The Daughter of the Dragon, 1931

Photograph of Anna May Wong, Otto Dyar 1932

The exhibit “China through the looking Glass” allows viewers to to visualize and understand Chinese fashion imagination through film and art. The “Enigmatic Body” is a particularly fascinating concept that leads us to many questions about Chinese symbolism, culture, and fashion. In the image, The Daughter of the Dragon (1931), Anna May Wong sits in the shadow of a Chinese dragon. In the image on the right, by Otto Dyar, Wong hides behind the body of the dragon. In both images, we see Wong pictured with the Chinese dragon in a black and white or discolored representation.

The decision to insert Anna May Wong as the focal point of each photo:

to centralize or to frame?

Anna May Wong, the first Chinese American movie star and first Asian American actress to gain international recognition. The artists of both images choose to insert a very beautiful, well known, talented film start to be the focal point in their image. This immediately causes the audience to question this decision and ask why they made this choice. As discussed in class, the dragon represents power and strength and the insertion of this beautiful talented woman in addition to the dragon, connotes her power and strength as a “dragon lady.”

In an image earlier in the exhibit, we see Wong pictured on a stage with a Western audience who’s eyes are fixed on her body. Hollywood portrays Asian women as “dragon ladies” through the image of Wong in her performance. The images above present this portrayal once again through the decision to insert a highly valued, beautiful Asian film star as the focal point of an image that includes the dragon.

make an effort to support the claim of “enigmatic bodies”

The dragon:

The dragon has been a symbol throughout Chinese history that holds significant meaning in Chinese culture. It represents power, excellence, strength, and heroism. We have seen the dragon appear in certain aspects of Chinese life, however, through the study of Enigmatic Bodies in particular, we are able to understand its significance in Chinese culture as it is paired with an attractive and famous Asian female. The dragon was included in each piece featured in the exhibit in order to make a statement of power and strength.

how does the symbol of dragon signify the concept of “enigmatic bodies?”

The artists’ choice of color:

The Enigmatic Bodies images foster an alluring and intriguing experience for the viewer. Mystery, concealment, and attraction are present in each of the images above. The image named “The Daughter and the Dragon,” is in black and white. The image by Dyar is also a colorless image. I think this choice and technique is very effective in the representation of the themes of mystery, concealment, and attraction because it adds a significant amount of secrecy to the images. In the image on the right, it looks as if Wong is peering out from behind the dragon skin. The image holds a lot of secrecy and concealment, yet also highlights her power and strength as a “dragon lady.” In the image on the left, Wong sits in front of the dragon’s shadow. We are able to see more of her body, however, we are still left with mysteriousness. It is interesting to wonder how these images would be different if they were in color. How would color change them and change their connotations, symbolisms, and meaning?

good organization. explain persuasively how the two images conceptualize “enigmatic bodies.”

China Through The Looking Glass, The Red Detachment of Women, 1971.

Communist China is marked by a time under the reign of Chairman Mao from the 1950’s through the 70’s until Mao’s death in 1976. Mao promoted ideas of uniformity and collectivity in society as a way to unite the people of China across different social classes and professions. It was a highly militaristic time as Mao encouraged the rebellion against capitalism and a lot of violence entailed. This time period really influenced the style and fashion in every day life as shown in the image I chose. This image leads me to make the claim that communist fashion has evolved from its original militaristic purpose and meaning to a whole new representation and expression of creativity during the late Mao and post Mao era

clarify “a whole new representation and expression of creativity in post-mao China” what are the new representation and expression?

The clothing choice:

The women in this image are wearing a form of the communist red guard uniform. We can see the classic jacket, hat and red arm band. This image was taken in 1971, which is in the final few years of the communist time period under Mao when fashion styles were beginning to change. The choice to wear the red guard uniform clearly makes this picture a representation of the communist time.

explain why the attire choice articulates representation of the communist time?

The uniformity:

Every women in this image is wearing the exact same thing. The repetition of their outfits really emphasizes the importance of the uniform. This uniformity displays the ideals Mao encouraged of being one collective unit working together. Not only are the women all wearing the same thing, but they are all in the exact same pose. The women are literally working as one unit, moving the same way. They represent an army in a time period so reliant on military forces.

define the concept of “uniformity”: what is wrong with that?

The juxtaposition of femininity and masculinity:

Another thing I noticed, is the juxtaposition of the pose the women are in and the weapons they are holding. While, this position puts the women on their tip toes in a very delicate pose, the guns they are holding paint them in a more masculine, rough and aggressive light. This shows the complexity of women at this time, are they delicate beautiful figures or should they be empowered and strong like men?

yes, what does the concept of masculinity mean?

Female objectification:

Along the lines of the female representation, I find this image to be objectifying women through the clothing they wear. They are wearing a form of the original red guard military suit, but it has been adapted for their female body. They are wearing short shorts and high socks to elongate and emphasize their legs. It sexualizes these women unnecessarily and takes away from any empowerment they may hold. I find this sexualization of the female body in such a symbolic uniform a way to

masculinization as well as sexualization: possible indications?

nice structure and work on connotation

Chinese cosmetics have become increasingly prevalent in Chinese culture resulting in a highly competitive market. In her article, “In China’s Cosmetics Market Beauty is Pocket Deep,” Jill Petzinger explains that Western brands have struggled to dominate the market while local brands have succeeded in gaining tremendous popularity. Therefore, brands must cater to the fickle local tastes in the region in order to flourish. While adhering to local consumers, the advertisement above exposes a product that is exceedingly popular among Chinese females and highlights a prominent aspect of Chinese beauty: skin whitener. [focal point]

Local Brand: Upon viewing this image, we can immediately see the Chinese symbols written both on the advertisement and the whitening product itself. Pitzinger explains that products by L’Oreal, for example, reject animal testing procedures which is has had an impact on their struggle for business. Chinese consumers pay more attention to the brand, the product and its price, rather than animal testing ideals. Local brands such as Chinese Herborist, for example, uses traditional Chinese ingredients in its products which intentionally target Chinese consumers. Consumers can not only receive the benefits from the products, but can experience satisfaction of investing in a product that has cultural traditional meaning and value. Cindy Yang, Senior Director or Nielsen China says, “local brands are more flexible and faster in execution…they have leveraged traditional Asian ingredients well and made their products very convincing,” in comparison to Western brands. In addition, Eastern brands are more specialized in skin whitening, Pitzinger explains.

stay with the focal claim, skin whitener

Skin Whitener: There is significant attention and emphasis placed on skin health and color among Chinese women. The female portrayed in this advertisement has very light skin, not only on her face, but on her entire body. We can see her skin glistening and certain areas such as her arm are shined substantially to create a more dramatic effect. In contrast with Western customs and skincare preferences, Chinese women explore ways to increase skin whiteness. As discussed in class, this preference began years ago when Chinese people with darker skin were assumed peasants because darker tones were associated with work under the sun. Therefore, skin whiteness was associated with non-workers and an indicator of high class and elite status. Pitzinger writes about Chinese consumers: “they look for the best products to lighten the skin and provide luminosity.”

address further the question of why whitening the skin

Sexualization of the female body: The female in this image is portrayed in a very sexualized manner. She is wearing a white, loose, and revealing tank top that exposes much of her body. She attracts consumers by flashing her white, smooth, and illuminated skin. The advertiser made a concerted effort to create a cool, clean, and shiny image to cater to consumers’ ideals using blue and white colors. The focus is on the female’s skin and in order to achieve this, the advertiser cut off some of the female’s head, hiding much of her hair so as not to interfere and become a distraction. The sexualized female is appealing to other female consumers because her image adheres to the notion that they, too, could look like her by using the product.

female sexuality in terms of white skin? 

Courtney Gallagher

ASNS 2076: Fashion and Gender in China

Prof Shu-chin Tsui

In this Sports Illustrated advertisement, a stark contrast is drawn between the Western female figure and the Chinese male figure, for the purpose of selling the Western lifestyle (sound statement). The exploitation of these two figures is meant to target the desires of Western males, the dominant reader base of Sports Illustrated. The “swimsuit spread” [started in 1970] and is featured on an annual basis. The original intent of the spread was to fill space in the magazine during a time of less sporting activity, as well as heighten sales during a time of slower sale [less sports events], by showing scantily clad women in exotic locations. Since the first edition, this issue of the magazine has become the most popular.

Western Woman v. Chinese Male: Both the gender and ethnic background of the figures featured in this advertisement are being exploited to sell the Western lifestyle. Sports Illustrated exhibits the Western female in her “natural state”—as a temptress, in the wild and ripe for exploitation. The Western woman appears as if she is an exotic place [China], sitting effortlessly — seemingly waiting for someone [waiting to be sold or consumed by the male viewer.] On the other hand, the Chinese male appears as if he is going about his normal work duties. The Chinese male is being used as an ethnic prop used to highlight the exotic location presented. In this way, his life and culture is being exploited and commercialized as a means of selling the Western “way of life.” As a representation of the “ideal, Western lifestyle,” this advertisement highlights Western male fetishism with the foreign, exotic, and authentic Chinese [shown through the Chinese male], as well as their obsession with sexuality and eroticism [shown through the Western woman.] In order to achieve this image, Sports Illustrated exploits both figures.

the significance of the contrast and difference

Naked Body v. Working Body: The naked body of the female is also contrasted with the working body of the male in this advertisement—both as a form of exploitation. The white woman lays on the raft, revealing her body in submission to the male viewer. Her gaze is straight on—suggesting an invitation to act upon desires and sexual fantasies of the male reader. On the other hand, the fisherman is standing and working, fully clothed in his work attire. His gaze is downward in order to avoid the gaze of the viewer, where he serves as a prop to emphasize the “exotic” location. In this way, he is used as a way to further eroticize the already sexualized, naked body where the male viewer sees himself acting upon desire in an exotic location.

stay with the statement of “western life style?”

Location: The hyper-sexualized, submissive Western woman and the traditional Chinese fisherman are both contrasted with the landscape—all of which is commoditized for the reader’s pleasure. The unnatural and demeaning way in which both the male and female is depicted in this picture is contrasted with the natural beauty of the landscape. However, the landscape is blurry allowing the reader to focus more directly to the exploitation of the foreground. The landscape is just another prop to further the erotic and exotic nature of the exploitative picture, which serves to fulfill Western males desire of eroticism and exoticism. The natural and pure beauty of the background is corrupted through its objectification and commodification.

 the significance or the selling point of Chinese landscape?

Both the Western, sexualized woman and Chinese male are dehumanized and objectified in order to arouse the desires of Western males. Through these pages, the Western males can live out their sexual fantasies, while “Orientalizing” Chinese culture. Offensively, it objectifies the Western woman by selling her sexuality, selling her body. The magazine is also selling a skewed, Orientalist vision of Chinese culture—where the inferiority of the impoverished Chinese male serves simply as a prop in the issuers manufactured sexual fantasy. The exploitation of the Western, sexualized woman and Chinese, Orientalized male highlight that the age-old issue of race, culture, and gender is still very much alive in Western society.

nice post

I chose these two advertisements above because each represent qualities that show up the most when looking at beauty trends in China.From beauty products, to hair styles, China brings a lot of Western trends into their culture. However, how come certain trends  translate while others do not? For instance, you see the huge desire for larger eyes in China. So much so that eyelid surgery is one of the most popular plastic surgery procedure in China. Why does that trend get picked up, while say, the Western obsession with self-tanner does not? These are the big questions that we were able to examine, review, and ultimately answer.

good questions raised

“White Plus Renew” & “Lightening”: Both of these photos have the messages “lighting” and “white plus renew”. Both models display very pale almost white skin. The emphasizes on white skin dates back to when poor people would work in the fields and as a result get dark skin. Versus wealthier people who wouldn’t work would remain far skinned and pale. This “white” skin is a representation of high class and good social standing. This demonstrates the class differences and issues that exists in China.

The Zipper: The zipper creates a contrast between the desirable and the undesirable. The left shows a tan, spotty face, and the zipper revealing a pale, soft, and white face. This is showing that with the face cream you can achieve an even, white tone on your face. This zipper is very significant because it shows that Chinese beauty culture sees the tan face with freckles as undesirable and thus, not attracting. It shows the pale white face that the zipper, thus the cream, creates and reveals. The most interesting part of this image is that in Western culture, the more desirable face on that ad with the zipper would be the tan face with the freckles

The Natural, Clean, Youthful Look: In both images, the advertisement highlights the female faces that look very youthful with almost no additional makeup on. This “natural” look is a significant trend in China and is clear in the majority of advertisements that you will see. The significance of having this trend present in both images is so that the consumer will purchase the product (why). In addition, that fact further proves that it is the ideal look for a Chinese woman to possess. It begs the question of how did this come to be? It could represent what men in China hope to see in their women. This is also a signficant difference between China and Western culture. Western culture’s advertisement’s usually consistent of models will very heavy makeup. It looks natural but its is articifical natural by using this product.

These three connotations as well as their denotations demonstrate a whole lot about China’s ideal beauty. Furthermore, they show a lot about what the consumer is looking for and perhaps what male wants in a female’s looks.

return to the questions that you have raised at the beginning and see if you have offered explanation/response

Introduction to the Cosmetics Market in China:

My article, “In China’s Cosmetics Market Beauty is Pocket Deep”, commented on the dynamic nature of the cosmetics market in China today by assessing the extent of success both Western and Eastern cosmetics companies are currently having in the market. The author, Jill Petzinger, highlighted how Western cosmetic companies are finding it hard to keep with the ever changing tastes of local Chinese customers. Local Chinese companies can accredit the current trend of using traditional Chinese ingredients in products to their recent successes in the market, a strategy Western companies are just now starting to use.

What I found interesting is that the image Petzinger chose to be the main focus of her article was in fact an image we had seen before in earlier units of the class- a 1934 liquor advertisement from Grand, Price & Co. Petzinger simply replaced some of the wine bottles with current beauty products. I found myself very intrigued by why she chose to transform this advertisement into something completely different- an advertisement that I wouldn’t have thought to relate to the cosmetics industry at all. What could this ad have to do with the current status of the cosmetic market in China? For this reasons, I am choosing to highlight and compare the two images in my wordpress project this week, and draw a connection between the ad’s relevancy then and now in China’s economy. very nice introduction

From: Lao Shanghai Guanggao (Advertisements of Old-time Shanghai) Yi bin, et al. (Shanghai: shanghai huabao chubanshe, 1995)
page 90
Liquor advertisement from about 1934

Advertisement Remade for the article: “In China’s Cosmetics Market, Beauty is Pocket Deep”

Contrasting the Images: Connotation and Dennotation

The first immediate difference I noticed between the two was the substitution of alcohol, the primary advertisement, for cosmetics commodities, such as Procter and Gamble cosmetics. This completely rebuilds the objective of the advertisement, yet at the forefront of the picture, we are still greeted with the highly sexualized woman dressed in qipao. Much like she was inviting us to come and drink wine with her in the first ad, the remade ad still possesses these invitational qualities. Clearly, she is using cosmetics in the image. She looks very beautiful and done up, as if to say if you use these cosmetics, you can be as beautiful as her. The slit up her leg gives the ad an air of promiscuity, and her dress is almost see through. Why did the makers of the ad sexualize the woman in the qipao in the first place? They wanted the outsider to consume this image: to want her or to want to be her. By sexualizing her they were promoting the product. more detailed analysis: how is the substitution made and for what purpose

Relation to the Cosmetics Industry Today

All of this made me think: What does this have to do with products today, especially that of China’s cosmetics market. Through not only my presentation, but those of my peers, I have seen that the use and popular market for cosmetics in China has projected the idea of an ideal woman. And relating back to my article, which noted the high popularity of the cosmetics marked today in China, we can observe that this sexualization of consumerism subsists from the past to today. The woman projected at the forefront of these two pictures is the ideal Chinese woman. Through the use of both the wine, and current cosmetic products, you can be just like her.