This selection from John Bergers' iconic work on they way we view and are in turn viewed give a better understanding to how some of the fore mentioned ideas of female self awareness and sexual assertiveness.

The social presence of men and women

Berger points out that traditionally, men and women have different types of social
presence. Men are measured by the degree of power they offer. The power may be
in any number of forms, for example moral, physical, economic etc. A man’s
presence suggests what he may or may not be able to do to or for you. In contrast
to this, a woman’s presence indicates what can or cannot be done to her. Every
thing she does contributes to her presence. She is born into the keeping of men, and
from childhood is taught to survey herself, with the result that her being is split
into two, the surveyed and the surveyor. Her own sense of being is replaced by a
sense of being appreciated by others – ultimately men. He acts, she appears, and she
watches herself being looked at. ‘The surveyor of woman in herself is male: the surveyed female. Thus she turns herself into an object – and most particularly an object of vision: a sight.’


Ways of Seeing by John Burger.
First published 1972.
2008 edition. 


Women (and to some degree men) view themselves as objects to be looked upon. Every single girl does it where she admits it or not. We continually watch ourselves, be it how our body looks or the clothes we choose to wear. We are continually judging ourselves and others and how they will judge us in turn.
Its not as if you put up pictures of yourself up on facebook looking 'horrible' or undesirable. (other people do that for you!)

Therefore I don't think that dressing in skirts, dresses and high heals means that you can not have feminist ideals and morals, even if you don't want to own up to being an outright feminist. Your choices don't affect your ability to want equal rights.
 Society has made women surveyors of themselves but that needn't pigeon hole women to see themselves as objects to be admired or on the other hand, dismisses her right to feel good in her own skin, even if she's only feeling good because of a social  myth of what 'Good' is.




In his (Berger) analysis of Giansborough's painting Mr and Mrs Andrews, he showed the intimate relationship between landscape painting and capitalism:


'The point being made is that, among the pleasures their portrait gave to Mr and Mrs Andrews, was the pleasure of seeing themselves depicted as landowners and their pleasure was enhanced by the ability of oil paint to render their land in all its substantiality.' (1972: 108)


Image and Representation, Concepts in Media Studies.
Nick Lacy
Second edition 2009


While this extract of Bergers book talks about Capitalism I feel like the ideas of post feminism can be applied to the idea of pleasure at seeing oneself depicted, for example in advertisements and photographs and seeing ones own 'wealth' which in this case could be feminine beauty or sexual assertiveness.

 I'm trying to weigh out the battles of the 'sexist' advert such as the previously examined Opium perfume ad and show that not all scenes of women in arousing or questionable positions are necessarily sexist but perhaps post-feministic. The women are aware of how old age sexism says they should act and how outdated feminism says they should fight and are sticking up the middle finger and giving a nod at the same time.

Then again who says what feminine beauty is?! Double edged sword time!

Then again who says what feminine beauty is