Definition of "Terrorism"

            After the attack of the twin towers on September 11, 2001, an image of a terrorist has been constructed all across the nation. In the “George W. Bush’s Address to a Joint Session of Congress on the 9/11 attacks”, the myth of an “American” and the myth of a “terrorist” are contrasted and the means of “terrorism” is presented. Through the adjectives used to define “us” and “them” and the circumstances portrayed in Bush’s address, notions of the upper class, the Muslim race, masculinity, and perversion are discussed and associated with a “terrorist”.

            The contrast between the occupation of Americans and the extensive preparation of the training of the terrorists show the class difference between “us” and “them”. In Bush’s speech, the stories of police, firefighters, and rescue workers are mentioned. They are the ones who are saving lives and being honored. They are also workers of the middle class. This sends a message that America is about the strength of the middle class. On the other hand, Usama Bin Laden, who is the planner of the attack, is “the son of a prominent Saudi family, successful business group with significant wealth”. Also, the fact that there are many bases, training facilities and sanctuaries dedicated to training terrorists shows notions of upper class because owning these places take a lot of money and power.

The places mentioned in Bush’s address link the Middle East to terrorism. Bush stated that terrorism is “a fringe form of Islamic extremism” and that al Qaeda, which is the group responsible for the attack, has its training base in Afghanistan. In addition, Bush also said how “Egyptian Islam Jihad has a very close working relationship with al Qaeda”. Even though both Bush and Cheney stated that they are not exactly sure who is involved in training terrorists and planning attacks, the fact that they kept on mentioning Middle Eastern countries creates a link between terrorists and people from those countries.

The term barbarian is used to define a terrorist and this relates terrorism to racial minorities. Throughout history, the word barbarian has been used on many different racial minorities like the Native Americans and the Blacks. By naming terrorism a barbarian, a notion of savageness is created. This gives rise to the message that terrorists are from racial minorities and they are uncivilized people.

The symbol of the shield and the act of hijacking place both “us” and “them” on the extreme end of the gender scale. In Bush’s address, he held a polish shield. The shield is the “embodiment of strength and courage” and thus makes Bush, who is representing Americans, appear more masculine. In addition, the stories of the heroic figures like the firefighter who gave up his own life to save someone also show the masculinity of the Americans. Occupations like firefighters, police, and rescue workers all require physical strength and endurance, which are very masculine traits. The terrorists fit into the extreme of masculinity in a way different from Americans. The act of hijacking is a very masculine act because it is very violent and aggressive. It requires physical strength to take over a plane. It takes even more strength to overcome fear of death and eventually commit suicide when the plane crashes. Also, terrorists only needed “knives, cardboard cutters, razor blades… and an airline ticket” to hijack a plane. The fact that the items listed are violent weapons further masculinizes the terrorists.  

            The term “criminal” is used to describe a terrorist and this gives them a masculine image. Since criminals are usually associated with crime and violent acts, they have a sense of masculinity in them. By calling terrorists criminals, a notion of masculinity is added to terrorists because they conduct violence crimes against other nations. In addition, criminals are law breakers who are fearless. By associating terrorists as criminals, a sense of daring masculinity is added to their image.

            The idea of the reproductive family of “us” contrasts with the sexual orientation of the “terrorists”. In Bush’s address, he also asked people to “hug your children”. This creates a notion of heterosexuality and the structure of a married family. On the contrary, the word “pervert” is used to describe the terrorists. This is due their self-sacrifice. Instead of being in relationships, terrorists chose to train tactics of terror for years. Instead of getting married and starting a family, they chose to go on a hijacking mission and get blown up with the plane. These send a message that terrorists are heartless creatures who would rather die for their radical beliefs than to love and create bonds with others.

            The image of a terrorist is constructed after the collapse of the twin towers. Fear gave rise to stereotypes and now our society associates certain group of people with terrorists. In the “George W. Bush’s Address to a Joint Session of Congress on the 9/11 attacks”, the difference between “us” and “them” are discussed and the definitions of “terrorism” are implied. Through the adjectives used to differentiate Americans and terrorists, masculinity and perversion are now associated with a “terrorist”. Through the backgrounds and stories of “us” and “them”, the upper class and the Middle East are now part of what defines a “terrorist” too.

Victoria's Secret 2010 Commercial and the Beauty Myth

                 

                The ideals of beauty are constructed through commercials that advertise products for women. In the Victoria’s Secret 2010 Holiday Commercial, the myth that beauty means slenderness, youthfulness, fair-skinned, and classy is created. Through the camera angle, lighting, settings, and physical appearance of the models, extreme femininity and aspects of the upper class are discussed. The beauty myth in the commercial represents the ideals of beauty talked about in Naomi Wolf’s The Beauty Myth.             

                The facial expressions of the models feminize their characters. The models in the commercial are smiling at the camera, making them more approachable. Since masculinity is associated with stern faces and lack of expression, the friendly and welcoming expressions on the models move them toward the feminine end of the gender scale. In addition, the models are looking straight at the camera most of the time. Direct eye contact shows that they are and are interested. This makes them more feminine since masculinity is associated with apathy.

                The patterns and materials of the outfits of the models further demonstrate the model’s femininity. Since it is a Victoria’s Secret’s commercial, the models are dressed in undergarments and corsets. Lace floral patterns dominate most of the pieces that the models are wearing. This truly feminizes the models because lace is partially sheer and thus makes the models look sexy. Floral patterns are very feminine because flowers are usually associated with women because both are fragile and beautiful. White feathers are used to create the wings of the models. This makes them look like angels. This feminizes the models by making them more innocent looking.

                The clothing and accessories that the models wear make them appear more feminine. Their form fitting corsets and pushup bras accentuates their sexual characteristics like their breasts, backs, and waists. The models are all wearing just panties and high heels, showing their long bare legs. The lack of coverage fit into the ideals of femininity because women look more feminine when they expose lots of skin and wear tight clothes that highlight their figures. In addition, most of items that the models wore are either pink or red colored. These two colors are very feminine and are usually associated with females.

                The figures of the models focus on their feminine traits and fit into the image of beauty. The models in the commercial are all very tall and skinny. They have flat stomach and tiny waists. Their legs are long and thin and their arms are toned. Their collarbones are exposed and nicely shaped. Their breasts are full and firm.  These characteristics are very much feminine and reflect how beauty is viewed in society today. Naomi Wolf said in her The Beauty Myth article, “thirty three thousand American women told researchers that they would rather lose ten to fifteen pounds than achieve any other goal”. She also talked about how “eating disorders rose exponentially”. These show how women try very hard to lose weight because being skinny and having model-like figure is a criterion of beauty.    

                The skin and hair of the models also make them look more feminine. The youthfulness associated with their looks also represents the myth of beauty. The models in the ad all have long wavy hair. Long hair is almost always associated with femininity because men keep their hair short. The models all have flawless skin and perfectly applied makeup. The models all look young, probably in their early 20s. Their wrinkle free skin demonstrates how youthfulness is related to beauty. In Naomi Wolf’s article, she talked about how “cosmetic surgery became the fastest growing medical specialty” and “the terror of aging” in the society. In addition, the light colored skin of the models also fit into the ideals of beauty because beauty is having a complexion as “fresh and fair as the morning”.

                The lighting of the commercial creates a notion of upper class by focusing on the models. When the camera focuses on the models’ faces, the background is usually dark while light is shine on the models. In addition, the light kept on flickering and switching from light to dark to light again. This grabs attention and makes viewers look directly at the models. These make the models look important and upper-class-like because they are the only ones that deserve the spotlight.

                The camera angles and placement of the models in the commercial further show the importance of the models by making viewers look up to them. The camera always shoots the models from bottom up, showing their shoes first, then legs and body, and lastly their faces. The camera is below the models thus they are above the viewers. This could symbolize a higher status and notions of upper class because they need to be looked up upon. Also, the models are always pictured in the dead center of the commercial, making them the first thing viewers see when looking straight.  This further proved their importance.

The settings of the commercial make the models look wealthy. There are many settings in the commercial but the most significant two are the ballroom and the apartment. In the ballroom setting, the model is standing in a balcony looking down on everything. The walls and the fences are all made of stone and marble. They are carved in intricate details. Ballroom dances are usually associated with high class people and luxurious decorations tend to be related to the wealthy. The other setting takes place in a huge room with almost no furniture. The walls are composed of all windows. The view outside the window shows that the apartment is super high and the buildings outside indicate that it is the heart of Manhattan. This instantly adds class to the models because living in Manhattan is super costly. Being able to afford the apartment and use this one huge room as just a chill spot is beyond luxurious. 

The Victoria’s Secret 2010 Holiday Commercial constructs the beauty as being slender, young, fair-skinned and wealthy.  Through various aspects of the video, ideals of beauty discussed in Naomi Wolf’s The Beauty Myth article are reinforced.  The camera angle, lighting, settings, and physical appearance of the models show the extreme femininity of the models as well as their upper class statues. The commercial reflect how beauty is perceived and how it shapes the social and economic dynamics around us.