Female Sexuality in 1950s
The issue of female sexuality has been a cornerstone question throughout the history in many cultures. Some of them remain conservative in questions regarding portraying female body or women’s explicit behavior. Other cultures allow women to express their desires as freely as men do. Religion, regardless of the name of its teaching, mostly calls women to be humble, modest and innocent. Societal norms of behavior are based on the commonly accepted behavior and condemns women for expressing too much of sexuality.
In 1950’s the world has already been through all major feminist movements that indeed brought lots of changes to the status of women in the society. They won not only political freedoms and rights, but also the right to choose their partners and live their lives as they want. Therefore, TV and media started portraying a life of women who were successful in their careers and personal lives. The image of beautiful and independent woman has become one of the most popular subjects. Doris Day was a single but no less successful woman that proved that her success does not depend on her husband or a man close to her. She became a heroine for all other women who believed that they can make achievements. For men, she became a new ideal of female sexuality: a woman strong, smart and independent.
Marilyn Monroe was an icon of sexuality. A blonde with red lips and elegant open clothes, she was making men crazy wherever she appeared. Her manner of speech, laugher, movements and make-up indeed revealed all female charm. In the eyes of men, she was a beauty and the object of sexual fantasies (“Monroe, Marilyn”). Many women envied her, and publicly condemned such explicitness. Her image contrasted to that-time understanding of the role of woman and conservative views of society. However, this, as in the case of Doris Day, kept their popularity. People were talking about them, and this was needed by their producers.
The dawn of Beauty Pageants also fell to 1950s. Contests among girls who show all thebeauty and attractiveness to win the title of the first beauty of the country or of the state were must-watch shows among American women. Many of them imagined themselves standing on the scenes and performing by demonstrating their natural femininity and sexuality. Little girls from the very young age were dreaming about a doll Barbie who was a white, blue-eyed, tall girl with long hair and ideal shape (“The Changing Ideal”). They were becoming the icons of appearance for many women across the globe. Moreover, all of these actresses, pageants and even a doll raised a serious question about race. None of them were black. So young girls and women around the globe were considering that only white and preferably blond women can indeed win men’s hearts and they are the only ones who men think about. Later, Beauty Pageants added the condition that dark-skinned girls should also participate, and Barbie Corporation started production of dark-skinned dolls (Eby).
Works Cited
Eby, Margaret. The Disturbing Difference Between Black and White Barbies. Hello Giggles. Hello Giggles, 11 Dec, 2014. http://hellogiggles.com/race-price-barbie-dolls/
“Monroe, Marilyn.” American National Biography Online. American National Biography Online, n.d. Web. 5 July, 2016. http://www.anb.org/articles/18/18-00856.html
“The Changing Ideal.” American Experience. American Experience, n.d. Web. 5 July, 2016. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/missamerica/sfeature/sf_decades.html#
