Gendering of Products for Mass Market Consumption
The purpose of this analysis is to draw upon academic discourse to analyze a series of visual images representing products designed specifically for men and women. The products selected are taken from four categories: razors, watches, cell phones, and cologne or perfume. Images of these products accessed via a Google keyword search, largely from Google itself or from company websites, are presented in Appendix A. The argument to be advanced in this analysis is that Kirkham and Attfield (1996) are correct in stating that the dynamics of gender relations do operate through material goods and that objects are affective and are among the most significant bearers and conveyors of meaning in our society. The attached images illustrate the differentiation of the putatively "masculine" and "feminine" in a selection of four object categories in the mass market consumer goods arena.
The first two images in Appendix A are safety razors designed by Gillette Company to appeal respectively to women (Image 1, the Venus razor) and to men (Image 2, the Fusion razor). A key element in differentiating the designs is the use of color. The softer, pastel or bright colors used in the Venus are distinct from the more aggressive reds and blacks used in the Fusion. While the designs are relatively similar, a greater degree of curvature is evident in the head of the Venus than in the head of the Fusion, perhaps reflecting what Kirkham and Attfield (1996) would characterize as the dichotomies between male/female in terms of visual oppositions such as geometric/ organic and hard/soft.
The second set of objects represents selected cell phones from the Nokia L'Amour Collection. Here again, the cell phones designed for women are depicted in soft colors that are "feminine" whereas those for men have a darker casing and a more generally utilitarian visual appeal. As noted Kirkham and Attfield...