I have been deliberating over this one. Are my expectations unrealistic? Am I being pedantic? Or am I justified in feeling a tad dismayed that a men’s magazine would award a model as its woman of the year? Not as model of the year or as a woman of style but as the woman of the year. The context of my disappointment stems from the list of men whose achievements were celebrated.
At GQ’s annual Men of the Year event, which took place last week, 18 awards were handed out. These are a few of the men who were recognised:
Actor Russell Crowe,
Musician Jimmy Barnes
Fashion designer Dion Lee
Chef Curtis Stone
Radio and television stars Hamish Blake and Andy Lee
Comedian Dave Thornton
Artist Ben Quilty
Entrepreneur Michael Gudinski
Swimmer James Magnussen
Film director Baz Lurhmann
With the exception of male model Jarrod Scott, who was awarded GQ’s Man of Style, all the men who received awards have achieved success that is not dependant on their physical appearance. The talents for which they were each recognised were substantive – acting, directing, cooking, presenting, performing, swimming, designing.
By way of contrast, the woman of the year was the internationally-successful model Jessica Hart. GQ Australia’s editor Ceri David said he was thrilled to present Hart with the award “who has had her biggest year to date.” The contrast between the only female recipient of an accolade and the men is, predictably I suppose, starker in the magazine itself. The male winners have all been photographed with their clothes on while Hart appears naked in the photo shoot that accompanies her interview.
It is a men’s magazine so why am I surprised by some gratuitous nudity and the celebration of a woman’s physical beauty? I suppose, in part, it’s because I would consider GQ more of a thinking man’s title than some of the other men’s magazines. Mostly, however, I take issue with the pervasive subliminal message that an accolade like this – portrayed in the way it is – perpetuates. The message it sends to men and woman is that men are recognised and celebrated for doing things and women are recognised and celebrated for being things. Namely, being supremely attractive.
Establishing an international career in anything is no mean feat and Jessica Hart is undoubtedly a successful young woman. But when we award someone ‘Woman of the Year’ on the basis of building a career based on being beautiful, what does that say? When there are women who act and cook and direct films and design clothes and create art and run businesses and excel at sport, in the same way that all the men who won prizes? It says, once again, that being beautiful is the pinnacle of a female’s achievements. And there’s nothing beautiful about that.