Merchants of Cool: Midriff

5/21/19

One topic discussed in Merchants of Cool that I found interesting was the “midriff.” The movie showed clips of girls in their early teen years trying to get parts as models or actresses in commercials. To get the part, they all were wearing tiny crop tops, had fake tans, and were very skinny. I don’t think at age thirteen these girls knew what they were doing by selling their bodies for a commercial or the media. They simply do it because they want to make money and become famous. In my opinion, this is a horrible idea for young girls. Britney, a character we followed throughout Merchants of Cool was just thirteen years old when she started going to auditions specifically looking for a midriff model. The media valued this idea so much and practically had the idea of a perfect model in every ad, movie, commercial, etc. In the media today, there is much more of a variety of girls. I think merchants now look for diversity rather than the typical skinny white girl we have seen in the past. Using the midriff archetype, girls were consumed by appearance. This idea is still very popular today, but just like any other trend, there are new ideals forming now. By using the midriff characters, merchants tried to sell a lifestyle, like if you buy the shirt this girl is wearing, you’ll be famous, rich, and beautiful just like her. I don’t think it’s bad for young girls to want to be a model and show off their bodies however they want, but I think it’s different when girls grow up trying to be this certain figure and hating themselves if they don’t. Ultimately, I just don’t think girls are using the midriff idea in a positive way. In recent ads, we have seen girls of all different colors and sizes, which is much more beneficial to the merchants and girls growing up that see this. I am glad to say the midriff archetype has become less popular, and instead a healthy and happy archetype has replaced it.

Comments

Women in Media

5/25/19 By watching MissRepresentation, I learned a lot about the history of women’s roles in media. I was surprised to watch how women journalists on the news were depicted by their appearance so much by men. It was unbelievable what men said about women on national television showing no respect. This movie helped me understand why women often feel so discouraged to be involved in politics and media in general. In the film a man said the more power women get, the more backlash they receive for it. I agree with this statement and think it’s a result of men being taught that they have to be smarter, stronger, and better than women. The film also talked about this issue. I think boys are being raised to believe they can’t show their emotions and they have to act tough and strong. They learn these ideals through media and common phrases like “Boys will be boys” and “You throw like a girl.” Although these may not have like they have a big impact on boys, when everyone in ...

Mid90s

4/22/19 4/22/19 Last night I was watching a movie, mid90s, that was recently written and directed by Jonah Hill. The movie takes place in East Oakland, California during the mid 90s, and focuses on a group of four skaters and a little boy that looks up to them and eventually becomes a part of their close-knit group. Every member of the group goes through struggles that many go through today: abusive family, drug addiction, poverty, and loss of family members. Yet, all the boys come together to skate and use it as an escape from whatever they are going through. The main character, nicknamed “sunburn,” is the youngest character, looking for a getaway from his violent brother and immature mother. While on a bike ride through his neighborhood, he sees a group of boys skating a store and smiles while he watches them. Later that night, he spends hours teaching himself to skate, falling, and getting back up every time. He clearly is determined and it later pays off. S...

The Best Men Can Be

5/7/19 ` As we have been analyzing commercials and ads in class, I have been looking at commercials I see so often every day in a much different way. I look at the actors used, the voice over/music, the setting, and the overall message. After we spent a class watching commercials, I remembered an ad Mr.Masincupp once showed us in his class, Gillette’s “We Believe: The Best Men Can Be.” I really admire this ad and think it does a great job of making a memorable commercial for a viewer that ensures they will remember it. Unlike others, this commercial doesn’t talk about the product at all, and doesn’t even show men shaving their face at any point. Instead, it focuses on making a video that conveys a strong and important theme. The video starts off on men’s faces of all different ethnicities.Then, we see footage of a boy being chased by bullies, two little boys fighting on the ground, a boy crying to his mom after being bullied, men assaulting women, etc. These videos made ...

Zoe Maggio's Blogs

Search This Blog