In ôHunger as Ideology,ö Susan Bordo (140) makes the argument that over time, society has begun to idealize a certain type of female beauty and feminine relationship to food. In this idealized vision, women who may be responsible for the preparation of the food that their families eat, do not themselves appear to be particularly focused on consuming food. These women do not starve themselves, but their attitude toward food as far as their own consumption patterns are affected is extremely casual. Western cultures for the most part now emphasize an almost anorexic thinness as the ideal body type to which women should aspire. As Bordo (155) points out, a metaphorical duality is at work in which women who are associated with the preparation of food are simply not permitted to be the consumers of food.
In looking for advertisements suitable for analysis within this general framework, one brings a certain type of gaze to bear û a gaze understood by Michel Foucault (226) as having within it the power to control. The magazine selected for this task was Gourmet, a publication which glorifies all things related to food and eating and targets an audience that is largely composed of well-educated, affluent women (and some men) for whom food is a serious subject.
One of the advertisements reflects the duality that Bordo (149) references. The advertisement is for Ruffino wine, an Italian wine in the mid-price range that comes in several different varieties. The advertisement presents two photographs in vivid color with limited text stating only: ôRuffino û the good life.ö The top photograph is of three men talking and gesturing toward one another while seated at a table on which grapes, tomatoes, cheese, breads, other fruit, a bottle of Ruffino Pinot Grigio and various glasses are placed. The male who is speaking is older and wears glasses. He is clearly authoritative whereas the other two male
...