Female Sexuality Representations in the 1950s

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Sexuality Idols of the 1950s
Conclusion
Works Cited

Introduction

Nowadays, women’s sexuality seems to become a widely discussed topic in scientific, political, and general public circles. That, among other things, caused the image of the woman to be redrawn. The 1950s in one way or another seem to have initiated one of such shifts through popular culture and TV on a different scale as before. It is, therefore, worth investigating how a woman’s sexuality was perceived then, what messages were transmitted and how do they contradicted or agreed with the traditional views at the time.

Sexuality Idols of the 1950s

One of the most influential concepts concerning female identity in popular culture was beauty pageants. Formed in the early 1920s and beginning as solely physical attraction ratings, the Miss America pageant in the 1950s developed into a more multifaceted contest, where talents were also part of the score (“The Changing Ideal” para. 2.). The fact that a scholarship was offered proposed a middle-class orientation as a college education at the time symbolized a step up the social ladder (Layton 34). However, the experience of one of the participants suggested that physical beauty still dominated in the eyes of the mostly male organizers and sponsors (“American Experience” para. 88). Additionally, belonging to the white race was an obligatory factor, according to a pageant contract of 1948 (“Primary Sources” para. 21).

Thus, the ideal created by the Beauty contests in the 1950s was a white attractive, talented middle-class woman and in that particular order. As to the prevailing idea of a woman as a hearth preserver, it appeared to be challenged by a new idea of a beautiful and smart female image. The contest was viewed as a representation of an American dream for women: beauty plus success (“American Experience” para. 3). That idea started to become pervasive among women, as the living conditions for them worsened after the war (“The Changing Ideal” para. 3).

Another icon of the 1950s gives an insight into how the general public perceived the ideal woman as a Barbie doll. At that time, toys for girls included baby dolls and toy versions of household items like a vacuum cleaner or a tea set implying a family-oriented lifestyle of a future woman. New Barbie sets relieved that monopoly and offered new images of a female as a fashion model or professional (Martincic and Bhatnagar 7). Above that, the Barbie doll was a grown well-shaped woman with sets of different clothes, which seems to center the young minds on how they would want to look like adding the appearance concern to the list. According to Crockett, no Barbies of different skin color appeared until 1983, which speaks further of spreading primarily white ideals of a woman (24).

Celebrities like Marilyn Monroe also played a significant part in shaping the concept of a woman in the 1950’s. Despite her desire and the proven ability to play deep and thoughtful characters, in most of her roles during the 1950’s she appeared as a simple-minded but charming blonde, whom the people adored. Her underlined sexuality and often-explicit clothes challenged the modest everyday fashion and ensured success among the male population. Monroe personally resented popularizing sexuality, which seemed to be in high demand, over the intellect but little chance was given to her by the industry and public in that regard (Henriksen para. 6).

Conclusion

The image of a woman’s sexuality of the 1950s seems to be featuring an ideal of a white, attractive middle-class female. Sex symbols like Marilyn Monroe unwillingly promoted the idea of appearance as a key factor in life while intellect and achievements were underrepresented. This image found fertile soil in a post-war patriarchal society, which welcomed a less-strict fashion and underlined beauty. At the same time, women cherished the dream of being admired for beauty and wit advertised by Miss America. Finally, the importance of good looks began to dominate the minds of the younger generation through the emergence of toys featuring beautiful women. None of these idols, however, contributed to racial equality, since the beauty ideals favored only the white.

Works Cited

“American Experience.” PBS. Web.

Crockett, David. “Paths to Prestige: Consumer Culture and the Black Middle Class.” SelectedWorks, 2013. Web.

Henriksen, Margot A. “The Biography of Marilyn Monroe.”American National Biography Online, 2000. Web.

Layton, Lynne. “Relational no More: Defensive Autonomy in Middle-class Women.” The Annual of Psychoanalysis, vol. 32, 2013, pp. 29-42.

Martincic, Cynthia J., and Bhatnagar, Neelima. “Will Computer Engineer Barbie® Impact Young Women’s Career Choices?” Information Systems Education Journal vol. 10, no. 6, 2012, pp. 3-14.

“Primary Sources.” PBS. Web.

“The Changing Ideal.” PBS. Web.

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Female Sexuality Representations in the 1950s

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