympia's gaze is confronting, even challenging.
This contrast is further emphasized by the position of the hands in the two pictures. I've always found 'Venus of Urbino' to be rather outrageous in this respect. I mean, what is she doing?! Masturbating is the obvious answer. You can really come to no other conclusion than that she is touching herself; the fingers curl and incline into her genital area. (Just in case you didn't work that out for yourself). It's odd that few, if any art history texts make any reference to this glaring act at all. Perhaps not; it's easier to ignore this detail than to confront it. In any case; how is it possible that Titian's painting was and is regarded as a great academic masterpiece while verging on pornography? It's not so different to a playboy or penthouse image, apart from the fact that is was created by an old master in oils.

On the other hand (excuse the pun), Olympia's hand has a more defensive posture. It blocks any view of her genital area and seems in some way challenging. It again positions the viewer in the role of customer rather than voyuer, as if to say: 'you don't get this unless you pay for it.' Olympia's whole demeanour is much more reserved. She appears relaxed, yet self possessed. She is much more an individual that Titian's Venus; in no way a passive plaything for a wealthy nobleman but a confident woman offering a service which is as much a part of everyday life now as it was then.

Another interesting element of Manet's Olympia is the position of the black cat. It's back arched; it's tail upright, it can be seen as a sexual symbol. The position of the tail and hair standing up could be said to be phallic. Who is the cat responding to but the viewer/customer? The cat's pose is defensive and threatening. Furthermore, cats have long been a symbol of femininity, of bad or good luck and were commonly the familiars of witches. This element adds futher tension to the picture; underlining Olympia's inaccessibility. While she will engage in the transaction on her terms alone, a firm barrier protects her. Her inner self cannot be known and is not for sale.

Did Manet intend all of this? It would be very interesting to ask him but that's not possible now. The strong similaritiies and contrasts with Titian's Venus would suggest that he definitely did. It could be said that Manet managed to make a feminist years ahead of its time. He was of course pilloried for it at the time.

The Body Shape Revolution

Cosmo published a section in this month's issue entitled 'The Body Shape Revolution and Where You Fit In'. It featured images of women similar to those in the image below.
How nice of Cosmo to define a catalogue of standard body types to help us understand who we are. I personally would be lost without this kind of help. Not having to think for myself makes life a whole lot easier. The body type featured in the image below is not included.

The picture of Isabelle Caro, 27, an anorexic who weighs just 31 kilos (4 stone, 12lb), has been displayed on Milan billboards to jolt the fashion industry into action over the problem of anorexia. Despite insisting that Cosmo has been "... the only mgazine to ban diets and feature women sized six to sixteen in every issue." such magazines must take at least some responsibilty for this problem due to their continual obsession with appearance and the need to be attractive.

So just what is a true Cosmo girl? The image below seeks to answer the question.

The Rock of Doom

'The Rock of Doom', by Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones was painted between 1885 and 1887. This painting is the sixth in Burne-Jones' Perseus Cycle. This picture, like others in the series, draws upon the version of the Perseus legend that appears in William Morris's "The Doom of King Acrisius" from The Earthly Paradise. The picture is in some ways relevant to the issues previously discussed. The theme of a helpless woman in peril being rescued by a heroic male is recurrent in the history of Western art (St. George and the Dragon for example). A Fruedian analysis of this work seems appropriate. The rock Andromeda is chained to is unquestionably phallic. The sea monster she is to be sacrificed to can be seen as another phallic symbol; a metaphor for the evil of unrestrained male sexuality. The viewer is invited to be a voyeur; Andromeda is naked and completely helpless. Perseus is clad in a complete suit of armour, also phallic in that it's rigidity holds his body in a state of permanent erection. This might seem a long bow to draw but the fact remains that the female is depicted as passive and helpless and the male active and heroic. Perseus face remains mysteriously androgenous. This is typical of males in Burne Jones' work.

The idea of rescue was quite prevalent in 19th century society. Countless philanthropists established shelters for 'fallen women' to help set them on the path to 'virtue'. The underlying idea is that female sexuality is something that must be controlled. Despite the advances of more recent times women are still characterised as the 'weaker sex'.

This painting also characterises the stereo types of women that appear in Greek mythology. Women seldom if ever have any real personality. They are helpless victims like Andromeda, or are part beast predators like the mermaids, the sirens and the harpies. One only has to look at the classical design of law courts, places of government and other official buildings to realise that the Greek ideal is still alive today. This is not to say that the culture and art of the ancient Greeks (and Burne Jones) is anything but beautiful, but that their gender bias in many ways continues to permeate our lives.

Real Women

"Real women, sizes 6-16 NAKED. No retouching, just brave readers, nude and honest..." So reads the cover of this month's Cosmopolitan Magazine. This is in keeping with the publication's 'Body Love Policy'. Editor Sarah Wilson explains the philosophy:

"It can do a girl's head in seeing image after image of size 8 women with their clothing slipping off bony hips and shoulders, right? You begin to think it's standard — and desirable — and you compare your own body to this "normalised" image..."

"But skinny women sell magazines, don't they? There's certainly that argument out there. The thing is though, they sell mags because they create angst. Many women's mags are sold using angst — telling readers that they are too fat or too single or too lonely or too unfashionable. But I prefer not to treat readers like victims. It's unempowering..."

This is in keeping with present moves to ban annorexic models from catwalks and encourage a more natural and realistic self image for (in particular young) women. All very politically correct. But Sarah Wilson is not being particularly honest. Skinny women don't necessarily sell magazines, but naked women certainly do.

This presentation of women further focusses on the idea that a woman's appearance is of prime importance. In pretending to promote more healthy attitudes to body image, the magazine does nothing more than continue to objectify women.

Judging by the messages on this forum: Proanorexia, World's Largest Pro Anorexia Site, the trend among young women towards a negative and obsessive body image is of great cause for concern. To really make a difference publications like Cosmo need to do more than simply present a range of different body shapes in the buff. The idea that the degree to which a woman is attractive to men is of tantamount importance needs to be substantially changed. Of course, this wouldn't be as profitable, would it?

Cosmo's new policy certainly seems to be working. This month's issue was sold out at my local newsagent's. Obviously I managed to pick up a copy elsewhere.

Unbridled Freedom?

To escape the safety of human bondage and venture into the uncharted waters of unbridled freedom, that is the terrifying question...