Femme Fatale The Femme Fatale Representations Of Representations

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Femme Fatale The Femme Fatale Representations Of Representations Eve Of Eve Paul Rudd BSSC

Femme Fatale The Femme Fatale Representations Of Representations Eve Of Eve Paul Rudd BSSC 2001/2003

A Representation of Power The Femme Fatale is an enduring representation of a powerful

A Representation of Power The Femme Fatale is an enduring representation of a powerful woman as seen by Western society. This representation is so pervasive that it is now a commonly occurring stereotype that can be found in many different media, literary and art texts. She is always a powerful woman, able to manipulate the people around her to get her own way. She is generally dominating and authoritative. She is never submissive.

She is often depicted dressed in animal skins – particularly those of predators, such

She is often depicted dressed in animal skins – particularly those of predators, such as tigers and leopards. This is The Femme Fatale because she is portrayed as a predator herself – a cat that often toys with her prey. She will stop at Representations nothing to get her own way Of – even murder. In this way, the femme fatale Eve represents society’s traditional fear of powerful women…

Consider the following clues. She is wearing animal skins, and particularly the furs of

Consider the following clues. She is wearing animal skins, and particularly the furs of predatory cats (leopards). The She Femme Fatale is assertive and confident in her posture and facial expression. She is wearing fishnet stockings – lingerie is a common part of her Representations costuming. Of She is looking directly at the Eve camera.

Do you think this image is of a femme fatale? Why/why not? The Femme

Do you think this image is of a femme fatale? Why/why not? The Femme Fatale Representations Of Eve

Most people would probably say ‘No’. Consider the following visual clues. The She is

Most people would probably say ‘No’. Consider the following visual clues. The She is sitting on the floor. She has an expression of Femme Fatale confusion or worry that is more submissive than assertive. She is wearing clothing made Representations from a soft, pastel material. Of Her pose is reminiscent of a Eve young girl: defensive and insecure.

The Undoing Of The Man… The femme fatale is often portrayed as the cause

The Undoing Of The Man… The femme fatale is often portrayed as the cause of a man’s downfall, as well as her own. She is often shown seducing a man and using her Theto Femme ‘feminine guile’ hold him in. Fatale bondage to her. But this was historically seen as being unnatural. Throughout history, people believed that women were meant to be subordinate to men. If a woman was too powerful, Representations then she inevitably caused trouble. By seeking to dominate, she defied her Of own nature and inevitably was destroyed. Eve himself to be Similarly, if a man allowed dominated by her, he was bound to end up in strife; usually with the law…

With a haughty pose and a defiant air, this model recreates the stereotyped femme

With a haughty pose and a defiant air, this model recreates the stereotyped femme fatale of the fifties – a period of history when this stereotype was particularly The Femme Fatale common. Often a femme fatale is dressed in flame- red, or red and black clothes. Bright red lipstick and nails are also Representations common visual clues. She is also often represented as a spider – the Of so-called black widow. Her web is Eve one of deceit and intrigue…

A femme fatale often makes an appearance in advertising – particularly for The Femme

A femme fatale often makes an appearance in advertising – particularly for The Femme products Fatale that are specifically designed to make a woman more Representations appealing or Of desirable! Some perfume and Eve clothing retailers rely heavily upon this representation.

Supporting Her Man… Most literature and media texts have, historically, portrayed a male as

Supporting Her Man… Most literature and media texts have, historically, portrayed a male as the central character of their narrative. This male-centric view has dominated literature and. The art for millennia. Fatale Female characters Femme were (and often still are) defined as being either good (in that they served the interests of the hero) or bad (in that they thwarted the interests of the hero). The maternal figure, the supportive Representations heroine, the tragic maiden who needs to be Of rescued are all historically portrayed as good women. The temptress, Eve the shrew and the witch have nearly always been viewed as being bad. These are stereotypes.

Has there been a more famous exponent of the femme fatale representation? How The

Has there been a more famous exponent of the femme fatale representation? How The Femme Fatale many other famous actors (or characters) can you think of that have played the part of Representations the femme fatale? Of. Make a list and compare it with your Eve group or class!

Again we can see the femme fatale being used in advertising – this time

Again we can see the femme fatale being used in advertising – this time to sell beer. name of the The Femme. The Fatale product, ‘Tiger’ is reason enough to trot out this enduring stereotype. The Representations caption in the box at Of the bottom says it Eve all… ‘Discover the Tiger’.

The Femme Fatale Representations Of Eve She is always the centre of attention; Here

The Femme Fatale Representations Of Eve She is always the centre of attention; Here is a classic example of the femme fatale – again, found in a piece of advertising.

Eve As The First Femme Fatale… Critics often argue that the representation of the

Eve As The First Femme Fatale… Critics often argue that the representation of the femme. The fatale. Femme derives from the Biblical Fatale narrative of Adam and Eve tempted Adam to ‘eat the apple’ which led to them being expelled from the Garden of Eden. Do you think this argument is valid? If so, what do you Representations think this reveals about society’s attitudes towards women when. Of the Bible was written? Have many things changed Eve in our own society?

Lately there has been a strong movement to attack the social forces that perceive

Lately there has been a strong movement to attack the social forces that perceive powerful women as being ‘bad’. Here, Jerry Hall is depicted as a femme fatale, with the tiger skin coat and all. And yet, she confronts the stereotype by being pictured breastfeeding her son. Is this still an image of a femme fatale? What do you think?

Homework Exercise: Find an image of a femme fatale in either a magazine or

Homework Exercise: Find an image of a femme fatale in either a magazine or in a newspaper. Paste it into your workbook and The Fatale write a 100 – 150 Femme word report on why you think that this image is of a femme fatale. Make sure you write down the name of the publication from which you cut out the Representations picture, the date it was printed, and the page Of number. Due next class. Eve