Rosie the Riveter

 Rosie the Riveter is possibly the most famous picture used on the home front during World War II. Before World War II, the American economy was in shambles. World War I had just ended and America was experiencing the Great Depression. Americans were struggling to find jobs. That is arguably one of the reasons the United States did not enter the war until they were attacked. However, as the war continued, more and more men were being sent overseas to fight.

The picture of Rosie the Riveter first came out in 1942 after the war had begun. Men fighting overseas needed guns and parts for airplanes to fight in the war. There were few men left in America the time who would do that job; they were all fighting. They needed someone to step into the factory and make parts. This is where Rosie the Riveter came in. The Rosie the Riveter campaign encouraged women to get into the workforce to support the troops overseas. They would do anything to help the men fighting. Many of the women who worked had husbands, sons, brothers, and/or friends fighting in Europe.

This was the first time in American history that women were seen as workers, not just housewives. The clothes the woman in the picture is wearing and the way she has her hair tied up in the bandana would look like that of a male worker. She took on the genre of the male worker in society for that time. This image increased the number of American female workers drastically.  Many women found they enjoyed going to work every day. The women proved to themselves and to the country that women can do a “man’s job” and get it done well. Even after the war was over, they wanted to continue to work, but the government wanted the men who came home to return to their same jobs. Shortly after, the Women’s Rights Movement began.

Not only did this image create the social movement towards women in the workforce, it also helped the economy. The war in general had helped the economy, but the fact that women were willing to take on the jobs in the factories meant they could have an income while their husbands were at war. New jobs were created during the war to accommodate the economy, and the United States came out of World War II with a thriving economy.

Kelli Riesberg

Too Thin

2006 Mercedes-Benz Fashion week in New York exhibited some of the top models in fashion. Shows like Michael Kors, Christian Dior and many more used models like Snejana Onopka, Natasha Poly to show their spring collections. Many would see no problem with this, however when these women walked down the runway people were in shock at their size, it was said that “…knees and elbows were larger than their concave thighs and pipe cleaner arms.”(Eric Wilson) Linda Wells the editor of Allure said, “What becomes alarming is when you see bones and start counting ribs”. The fashion industry takes pride in its models being stick thin and encourages this type of figure.

            After the shows in New York’s fashion week the organizers of Madrid fashion week took a drastic step. Madrid began to ban models with a height to weight ratio below the World Health Organizations standard for a healthy weight. The outcome was the models under 125 lbs were prohibited from walking on the runways. 5’8 ft is one of the shorter heights that are accepted for a model, with Madrid’s new rule that models had to weigh 125 lbs that would make their BMI 19.0, which is just above underweight. Body Mass Index (BMI) is calculated by height and weight. Results lower than 18.5 are underweight, while 18.5-24.9 is a normal weight, while anything over 25 is overweight. www.Soyouwanna.com says that that average model needs to be somewhere between 108 and 125, and a model with a height of 5’8 and a weight of 108 would have a BMI of 16.4, this weight is dangerous but widely accepted in the fashion industry. The website soyouwanna.com give advice for those looking to get into the fashion industry, they host a section titled so you wanna be a model? In that they say that it is necessary to be between 108-125lbs maximum, because the camera adds 15 lbs and any weight over that would not reflect well on the designers collection. They suggest you start at about age 15 due to the fact that models have short-lived careers. The characteristics they look for are tall, long legged and lean. They also point out that even if you have all of the above qualifications you will get nowhere without clear skin and perfect teeth.

            The collections designers put out on the runway is art. When they create their work they do not have a model in mind that will be wearing it, they being with a mannequin. Due to this a model needs to be thin enough to fit in anything, therefore the thinner the better. When the designer creates their collection they need not worry about making sure it will fit a size 2 or 3 because they expect their model will fit, if not they discard them and use the next one. With pressure like this being a ‘plus size’ model would be difficult. Lines are typically specially designed for plus size shows.

            Madrid’s 2006 spring fashion show responded to the crisis at hand. They did their best to keep the models in their shows healthier looking, but it would take more than this to change the fashion industry. In 2007 models continue to have severe anorexia nervosa, and malnutrition. In February of 2007 two well-known models died from these self-inflicted diseases. Luisel Ramos died from malnutrition while Anna Carolina Reston had heart failure as a direct result of anorexia nervosa; she collapsed after stepping off the catwalk.

            Progress for this issue has been extremely slow, whenever agencies are asked about their models, they refuse to answer or just dodge the question all together. While the United States seems to be making little to no progress countries like Australia have. Australia has a code of conduct that states models under the age of 16 with low body mass index should not be hired, and it requests that when retouching is done on an image it is announced.

The images captured of the models in the 2006 runway shows are evidence that this industry needs change. No longer can the public turn a blind eye when bones are present as they walk down the runway. The encouragement of this look is not healthy for the models and should not be tolerated by the agencies, however they are one of the greatest promoters. Other countries have started to adopt policies to help put a stop to it; the question is when will we?-Caroline Salozzo

            

The iconic image of Che Guevara stands out as a metonymy for two separate things: one that makes sense and the other somewhat of a stretch. The first thing he stands for is socialistic revolution. His exploits in the Cuban Revolution inspired many socialist and communist revolutionaries throughout the world. He still stands as a beacon to many socialists and communists, in Latin America or otherwise. This standing was amplified by his execution at the hands of the CIA while attempting to start another communist revolution in Africa. He is not only an example for far left-wing revolutionaries, many others, such as Nelson Mandela, have called Che an inspiration for freedom, not just socialistic revolution. But he has also been called a brutal guerilla fighter who used violence against those who disagreed with him. He is most famously known by the image above. The image above is the most famous of a person’s face becoming an icon, in my opinion. That famous picture is still used today. 

Many times it is used by the other group who uses him. His face is often used as an icon for counterculture. This is of interest to me, as I find it interesting how the image of a man most famous for formulating violent revolutions that used brutal methods to force change ends up as an icon for a counterculture in one of the nations he thought to be one of the main problems with the world. His remains one of the most famous images in the world and is a great example of one man (specifically a single image of his face) becoming an icon for a world-wide movement. – Lucas Oshman

The Greatest

Muhammad Ali once said "I am the Greatest!" In fact, he did made statements to that effect many times throughout his boxing career. This picture of the triumphant Ali (Born Cassius Clay) taunting a defeated Sonny Liston embodies all that Ali was, and all that he represented. The vocal boxer came to represent America's own self-confidence bordering on hubris. Ali parallels that part of America very well because when he says that he is the greatest, few boxing historians will say he is not the greatest heavyweight fighter all time. Similarly, most evidence suggests America is the greatest country in the world. A small minority will suggest other candidates for each spot, but they must base their argument entirely around refuting the "Champion's" dominance.

This picture encompasses everything that is Muhammad Ali. He is mean, he is strong, he is dominant, and he knows it. Ali refused to fight in Vietnam when drafted during the prime of his career and paid the penalty. He would not bend to anybody and matched his loud bark with equal bite. When told that Floyd Patterson wanted to claim the heavyweight title for America from Ali he said: " I am America. I am the part you won't recognize, but get used to me. Black, confident, cocky - my name not yours. My religion, not yours. My goals, my own. Get used to me" He is among the last gunslingers who when asked "How can you do that?" is willing to respond "I just did." That description of America/Ali may not be all encompassing. However the me culture is certainly prevalent. 

The picture itself is one of the highest examples of the art. The low angle makes Ali appear even taller than he actually was and captures a facial expression planned for one man- the defeated Liston. The angle and lighting also hide all but the first row of spectators from view, leaving a black backdrop that helps Ali almost leap out of the image. 

As Ali's greatness became more apparent, he became more of a symbol. He represented the civil rights activists, the war protesters, and even the undirected rebels. Ali did things. He became Muslim, and changed his name. He challenged the U.S. government and in the long run is viewed as the winner (despite doing time in jail). He said he would beat some of the best boxers of all time and then did it. There will only be one Ali and he will not be forgotten; not least because of this photograph. When decorating a room with sports memorabilia this photo is an outlier among dozens of other pictures and other memorabilia from that person's favorite teams. 

Many did not like Ali. Some hated him. Most were at least a bit annoyed by all of his talked, but somewhere deep down you'd be hard pressed to find someone who doesn't harbor a wish to have that much guts. 

I Have a Dream



Hadley Jennings

"I say to you today, my friends, that in spite of the difficulties and frustration of the moments, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American Dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live ou the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created eaual.'" --Martin Luther King Jr., I Have a Dream.

As we all know, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. represented all African Americans in the Civil Rights Movement and he gave many influential speeches including the I Have a Dream speech as shown in this picture.  Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. bared the weight of many African Americans on his shoulders. He stood for the race and was an iconic image to the race. The fact that Dr. King represented a classification of people makes any photograph of him a metonymy especially this photograph. In the words of Hariman and Lecaites, a metonymy is a “reduction of a more general construct (such as “class”) to specific embodiment.”  This photograph represents all the African Americans in the United States during the Civil Rights Movement and the I Have a Dream speech was the extra hope they needed to overcome the inequality they faced. Dr. King embraced his race and overcame the many obstacles to get equal rights for his race.

Dr. King implied a “specific direction for collective action”, a phrase that Hariman and Lecaites used to describe a metonymy on page 89 in the book No Caption Needed, everywhere he went.  Dr. King had a specific goal and direction in mind at all times and he outwardly expressed his direction and view: equal rights for African Americans. He became a model by which to live. He never used blunt force against the government or white race, but he was persistent and did what he said he was going to do. He became a model for all African Americans at that time because he showed respect to the people who hated him most: white Americans. African Americans modeled themselves after the character and motive that Dr. King had. This photograph also is a metonymy in other ways than the fact that the iconic image of Dr. King is in it.

When a viewer looks at this photograph they see Dr. King in the front of the photograph, but it is what stands in the back of the photograph that really defines Dr. King in general: a population of African Americans. This large population of primarily African American and some white Americans is who Dr. King represented. This setting of the photograph is also very significant. It is in Washington, D.C. the capitol of the United States. Any African American picking up a newspaper in the days following the I Have a Dream speech would feel pride in their race, encouragement that things will get better than they are right now, and they would feel a sense of identity. The sense of identity comes from the heart and soul of African Americans. They have worked hard lives and have a lot of sorrow and pain in their lives. To see Dr. King boldly speaking of his dream for the race, the African American viewer would hypothetically put themselves in Dr. King’s shoes. They wonder what if that was me? Would I be able to stand up like he did? How can I stand up and make a change like Dr. King? This photograph draws collective purpose just as the Migrant Mother photograph did during the Great Depression. This image would make an African American want to be a better individual and a better representation of their race.

This better representation of their race would encourage the African American people and make them feel happy and proud to call this man of great stature a part of their race. In my mind this image is an iconic image and a metonymy. This photograph follows the lines Hariman and Lecaites drew in the text, which leads me to come to my conclusion. Hariman and Lecaites describe a metonymy and an icon as, “A visual convention for managing powerful tensions between individual liberty and collective obligation.” (pg 89, par 3). This image of Dr. King giving the I Have a Dream speech describes just that. The African American people had tremendous struggle for their individual liberties and freedoms, but it was only by collective action that the freedom was granted to them. The specific collective action I am referring to is meeting together with thousands of African Americans, with one purpose, in one iconic place, with one iconic image-the I Have a Dream speech given by Martin Luther King Jr. in Washington, D.C.

Roctober

            Zac Stevens

In the latter part of the 2007 baseball season the Colorado Rockies put together one of the greatest playoff runs in sports history. After winning 13 of the last 14 regular season games in the 162 games schedule the Rockies forced a 163^rd playoff game which they found a way to win the bottom of the of the 13^th inning with a controversial play at the plate. They continued this incredible journey into the playoffs sweeping there way to the World Series, capping off 21 wins in 22 games which the nation called Roctober. This picture was taken right after Todd Helton had received the ball to record the final out from Shortstop teammate Troy Tulowitski. Not only did this picture bring tremendous celebration to a team, an organization, and a city but it also delivered a message of hope to anyone who is willing to give it there all.

            Todd Helton has been the face of the Rockies organization for over a decade and was drafted just two years after the organization was established. This meant that Todd carried a lot of the weight of the team especially being a superstar first basemen. Because the team was brand new they were going to go through many difficult seasons of many losses and not much success, this put Todd in a position where most of the pressure was put on him because he was the only loyal player. He suffered through the worst times with the organization and when the 2007 season came around he was able to express all of his happiness and joy for the season and the past 10 years in this night. The emotion is shown through his entire body starting in the way his legs are positioned. He did not even have enough time to get out of his stance to celebrate; he was bursting in joy and celebration right when he caught the ball. This shows the passion and built up emotion that he had. Then it moves up to his arms and face. His arms in the air show a relief that he was finally able to help his team and his city reach the ultimate stage. And his face expresses a once in a lifetime feeling usually not expressed by men in there mid thirties. The emotions expressed by Helton represented the way his team felt, the city felt, and the entire organization over the past 15 years had felt. And yet this picture still stood for more. It stood for trying your hardest all of the time, never give up on a goal, and that you can succeed by taking the high road and doing the correct things in life.

            Todd Helton had many opportunities to leave the Rockies and go to a more successful organization but he decided to stay with the Rockies and try his hardest to help his team win. This showed many people the importance of unselfish behavior. He wanted the best for his team and he was going to stay and do everything that he could do to help them succeed no matter how long it took. This hard work ties in with never giving up on a goal and he is a prime example of it. Not only was he loyal to his team for many years but also he was a man that pushed himself and his teammates to get better. He showed that if you want something and you work hard enough for it you will usually be able to achieve it, it just might take time. Helton now represents people of loyalty and hard work reaching a goal and having the joy that goes with it. The joy that he expressed in the image can be inspiration to people to complete their goals because they see how happy it made him in the long run.

            This image can be metonymy because it stand for more than just a game or a season, it stands for the millions of people that try there hardest everyday to reach there individual goals for the ending result of indescribable happiness. It also stands for the good and unfortunately declining character that sports players have especially pertaining to baseball. In a business that is all about succeeding for yourself, whether that be signing bigger contracts, going to a more marketable city, or using unfair advantages to be the best, the few that “play the game” the correct way are being put on a greater pedestal and being idolized so greatly because people are relying on them to keep decency and quality in our national community. In the sports community the superstars main concern is money. Not just receiving enough money to be wealthy but to the point of unthinkable amounts. The message that this sends to the world is that Americans and sports stars are extremely greedy and that the only thing to life is money. Because sports stars are being viewed as icons and heroes this message is greatly spread to everyone from young to old with every background. In all professions that have celebrities people are always cheating and doing unfair things to get an advantage. Especially in sports and particularly in baseball. As we are in the midst of what they are calling the steroid era unfortunately a majority of players are using steroids to get that extra advantage to be better than everyone else. In other words cheating. Right as we start to depend on someone and look up to someone it seems as if they are caught for it. An example is Alex Rodriguez. Once Bonds became the all time home run champion we turned to find someone that would take him over because we didn’t want a cheater in that spot so we turned to ARod. Only a short time later he was on the highest pedestal in the greatest market of sports, and he too fell. We now look around whether it is the baseball world, the sports world, or the celebrity world and we find it hard to be able to truly believe in someone. Helton and guys like him are starting to rise on the pedestals because they are our last hope at showing the nation that you can be loyal, trustworthy, and fair. They will continue to rise and have greater respect placed on them however if they fail the fall will be more drastic and difficult for us to cope with. For us as the general public to find a decent role model and someone we can truly believe. Helton stands for something bigger than just the Rockies, than baseball, and more then sports. He and the other celebrities that act and hold themselves to these standards show that life can be lived by doing the correct thing and showing the proper morals of life.

            

A True Saint

Anyone who looked at photographs of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina back in 2005 had to be thinking the same thing: How can New Orleans ever recover?  News stations were flooded with pictures and videos of families stranded on their roofs, citizens using kayaks for transportation, and what seemed like half the city calling the Superdome their new home.  Even after the media had moved on to new stories, New Orleans still remained devastated—physically and emotionally—for many years.  It was not until February 7^th, 2010 that the suffering of the city finally ended.  With the Saints Super Bowl XLIV victory, a turning point for New Orleans began, and this iconic image was born.

            The photo is of the Saints’ quarterback Drew Brees holding his child during the postgame celebration.  One reason the photo has become so iconic to Americans—especially those who live in New Orleans—is that it is an extremely relatable image.   There are thousands of photographs of the Saints celebrating after the Super Bowl, but this is the image that became iconic and ran in many periodicals and magazines.  Why?  Because many the other photos were of Saints players celebrating with the Lombardi trophy.  Many Americans can envision themselves being held by their father or holding their own son much better than they can imagine holding the Lombardi trophy.  We immediately key in on the popular iconography of a father holding his son and connect with it.  This aesthetic familiarity is heightened by the fact that Brees’ face isn’t showing, allowing us to superimpose ourselves into the image and create in us a more powerful emotional response.

            The powerful emotions that this photo can evoke are another reason it is iconic.  The Super Bowl victory was a cathartic moment for New Orleans and this is readily apparent in the image.  The confetti falling and word “Champions” in the background inspire the thoughts of festivity and merriment.  At the same time, the Saints attire is obvious in the picture, bringing to mind New Orleans—now synonymous with Hurricane Katrina—and therefore inevitably the afore mentioned images of citizens stranded on their roofs and other scenes of devastation.  These two codes of jubilation and devastation clash, bringing even more intrigue to the photo.  Another transcription able to be made from the photo comes from the child.  The pose of Brees and his child immediately brings to mind the opening (and closing) scene of the Lion King and the idea of the circle of life.  This idea is emblematic of the fall and rise New Orleans has experienced over the past five years.  Symbolically, the child can even been seen as a representation of rebirth for the city of New Orleans, as it is now ready to make a fresh start.

            This image may not be the most preeminent image of American culture; however, it definitely is iconic in the minds of New Oleanders and sports fans alike.  Its aesthetic familiarity makes it a great image to view; however, it is the semiotic transcriptions that can be taken from it and the emotions those symbols evoke that make this photograph truly iconic.

--Zach Kadow