The Bent Leg

A few weeks ago we watched a video in class that discussed how women are depicted in the media and more specifically how they are sexually depicted as powerless, submissive, and dependent on their male counterparts. While I do agree with the general idea and recognize these qualities in many advertisements, I have to disagree with some of the arguments.

In the video, the narrator suggests that this single pose that is so commonly used by models (women models) is a sign of their lack of control. This pose he references focuses largely on the bending of on of their legs and them seeming to lean on it and leaning in. From an art standpoint, that stance is called contrapposto and it is the most natural stance that people stand in. It is the very first thing we learned about in my figure drawing class and it, alone, does not take away power from women. There were some examples where this bending of the leg is exaggerated and seems to really send the message more, but for the most part I see it as benign.

Modeling is a form of art. Models don’t just stand there, they have to angle their bodies to create dynamism in the photograph and create in eye-catching image. It is true that the poses they end up in are often sexualized and possibly submissive but they have to do something with their bodies. If every model stood up straight, with straight legs, all the pictures in the world would look the same and be bland. If every model stood in a “power stance” that men are often seen in, there would be no modeling industry. 

I struggle with both sides because I know that the modeling industry is huge and has to be creative in their images. The idea of art is to create different shapes whether it be with someone’s body or a paintbrush. But I also understand that that means they have to power to perpetuate that idea of a woman’s stance versus a man’s stance. I agree with the narrator on that point, men and women are treated differently. But his initial argument that a woman having a bent leg is a sign of weakness is ludicrous. That is how people stand.