| u0003_0004200_0000099 |
| Title | Gee I wish I Were a Man |
| Creator | Howard Chandler Christy |
| Date | 1917 |
| Format | 30 x 40 in |
| Description | Chandler Christy’s “I Wish I Were a Man” poster is a great example of the artist’s well-known strategy of illustrating rosy-cheeked, red-lipped, attractive women to draw the attention of young heterosexual men to join the military. This particular “Christy Girl,” as they were commonly known, provocatively combines masculine and feminine features to flirtatiously compel men to enlist in the Navy. In having her state “GEE! I WISH I WERE A MAN,” the poster not only suggests that joining the military is an opportunity for men to become more sexually attractive to the opposite sex, but that the decision not to enlist is emasculating. The poster questions the manhood of male viewers who have not enlisted by showing a petite woman who would gladly join the Navy if permitted. The strategy to coerce military service by questioning the masculinity of the viewer is reinforced by the smaller, less obvious text at the bottom of the image stating “BE A MAN AND DO IT.” |
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