What women want?

I googled “what women want”, and almost every image that showed up objectified women in one way or another.  Although the title is supposed to answer the question in a literal way that actually reflects what women truly want, unfortunately everything about the tile suggests otherwise.  Take a look at the magazine cover beneath.

This is a  September 22, 2008 Issue of Newsweek that  explores the “Palin Effect,” what influences women voters, and why gender will not likely be the only deciding factor in this election.  Although the article itself me suggest helpful information, the way the title was presented sends a message that suggests something possibly sexual.  Look at the font.  It is written in the style of handwriting that suggest an impersonal or possible private letter written to someone.  Then there is the color red.  WOW!  I searched for the color meaning of red. According to the color wheel http://www.color-wheel-pro.com/color-meaning.html, red is a very emotionally intense color.  It also says that in advertisements red is used to evoke erotic feelings.  In this instance red is used to bring the title to the foreground.  Hall (2007) suggests that “when you see certain things as being in the foreground, other things tend to form a background, and in this way become unseen or go unnoticed.” (84).  OK.  So we have a title written in a personal way brought to the foreground, but there is something else. It is written with a red lipstick.  Is this a personal invitation to something private of sexual in nature or is this a serious article discussing women and politics?

Here is another political cartoon strip that objectified women in politics.  Although the images are simple but the text is the focus of this particular message.  If we are not objectify her physical image, then it is her character.  Are these written suggestions calling for women to be a little loose, layed back …

She’s a Robot Translates to Loosen up

Calculating Translates to make spur of the moment decisions

Distant Translates to Loosen up

Emotionless Translates to become a drama queen

Or maybe, this is how we want to see women in politics.  Look at the image below.

The man is brought to the forefront by utilizing color.  In one hand he holds a woman who appears to be  a lifeless doll.

Or maybe what women really want  is a man to be the center of her attention.  Below is a photo of Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt.  Whilst his focus is the camera-the public, her focus is definitely him.  And the title cements that need!  I wonder if the bearer of the look is only man, or is this what we truly ask for but do not want to admit?

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