The picture of the modern couple is progress in many ways. She's obviously
learning; from the books we see in her hands in a way it suggests that the lady
knows more the man by him saying that it is all Greek to him and it is a
cigarette commercial so I do believe that this is progress.
(Marshell Medley 2/17/99)
To me the painting done in 1623 displays the woman as being a subordinate
object of lust. She is halfway naked and is being submissive to the
philosopher. The Virgin Madonna. In the 1990 ad the woman is more of an
intellectual than the male counterpart. She knows more and has more clothes. SO
we have progressed.
(Estela Garcia 2/17/99)
The two contrasting images do show progress in my opinion, even though they
both contain gender stereotypes of women representative of the different eras.
In the 1920's painting the female is depicted half-naked, alluring the male or
seducing him, she is shown as evil in deviating him from his more important act
of reading or being a philosopher. He is moving away from her, obviously to
keep himself from her. In the 1990's she is appealing to him but
intellectually, using her mind. The woman is more educated, holding books and
glasses in her hand, and it says it's all Greek to him. This is more progress.
The man is leaning backwards, doing what society considers to be more
“cool,” smoking a cigarette.
(Noela Taban 2/17/99)
To me the the modern picture is making process by having the women wear
clothes. In half the adds we saw in the class the women were bare or half nude
so that is progress. I also feel that the picture is making the woman look like
the intelligent one and the guy looks stupid laid back and smoking a cigarette,
because he is polluting his lungs. The first picture is setting a gender
stereotype the picture has the woman nude seducing the man and he is just
laying back and not even looking at her, almost like he is disgusted. He can
not bear to look at her. She seems like she is tending to him the way that she
throws herself at him.
(Lorraine Jackson 2/19/99)
I think we have come a little of a long journey. At least in the modern
version of the advertisement he is at least listening to her. The body language
still suggests the same things we have been discussing in class. The woman
still looks available and he is looking at her in a seductive way.
(Lauren Sichler 2/20/99)