Woman magazine - Alfred Hitchcock article

“Unobtrusively seductive creatures”

This completely dehumanizes them.

• By labeling women as "creatures," Hitchcock positions them as subjects to be observed and categorized by a male expert

“They’re like snow capped volcanoes”

Represents women as having a dual identity

• They have a social mask - soft, domestic and emotionally controlled women was expected in 1964

• But the interior of a volcano suggests a hidden, more dangerous sexual side, that is hidden

• By calling it a volcano you can suggest this side needs “Taming” by a male expert

• Links to the male gaze theory - as objects of study.

Representation of Hitchcock

Represented as an “Expert” in the 1960s

Now is represented as a problematic figure

• The fact he is given a platform to give his opinions in a Woman magazine suggests how much male appeal there was in the 1960s

• Represented as dominant - “my leading lady” represents him as having authority.

• The idea he has so many women to choose from

“The time i’ve spent grooming actresses has never been wasted”

He is suggesting that women need to be manipulated by men in order for them to have value

“I wouldn’t allow her to go before the cameras with a hair out of place”

• The phrase "hair out of place" represents women as objects that must achieve flawless perfection to be considered valuable or "camera-ready." It suggests that a woman's natural state is somehow insufficient and must be "corrected" through intense labor.

• By saying "I wouldn't allow her," Hitchcock is represented as the gatekeeper of her image. This strips the woman of her own choice and autonomy. She is represented as someone who is "done to" rather than someone who makes her own professional decisions.

“I treated her ruthlessly”

Represents hitchock as a “Dictator”

Hitchcock is represented as having total authority over the actress's physical and emotional state. "Ruthless" implies that her comfort or well-being was secondary to the "result" he wanted to achieve on screen.