The men tightened their belts, buttoned their jackets and boldly stepped into a new world war, World War II that is. When about ten million working men dropped their careers for a new type of duty someone had to pick up the slack. This was certainly a blessing in disguise for now women had an open opportunity to prove to society that they have what it takes to step outside of the kitchen and into a factory. This was especially hard for men to cope with because of course their pride was shot and this could potentially be the first and only blast they felt during the war. To allow women to bring home a paycheck made them feel as though they were not adequate regardless of their absence. This makes me chuckle only because it took a world war to face the fact that men need women. J

The promotion for women workers was all over the media, through radio broadcasts and newspapers such as the New York Times. Journalists and radio personalities fluffed the working-gal life stating how wonderful and admirable it truly was. Now it certainly seems a bit condescending how they went about the situation and almost seems as if they tricked women into wanting to work but, if you think about the circumstances women were very faithful to the men in their life and wouldn’t want to do anything that would be against their word regardless if it was beneficiary. So the media helped to make the situation sound less disloyal and this not only helped with picking up the slack and aiding in filling rounds for machine-guns so they are ready to go but, also filling in seats behind desks that would forever change the perspective on a woman’s abilities.

Women working expanded to articles in magazines such as Vouge, Glamour and Life and portrayed the beauty behind working and gave it a more glamorous approach. With adorable overalls, cute work boots and classy bob haircuts this type of exposure was designed to make women want to work. This was the media working to it’s full potential targeting the essence of women’s needs; making them feel beautifully accepted. Some articles tackled the situation with role models such as Betty Grable and vocabulary such as “’alluring Grable-like damsels, clad in slacks and bandannas, and oozing glamour from every pore.’” Who wouldn’t want to OOZE glamour from every pore!

“’The younger generation of newspaperwomen is composed of women who can do a man’s job but still look like women.’”  I literally had to quote this because it was perfectly stated. Despite all of the fabrication of making work look glamorous news organizations didn’t want women to forget that their efforts are appreciated and that they are certainly beautiful but nonetheless strong, both physically and mentally. Newsweek and the New York Times vigorously shot messages out to the public boasting about how women make up such a large percentage of the workforce and how they are doing a wonderful job at the same time. Journalists pointed out how women paid such close attention to the details and how they endured working all day and night because you can’t forget the work that needs to still be done around the house. It was this ego boost that helped women understand that they are valued and it was this ego boost that helped continue the expectation that women will continue to work.

Technically the women did have two jobs, one which they get paid for and one which is their duty as a mother or wife.  The book Mightier than the Sword breaks down an article from the New York Times about a woman named Alma. Alma is pretty, has a feminine build, has a job at a war plant, is a mother of three kids and best of all never complains! Isn’t that just wonderful, truly just a new role model for all women because it touches close to home. The media is really trying to shape an image here on how women should act by proving through example and I am sure this was an effective method but, I couldn’t help and think about the wording for this article. The article continues with her daily schedule portraying how she only sleeps about six hours a day but, not simultaneous. She works the night shift and takes naps throughout the day whenever she finds a moment. Finally, the article concludes with Alma’s joy for working because it provides companionship compared to staying home alone all day. This was inspirational for women without a doubt and in my opinion pushed women to want to work even more. The government, with all thanks to the media, went through great lengths to make sure every woman in America wanted to work.  

The media continued to portray working women as unstoppable. They were moving up from being nurses to becoming doctors and soon enough this wasn’t just limited to white females in America, African American females were also pushed to start work as well. During this time Margaret Bourke-White is also recognized for her photo’s that were displayed in Life magazine and are still highly noted today. The picture to the right on this paragraph is one that you may recognize. It is a picture of the Chrysler building and she became famous for portraying factories as Gothic cathedrals. She was a journalist and a photographer during World War II and then became the first woman correspondent accredited to the Army Air Force. Life magazine continued to use stunning photgraphs to portray real life women working and conveyed all of the raw emotion behind it. The direction of the written articles began to change. From glamorous women working and promoting a new concept to real stories of women working. The stories were put out not only to touch the lives of others but, to inform and to remind people of that work that is being done. Granted the journalist stuck by their glamour girl image they also opened up a new perspective by using real photos, not just cartoons.

Work was demanded during this time and America turned to its beautiful women for help. Although it seems as if they were being used because there was no other option, society didn’t realize what was really being done. Women were so pushed by the media into believing it is such a striking thing to do, working that is, that it not only made that want to instantly work but to continuously work. There was a standard that was set and a change in social order. Women can do what men do and will do what men do. Thankfully for this time in history we are where we are today, living in harmony.