The Original Cosmo Girl

After reading Inventing the Cosmo girl by Oulellette, the first thought or person who popped to mind was Samantha from Sex in the City. She is the perfect example of an independent women, who is stunning, stylish and centered on sex. She may not be the typical 25 year old model, but she has the attitude that Cosmo is trying to build into their readers. She has the perfect pink collar job being a PR, she is not too concerned about committing to a man and she spends a great deal of her life talking about sex with men she has/ is yet to be involved in. Brown promoted "a girl style American Dream that promised transcedence from class roles as well as sexual ones" (117). Sam is a high class female who has clearly made her way through her pink collar job, and maybe through the way she is so sexualized in her everyday life, but the main point to address is that she maintains this vibe without coming across as trashy.
Samantha is definitely an example of a women "who may no longer have recognized her place in male orientated American Dream mythology"(120).

While reading "Inventing the Cosmo Girl" by Laurie Ouelette, I came to the conclusion that the former editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan Magazine, Helen Gurley Brown, had in fact created a subculture in itself with the invention of the Cosmo Girl. "...Cosmopolitan was the first consumer magazine to target single 'girls with jobs' with feature articles, advice columns, budget fashions and advertisements for mainly 'feminine' consumer items..." (Ouellette 119) Cosmopolitan was the first magazine, with Brown at the helm, to target a specific audience that was just emerging with the changing social tides and shape them to whatever she wanted them to be. Cosmopolitan magazine placed an emphasis on female sexuality, and this is what sets it apart from the other female-targeted magazines of the era. "Features on female orgasm, birth control, masturbation, casual sex and sexual experimentation appeared under Brown's editorship, while quizzes with names like 'How Sexy Are You?' " (Ouelette, 123) This direct focus on the working girl was intoxicating and something that had not been done before, which is a direct link to the magazine's overall success. This image is from an issue of Cosmopolitan, and it heralds "The Naughtiest Sex Position".

Cosmo Girl

The article “Inventing the Cosmo Girl” by Laurie Ouellette, analyzes the effects of the advice given to women by Cosmopolitan Magazine and its construction of the “Cosmo Girl”. I am not dedicated reader of Cosmopolitan, but I have been known to skim through an issue or two. I have always been fascinated by the construction of the seemingly “ideal” women the magazine continues to build issue after issue. Ever since Helen Gurley Brown structured the magazine to do this, there has been hardly a single issue that is without advice for women that leads them to be more like the “Cosmo Girl”. Before even reading the article, I could construct the characteristics of the “Cosmo Girl” from just the experience of reading a few issues of the magazine. The “Cosmo Girl” is fashion forward, a “pink-collar” worker, well educated in the art of seduction, Healthy with good diet and exercise habits, confident, involved politically or with “good” causes, and most of all centered on sex. Sex is a major part of Cosmopolitan’s advice and constructions. It was its attention to Sex for women that stirred so much controversy and criticism in its early years of publication. Even now some critics of the publication claim it is to focus on sex. I have attached images of past and present covers of the magazine. The covers usually feature and actress or celebrity that captures some of the essence of the constructed “Cosmo Girl.” Even in the images from the 1970’s the covers were extremely sexualized.

Upon reading this journal, the first ad that came to mind was this Disel ad. The woman pictured is the Cosmo Girl. A lot of women complain about femininity in advertising or portray it as bad and misrepresentative. I agree whole heartedly that it is. However it is through EFFECTIVE ad campaigns such as this one that this stereotype is perpetuated. In terms of the consumption article, if this shit would not work, I highly doubt advertisers would do it. In terms of the Cosmo girl, this is it. This is striving to "catch" your boss. An overarching theme in the Cosmo Girl article was that not only are brains a bad thing in an unattractive sense, but that they are hard. That being smart takes so much more time than faking it. It really does take more time. However, which is more self serving? Which is better in the long run? At the beginning of the article I thought that Brown was empowering women through sexuality, but really she is reaffirming the house wife of the 50's, of her time. I believe she was suggesting not to actually strive for anything concrete, but to merely look like you were striving. Not to actually read books, but carry them around to make yourself look smarter. She was border lining on saying be ambitious in all aspects of life that really do not matter at all. Be ambitious about trying to snag a "great catch" without seeming to be. The most troubling thing about this article was that the Cosmo Girl had no true identity. She was a shape shifter of sorts that conforms to whatever a "successful" male needed or wanted her to be. This ad perpetuates that sentiment. Be stupid. Be what your boss "really" wants. Lose yourself in hopes of being picked up by him. Do not be you be what he wants you to be. This ties to the eharmony ad a little too. If you are defining yourself through someone else's expectations, perceptions, and most importantly definition of happiness then what kind of person re you? How do you define self? Who are you and what do you want? Whatever your boss says.

bright colors and attractive females sell..

Whilst reading the Cosemtics- A Clinique case study reading, by Kirkham & Weller. I came to the conclusion that there were trying to address the gendering of toiletries for male and females. The difference in the colors that are used for both genders in their different products, and the information that is used to sell the product. With males the information is literally more about the product as most males are pretty clueless. Whereas females almost rehearse using different beauty products while through there youth and teenage years, so when this becomes a reality they pretty much already know what they need. The advertisement that came to mind was Rhianna CoverGirl Ad (“cover girls,” fashion models who appear on the front cover of ladies' magazines, wear their products). This one in particular was featuring the singer Rhianna, she self promotes a song title whilst promoting the lip gloss. One of her lines is "want to know what i have under my umbrella, even if it's raining your lips will have a lasting fruity shine". This has limited information on the product but was so popular for the pure fact that the advertisement had hot pink and girl colors, was acted out BY Rhianna and the song Umbrella was playing in the background.

The Idea Cosmetics Sell

A lot of the literary and textual devices that Kirkham and Weller described in their case study of cosmetic advertisements perfectly connected with my memory of the ads I have seen in the past. One that came to mind was this Neutrogena commercial starring Vannessa Hudgens. Kirkham and Weller describe how these ads are not only "mere depiction of a... thing" (271). Cultural constructions aid in giving further meaning to the product, especially for women. In the end, the company is not just selling a product but a feeling, emotion, and femininity as well. The Neutrogena commercial is all abut cleanliness and purity. For instance, the wash is a soft pastel pink and grapefruit can be considered a fresh and feminine scent. The splash of water is a device that the writers say symbolizes the "fresh cleanliness the product promises" and sensual purification of the woman.
I also couldn't help but think what the company was hoping Vanessa Hudgens herself would symbolize for the viewer. Around the time of this commercial, she was a star in the Disney original TV movie High School Musical, aimed towards an audience of teen age and under with its G-rated portrayal of Hudgen's (Gabriella's) relationship with Zac Efron's character Troy. They are shown as a very innocent couple: the most they do is flirt and hold hands. Vanessa in real life is also shown through Disney as an innocent girly-girl. Before the whole naked picture scandal that ruined this guise of purity, she was the soft spoken epitome of innocence. Neutrogena most likely took this into consideration. With their purifying face wash they were also selling the beautiful, girly-girl, innocence that a well known celebrity like Vanessa would provoke in the minds of those who know her. Cultural construction has caused us to buy not just the product but the feeling their use promises to give. Furthermore, which teenager wouldn't want to use the same facial cleanser as a celebrity like Vanessa Hudgens who gets to date Zac Efron. Neutrogena has made this aspect of beauty, cleanliness, and purity attainable to anyone who can afford drugstore price facial cleanser.

Stereotyping Cosmetics

Stereotypes play such a significant role in our society, so much that almost everyone and everything (whether it’s a sport, product, car etc.) has a stereotype. In Kirkham and Weller’s article “Cosmetics” the gendering of cosmetic products is closely analyzed and portrays the differences in advertising male and female cosmetics. On the bottom of page 271, the male advertisement of a soap ad suggests that it is a masculine ad because of the “male hand and hairy wrist.” This article clearly shows that advertisements are easily identified based of the gender stereotype that is targeted. In this Old Spice Bodywash ad I posted, there is no one in the ad but it is immediately implied it is for a male because of the background music, scene of the shower, and by the soap (with hair on it). This video is directly related to Kirkham and Weller’s argument about gendering a male’s cosmetic product.