This ad is from Calvin Klein in the 90’s. It features Marky Mark and Kate Moss. When we were given the assignment to talk about Ads this is the one that came to mind first. This ad marks what femininity and masculinity in the 90s looked like. Though both models look edgy; It’s evident that the female body is suppose to be soft and touchable, while the male body is suppose to be hard and ridged. It reminded me of the quote “…gender has been organized not only in binary terms but also through a cultural logic that visualized as feminine.” because much like color association image is also a social construct. I know many woman that are much more ridged and tougher than men and vise versa. The female model looks vulnerable and supported by the male model. He looks dominant and muscle bound and manly. It plays into the social construct of men have to be manly and women have to be womanly but what do those things mean? That a man looks aggressive and a woman looks passive? Is what this ad made me think. Though they are both topless and in a sexually suggestive position, the male model clearly looks to be in charge of the situation. This is still evident in more recent advertisemsents as well, the quesiton of femininity and masculinity comes in the question. What is gender and how and why do we define it. 

Kaiser, Susan B. Fashion and cultural studies. London: Berg, 2012.