Written by Is androgynous the new black? Take a look at the Wall Street Journal Fall Fashion issue and you’ll notice a trend — maybe sorta kinda women who are supposed to be models.
I’m assuming the photographer just didn’t apply eye makeup in order to de-emphasize her eyes? Or maybe the WSJ just hired women with more masculine features and accentuated them?
Am I wrong? Why does this woman have a cleft chin?
Am I supposed to attracted adolescent boys now?
Peter Pan in red lipstick?
Tilda Swinton is the key here; she played Archangel Gabriel in 2005’s Constantine. It’s hard not to think that the Wall Street Journal is trying to push fashion better suited for David Bowie’s gender-bending days with its fall fashion issue.
I love Bowie’s music, but I don’t enjoy looking at him. In short, the Wall Street Journal needs more women who look like … women. Kate Upton would be a good start.
Douglas Ernst Blog 
Man! I tend to agree with you, it’s quite alarming to see how this disturbing trend is pushing its immoral views of you can be what ever you want, to the point they push it passed the point of what you would choose without the intervention!! Reminds me of drug dealers. They aren’t after the ones already on crack ( excuse the pun) but they are after the ones who don’t want it. Oh Ive read the entire bible. And ahhhh well, /:-|. No where is Gabriel called an Arch angel. Maybe I missed it and of course f some one can show me I’d always appreciate the enlightenment (:-}
Yeah, I prefer women that look like… actual women. Androgynous women aren’t my thing.
And I agree with Joysy… the whole “alternative lifestyle” push is getting ridiculous. Reminds me of how the MSM is going out of its way to promote Bradley Manning’s transgenderism… it’s pretty pathetic.
It would be one thing if there was just a random “boyish” picture here and there, but as I was flipping through the magazine I couldn’t help but notice a theme this time around…
In regards to Gabriel, I’ll pass in this instance on a debate regarding what an archangel is, who is designated as one, etc. The post would quickly veer off track.
That’s soo mean Douglas!! Those are still women with feelings and some of those same looking women might read your blog too. Now about the matter at hand, if WJS is trying to push a certain look I can never agree with that because I don’t respect WJS or this whole culture of “change” that we’re going though currently. I’m not highly into fashion although I do like some of it but as far as I’ve seen that’s how it’s always been in “high fashion”. The women are made to be gaunt, walking hangers for the designer’s clothes so the audience looks more at the clothing than the one who’s donning it. That never made much since to me to begin with but I think the lot of them are a bunch of crazies. Who wants to look at clothes (if you can call some of them that) that folks can’t picture themselves in by way of models who eat?
With all due respect, you just said this post was mean and then wrote the following:
Every single one of the models shown in this piece could be done up in a way that would accentuate their feminine features. For this job it seems rather obvious that a decision was made to play up masculine features and to make us comfortable with (or attracted to) androgyny. That isn’t a critique on the self worth (or the natural beauty) of the models; it is a critique of those hired to create the WSJ’s Fall Fashion Issue.
With that said, even if I did use your own observation about high fashion models and compared them to “walking hangers,” would that be mean? They’re professionals. They chose to put themselves out there. They are paid handsomely (no pun intended). If I am not attracted to them and voice that via a blog entry, I’m not sure how that’s mean. In fact, I’d say that this post was rather tame.
Two observations:
Beauty is only a lightswitch away … and ..
In Burlington Vermont, on the campus of UVM, men are men. And so are the women 🙂
Oh .. I’ll vote for Kate Upton too.
Jim,
I’m on vacation and as I was writing this I said to my family: “Name a good modern model.” My dad replies, “Kate Upton.” My mom and my wife gave him a surprised look because he’s usually pretty reserved; we all probably assumed he’d sit that one out. I just laughed and said, “Good one, dad!” WSJ 0, Kate Upton 3.
Hehe …your dad has good taste, unlike that of Miley or Mr. Thicke who chose a prison stripe outfit for this ridiculous tableaux…
I was thinking Mr. Thicke went with the Beetlejuice inspiration, myself.
Your Blogs are good!
Thanks. 🙂
Twerkin’ U.S.A.
http://vermontverse.wordpress.com/2013/08/27/twerkin-u-s-a/
I debated whether or not I should post on the VMAs. When Ms. Cyrus says she doesn’t care what anyone thinks … in this case it’s really a cry for help. She is not well.
“She is not well.”
You got that right, Doug! She’s pathetic. I remember reading somewhere that her excuse for her poor behavior was that she is “young and therefore it’s time of her life where she can act wild and crazy.”
Ms. Cyrus is another example of how Hollywood loves “edgy and controversial” stuff, but disdains wholesomeness and decency. Yet another fallen former child actress/singer that’s going to join the ranks of people like Lindsay Lohan and Amanda “Obama should Arrest the Cop that Arrested Me” Bynes.
And I’m sure when everything comes crashing down on her, she’ll find someone else to blame for her problems.
People (actors/performers-presidents-monarchies-And so forth) Shine like luminaries to the world for a while. Then they fall like so many stars do.