Mesečni časopisi za žene i stereotipi – žene kao estetski objekat
Monthly Women Magazines And Stereotypes – Woman As An Aesthetic Object

Summary/Abstract: Media representation is a process used not only for exchanging of specific meanings and values inside a culture, but also for generating them. My intention here was to found what kinds of woman representation models are supported in Serbian monthly magazines for women and to discuss relations between those representations, stereotypes, and actual questions about media ethics. The analysis of content indicated that a beauty myth is a dominant axiology for content constitution in four analyzed magazines – Lepota i zdravlje, Joy, Beauty Expert and Top zdravlje. The content of these magazines suggests that women are most interested in topics about fashion, make-up, cosmetic treatments, beauty and carrier, and the role of beauty in relations with men. The representation of woman is not that much reduced on representational figures (housewife, mother, wife, model, super star) as it is on specific model of behavior primarily connected with woman’s body and engagement of all woman’s capabilities in reaching the specific beauty standards. The must ’be pretty’ which these magazines impose on woman exists as an up-to-date version of the stereotype once characteristic for traditional, patriarchal society – men look and women look good. The function of woman is only aesthetic – she appears as the object of other’s enjoyment in her beauty. That way, the stereotype representation of woman as aesthetic object of man’s pleasure is confirmed. The readers of these magazines should be passive, inferior and incompetent to put forward any other skills except their beauty. The nature of representations of woman in these four monthly magazines in fact exists as a consequence of putting into effect the consumerism strategies for consumption increase and profit acquiring by the cosmetic and fashion companies. The mechanic of market not only offers products for satisfying consumers’ needs. It also produces the consumers’ need for goods and necessity of this need as real providing the continuity of consumerism.

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