A Little Help From Mom

This picture presents Beyoncé in a much more glamorous way then the other two did. Here, we see her really embody her celebrity status but we also see some of her family history. She is dressed in all red, which is usually seen as a more sexual and passionate color. The red color also pops out among the more neutral colors in the background. She is dripping in a plethora of accessories including chunky, gold necklaces and a fur coat which can usually be a symbol of wealth. She is sitting with her legs crossed, which is seen as a more feminine way to sit and a little bit more sophisticated. Behind her sits her mother who appears to be fixing the hem on an article of clothing Beyoncé is wearing. Her mother is clearly not the focus of this image. Her eyes are cast down, focusing on what she is doing and she is also wearing a brown outfit, which blends in with what is behind her. Although Beyoncé is not a large person in the least, she takes up a lot of the photo. Her legs are out in front of her and her hand sits behind her so she is covering more area. Additionally, her hair is not completely tamed, which allows it to be spread out over her fur coat. By taking over a lot of the picture, she becomes a dominant part of the image, representing her female power in the music industry. 

Just Hangin' Out

In this photo, we see Beyoncé in a more playful and casual setting. This photo shoot seems a bit more candid than some of her other spreads in high-fashion magazines. In some ways, this picture gives off a hint of the idea of the “American girl” because is dressed pretty simply and seems to be having fun. Rather than dramatic eye shadow and lip color, her make-up is very natural and unnoticeable. We also see some disingenuous mistakes. The shirt she is wearing is wrinkled and pulling in some places. Her hair is messy and tousled, however the picture does not look sloppy. Even though she is not wearing what some might think of as a “sexy” outfit, the simple shirt and spandex look sexy because of the way she is wearing them. Although the outfit she is wearing does not look "poor", this is not the kind of clothing we would usually imagine a celebrity wearing, especially for a spread in a fashion magazine. We may say that she is under dressing considering her social status. Then, we think about why Glamour Magazine decided to display her in such a casual setting. The thought comes up that they may be doing this so they can relate to their wide-range of readers, the majority of which are probably middle-class women. Seeing B in this fun-loving setting makes her seem more "normal" to the women of the world.

If I Were A Boy?

In this image, we see Queen B on set of her music video for “If I Were A Boy”. Considering the title of the song, we might’ve expected to see a little bit of subtle cross-dressing in the video.  Although she still looks like a female in this picture, we see many elements that hit at making her appear manlier. For example, her hair is pulled back so we are unable to see it. Having longer hair usually makes people look more feminine and increase their amount of sexual appeal. By hiding Beyoncé’s hair, it dampens her sexuality (which is really hard to do) and makes her look like less of the glamour girl that she is. Additionally, Beyoncé is wearing little to no make-up in this picture. Without lip color on, her lips blend in to her skin tone which makes them less accentuated. Lips are a very feminine part of the face, and without the emphasis on them, Beyoncé appears much less desirable to someone of the opposite sex. Although her outfit is clearly made for a female, we are able to understand the idea that she is supposed to resemble a male police officer. We can understand this based on her lack of feminine accessories such as make-up, jewelry and nail polish. We still can tell she is a woman, but because this is not usually how she appears, the differences are highlighted more.