Cheryl Cole is out.

Recently, Cheryl Cole had been axed from the US version of X Factor after only two episodes.  Simon Cowell himself was excited to bring her along as one of his British sidekicks on the show, but the true reasoning as to why she had been dumped from the show is unknown.  Speculations arise that the reason she may have been let go is because of her think British accent and fear that the American public may not understand her.  There have also been other rumors pertaining to her having to shape up her image to be more visually pleasing to the American Public, and instead has been offered a judging spot on the UK version of the show.  Cole did not accept the offer and the reason of her departure remains unknown as of yet, but many factors contribute to there being some truth behind the rumors.  Pussycat Doll singer Nicole Scherzinger became her replacement, and Kelly Rowland is to judge the UK version.  It is a mystery why it only took two episodes for her to get released, and shows a very hegemonic way of dealing with the issues if the rumors are true.  By using the pretext that she is hard to understand, it proves that Americans prefer to listen and see only what is most comfortable and pleasing as the UK singer's expense. 

link: http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2011/may/30/cheryl-cole-x-factor-judging-panel

Touch the "SKYY"

This ad clearly entails the ideology that we are living in a male centric society. The angle at which the male is placed in the advertisement is crucial to decoding the meaning. It can be inferred that since the man is in a tailored suit he is of upper class. His authoritative role is further emphasized since he is towering directly over the woman with the bodacious physique. Since the male’s face is not showcased to consumers, it provides an “it could be you” fantasy to male consumers. If the man’s face had been shown, then his race or ethnicity would become valuable to the decoding the meaning of the advertisement. I also firmly believe that the man’s face was not shown because men from all walks of life have the ability to control a woman. SKYY Vodka doesn’t just want to target one particular audience or race for this matter because it wants to create a sense of commonality between the man in the illustration and the average Joe or upper class man.

In addition, the woman’s flawless physique provokes to-be-looked-at-ness. The Caucasian female is the desire rather than the beverage. The viewer is automatically drawn to the woman’s cleavage; it is the main attraction in the SKYY Vodka advertisement. The advertisement uses the ideal of a perfect female body that many women strive for. This body involves the ideal of a flat stomach and is perfectly proportioned with an extremely large bust. The woman’s muscular shoulders suggest that she occupies her time with exercising and maintaining her appearance. This “perfect body” operates as a metaphor for culture. For example, it is of no surprise that a Caucasian female with straight blonde hair and a flawless tan is the symbol of beauty. Especially in contemporary society because people pay to look a couple shades darker; natural pasty skin, which was once of great significance during the Jim Crow era is no longer, considered to be beautiful.

If photography were used to capture this exact moment instead of an illustration, it would evoke different reactions from the general public. For example, it might be taken more seriously because some could find it be rather offensive. Although one could still question the company’s motive, the illustration makes it a light topic or entertaining to some rather than problematic. Therefore, the art medium becomes significant because it has the power to alter the meaning of the advertisement.