Vogue’s smouldering photo shoot of tarted up little girls no parody

Not satirising the culture. It is the culture Critics of the December-January French Vogue photo spread featuring little girls as mini women decorated in gaudy make up, swathed in luxurious adult women’s clothing, assembled on beds, fawning on animal skin rugs, pouting bright red moist lips under a banner ‘Cadeaux’ – little presents to be unwrapped – […]

What makes a girl? Unpacking the messages in girls’ magazines

Girls’ mag wrap September-October issues For many girls, the magazines they read are their lifestyle bibles. How should they look, dress, act and relate? What’s important in life? Who should they look up to? My analysis of the September and October issues of Girlfriend, Dolly, Girlpower, Totalgirl, Disney Girl and Little Angel shows that girls […]

Shock, Horror: this is what Madonna looks like

Extreme Dolce & Gabanna photo shop exposed This image:                   Took two days to turn into this:                     The contrast is striking, highlighting once again how common is the false portray of cultural icons. It’s almost shocking to […]

When the price of beauty is death: cosmetic surgery can kill

Or leave you permanently disfigured “It’s an industry that has developed in health care which has nothing to do with health care” – Prof Merrilyn Walton If you didn’t see 60 Minutes segment ‘The Beauty Trap’ on Sunday night, here it is: [vimeo]http://www.vimeo.com/14564687[/vimeo] The program tells the tragic story of Lauren James, who died three […]

Unilever: because white skin is the best skin

Promoting white supremacy Here at the MTR blog we’re not exactly what you’d call fans of the global corporation Unilever. Unilever has been named and shamed here before for its sexist advertising through the Lynx/Axe brand as highlighted here and here, for its hypocrisy in promoting so-called “real beauty” through its Dove brand while presenting women in […]