Last Friday, I didn't have a lot of time to deconstruct the image of the geisha. So here I go-
First off-while foot binding was more common in ancient China, there are several accounts that tell us that foot binding also happened in Japan. Geisha's are a very accomplished women who were often hired to simply entertain men. Sometimes there was sexual intent, and at others, there was not.
A good geisha was graceful, passive, funny at appropriate times, submissive, cultured, and intent on serving.
Small steps and use of their facial expressions to attract customers were some of the most prominent and proper ways in which Geisha's worked.
I find it ironic that their graceful small steps are mocked. After all, she is tied to a man's shoe. What does this say? My interpretation of it is that it mocks geisha's while advertising them as submissive women. Asian women are already seen as passive members of society- this image further depicts a certain kind of reality. If you had no knowledge of how Asian women are represented, what would you think? "Wow, Asian women really are submissive and decorative."
I have issues with this: Women have no in between. You are either a bitch or submissive. What about a kind and active women? Apparently thats rare? I hate to break it to those ignorant citizens of humanity, but you cannot define women as one thing. I mean, do not get me wrong. Men are often objectified too. But men have the agency to change their status; to fight back. Men can be anything. Why can't women?
This image further enforces Asian stereotypes but also expresses something about the cultural belief of what women are. I have a challenge for you- don't think of WHAT women are; think of WHO women are.