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Two Steps FORWARD, One Step BACK: The Selling of Charlie's Angels and Alias

Posted on: Saturday, 7 May 2005, 03:00 CDT

Abstract:

The author analyzes various elements of the promotional campaigns for two recent female-driven action narratives, the film Charlie's Angels and the television series Alias. The analysis suggests that these inconsistent and often regressive campaigns weaken the potentially progressive gender images offered by the film and series.

Key words: action heroines, advertising, Alias, Charlie's Angels, gender

The Angels "go where no one else dares" and do "what no one else can" in Charlie's Angels.

In the past decade or so, academics have spent a great deal of time studying a particular character type that has appeared relatively recently on screen: the action heroine. Over the years, men have dominated the action genre on both the large and small screens (e.g., Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone to the men of The A-Team [1983-87]); however, a number of women have begun moving into the men's territory. Films such as Aliens (James Cameron, 1986) and Terminator 2: Judgment Dav (James Cameron, 1991), as well as TV series such as Xena: Warrior Princess (1995-2001), introduced female characters who could punch, kick, and shoot as well as any man in the genre. More recently, the trend in action heroines has been toward women who can perform not only the violence and physical stunts associated with traditional masculinity but also the beauty and sexuality associated with traditional femininity. Two prominent examples of this trend are Charlie's Angels (McG, 2000) and Alias (ABC, 2001-present). Both feature leading women who are highly intelligent, skilled in the martial arts, and conventionally beautiful. They display a combination of traditionally feminine and masculine traits as they work to fight crime.

Based on the 197Os television series of the same name, Charlie's Angels features three female investigators who work for a wealthy and mysterious man named Charlie (John Forsythe). The original series made stars of Farrah Fawcett, Kate Jackson, and Jaclyn Smith; the film features Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz, and Lucy Liu as Angels Dylan, Natalie, and Alex, respectively. The film greatly increases the action quotient, adding more fight scenes, chase scenes, and explosions than the TV series ever had, while maintaining the sex appeal that delighted or upset so many viewers in the 1970s (Fiske 38-39).

Starring Jennifer Garner, Alias focuses on Sydney Bristow. a young woman working as a CIA agent. In addition to the many spy adventures that send Sydney around the world, much of the series deals with her private life and the ways she negotiates personal relationships in light of the fact that she lives a secret life.

The overall success of these two texts makes them particularly worthy of attention. Charlie's Angels, for example, earned a surprising $40 million in its opening weekend and went on to gross more than $125 million domestically ("Business Data"). This box- office performance resulted in a sequel, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003). Although Alias has not been a ratings smash (it finished its first season ranked 55th; Snierson 67), it has received critical acclaim and a good deal of media attention. In its first season, Alias received eleven Emmy nominations, including a nod for Jennifer Garner as Best Actress. Garner has appeared on numerous mugazine covers, including Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, TV Guide, Keyboard, and Daily Variety. Charlie's Angels and Alias have achieved a level of success that places them prominently within the cultural landscape. Audiences, journalists, and critics have taken notice of these texts, so the messages contained within them are likely to have a strong impact.

Although Charlie's Angels and Alias have different producers, writers, and stars, they should not be viewed as entirely separate texts. In addition to their basic connections with other female- centered action narratives, these two texts share a number of more specific characteristics. For example, in both cases, the heroines make repeated use of masks and disguises to control the way others see them, which allows them to manipulate situations to their advantage. Both texts feature cast-wide disruptions of gender norms, offering a more complete gender-repositioning message than most action heroine narratives. And, despite the alternative images offered by the film and series, both are promoted with ad campaigns that often rely on traditional female objectification and sex appeal to sell the product. It is the promotional tools that I focus on in this article.

The actual texts for Charlie's Angels and Alias are filled with imagery that highlights and questions traditional gender roles and boundaries, but the images do not end with the closing credits, nor do they begin with the opening credits. Adding to the messages contained within Charlie's Angels and Alias, there are many extratextual referents that provide images worthy of investigation. These images need to be considered as an important way that these media texts reproduce gender images in the public domain. Long before Charlie's Angels opened in theaters, there were posters and trailers announcing its arrival. Alias had its own promotional poster and trailer as well, working to create an image for the show even before it debuted. Additional promotional tools coincided with or followed the release of Charlie's Angels, including the soundtrack album, VHS and DVD releases, and a novelization of the film. During its run, Alias has been promoted by way of teasers following each episode (and running throughout the week on ABC), print ads in popular magazines, and an official Web site. These promotional materials have the potential to influence the ways that viewers eventually read the main texts and, therefore, should be studied as important components of the texts that they promote.

Some of these materials strengthen the messages contained within the texts, whereas others act to weaken those messages. Both the film and series attempt to depict multifaceted women whose sex appeal is but one component of their existence; however, some of the promotional tools do not offer this view. Instead, many promotions focus solely on sex appeal and all but ignore the physical and mental abilities that the main texts display so carefully. These promotional images can have an enormous impact on the texts' reception by the general public.

Whereas the film and series are seen only by those who specifically choose to view them, the promotions are seen by a much broader segment of the population. For example, the Charlie's Angels poster was on display in theaters for months before the film opened and was seen by millions of people who never saw the film. ABC runs promos for Alias during many of its other programs throughout the week, reaching many viewers who will never watch a full episode of the series. The promotional texts have a life of their own outside the main texts, but, in the end, they influence the ways that the film and series are positioned in the media landscape. If the promotions are seen as objectifying and exploitative, then the film and series might be received in the same way.

Audience members going into the film or watching the series expecting a display of attractive female sexuality will have their expectations met, as they can choose to focus on plenty of scenes involving such a display. Potential audience members who are turned off by the treatment of women in the ads are unlikely to view the main texts at all, but they still form an opinion of the texts and can contribute to the discourse surrounding them. In both cases, whether it is because they were predisposed to focus on the sexuality or because they avoided the texts altogether, the viewers do not see the potentially progressive images of strong, intelligent women presented by the film and series. In this way, the regressive promotional materials potentially hinder the texts' ability to offer progressive gender imagery.

The novelization of Charlie's Angels reuses the image from the movie poster.

Prerelease Promotions for Charlie's Angels

Long before audiences had a chance to see Charlie's Angels on the big screen, they were given a glimpse of what was to come by way of the official movie poster and a set of trailers. The central image of the poster is a full-length picture of the three leading ladies, who look directly at the camera. The background upon which the women are superimposed is a large letter "A," filled with bright orange flames. The flames seem to illuminate the women from behind, thus casting their shadows in front of them, toward the viewer, and creating a partially silhouetted image. At the top of the poster are the names of the three actresses: Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu. Below the image of the women, in large orange text, is the film's title. Below the title, in smaller text, is the tagline "Get Some Action."

The details of the women's attire are somewhat hard to make out because of the lighting, but they are all wearing dark, form- fitting outfits. Drew Barrymore is dressed in a purple jacket and matching pants. Cameron Diaz is wearing black pants and a sleeveless top that is held up by a string that runs around her neck. Lucy Liu is in all black, with a long-sleeved t\op and textured pants. Each stands with her feet about shoulders' width apart, so that her legs mimic the "A" behind her. Each woman's weight is shifted so that one hip juts out, her hand resting on it, accentuating her female form. Each wears high heels. With the exception of Cameron Diaz's shoulders and arms, the lighting and costuming prevent viewers from seeing much skin on the women, but their silhouetted forms, enhanced by the chosen poses, give the picture a distinct sex appeal.

The background, composed primarily of flames, calls to mind images of romance and passion (candles, fireplaces), as well as danger and excitement (explosions). The silhouettes clearly sexualize the women by accentuating their bodily curves, whereas the lack of lighting on their faces gives them an air of mystery and a slightly menacing appearance. The tagline, "Get Some Action," certainly offers a double meaning. On one hand, it can refer to the physical stunts, fights, chases, and explosions that energize the film. On the other hand, the phrase is usually a reference to sex, and the suggestion of "getting some action" with these three ladies has a tremendous sexual impact.

All in all, the poster offers a preview of the dualities that are to be played out in the film. The photographic image of the women, along with the accompanying graphics and text, highlights the women's sex appeal while simultaneously alluding to the fact that these women are more than mere sex objects. However, unlike the film itself, the poster does not offer any proof of these women's abilities. The film allows the characters to flaunt their sexuality, but it also gives them time to demonstrate their mental and physical abilities. The poster does not do this. Although their physical and mental strength may be alluded to, it is only their sexuality that is fully demonstrated. The poster works to increase the stars' sexuality and presents them as sexual objects before the film begins. The full-length narrative of the film allows the women to destroy the traditional active/passive binary described by Laura Mulvey, but, in the still image of the poster, they remain passively displayed as objects of the sexual gaze.

A teaser trailer and the main theatrical trailer ran before the movie's debut. The teaser trailer does not feature any actual footage from the film but focuses on the stars and the general concept of the film. The teaser is quick to demonstrate the ways in which the film will try to contradict audience expectations. It opens with a man walking down a hallway, toward the camera. There is a bright light source behind him, so the audience is able to see only his frame as he approaches. A voice-over says, "When it's time to fight high-tech espionage and international terrorism, the most powerful leaders in the world call on one man." The obvious assumption is that the man walking toward the camera is the man described by the narrator. As the voice-over continues, "Because only he can call on them," the silhouetted figure splits into three. One figure leaps straight up while the others turn flips to either side. They land and then approach the camera, stepping into the light as they get closer, revealing their identities. This "man" has morphed into the Angels. By surprising the audience with this quick change (from one man to three women), the trailer immediately shows how women will be taking over traditionally male roles in the film, as they are the ones who will "fight high-tech espionage and international terrorism." The names of the actresses appear on the screen as each is introduced with her own long shots and close-ups, shown in front of a shimmering silver background. Then all three are shown in front of a wall of flames (mirroring the flames on the poster), performing a series of martial arts moves, including high kicks and punches. Lacking opponents, the women look more like dancers than fighters, returning them to a role more commonly held by women on screen. Their images are often frozen temporarily in mid- kick, with their legs high in the air or spread wide, sexualizing them even as they try to look tough. In Mulvey's words, these women "freeze the flow of action in moments of erotic contemplation" (27). With no existing narrative, the women are presented in this situation as pure spectacle, there to be looked at. In lieu of striking opponents, they strike poses.

The trailer ends with text saying, "This fall, get some action." This carries the same double meaning that it did in the poster, allowing an audience to read it either way. Someone focusing on the idea of strong women fighting their way through a man's world can read the tagline one way, whereas someone excited by the flame- engulfed posing at the end can read it another way. The teaser trailer is as ambivalent as the poster, offering empowerment and objectification. But with the spectacular posing taking up significantly more of the trailer and coming at the end, it is the image most likely to stay with the viewer. Like the poster, the teaser trailer sexualizes the women more than it empowers them.

The main theatrical trailer also presents the film's duality, as it blends images meant to sexualize with images meant to empower. It opens with a condensed version of the film's opening scene in which Dylan and Alex prevent a terrorist bomb attack while falling through the sky to a waiting speedboat driven by Natalie. As these heroic images play out on screen, a voice-over (provided by John Forsythe, recognizable to many as the voice of Charlie) sets up the film's concept, saying, "They go where no one else dares. They do what no one else can . . . they're the ones to call. But they only answer to me. My name is Charlie." The visual images of strength and courage, combined with such phrases as "where no one else dares" and "what no one else can," set up the women as highly empowered and strong individuals. Unfortunately, the line "they only answer to me" immediately undercuts the image. At the same moment that the Angels are set up as strong women, they are also set up as being under the control of one man. In the film, this patriarchal relationship is shown to be superficial when the Angels end up rescuing a victimized Charlie. The trailer, however, does not develop this and presents the relationship as one involving a man controlling three women. Although this does not completely negate the women's empowerment, it certainly weakens it.

As a montage of clips from the film fills the screen, a new voice says, "Meet the most elite crime-fighting force ever assembled." Initially, the shots highlight the Angels' athletic and fighting abilities. But, as the voice says, "They've got techniques you never dreamed of," the clips highlight the women's sexuality: Dylan licking a steering wheel, Natalie answering the door in her underwear, and so on. The voice-over continues with "Columbia Pictures presents ... a new breed of knockout." (The word breed is an interesting choice here, as if the women are on display at a dog show.) A montage of clips plays with the double meaning of "knockout," by alternating shots of fighting and extreme strength with shots of sexual display. Cameron Diaz is shown doing a back- flip to knock out an attacker and then dancing in her underwear. Drew Barrymore knocks out two men with a split kick and is then shown tumbling down a hill naked. Lucy Liu is shown preparing to give a massage dressed as a geisha before attacking a man with a heavy steel chain. The two sides of the women are presented fairly equally in this trailer, and the sex does not over-power the physical action. For every man on screen who objectifies one of the women, another man is beaten to a pulp. When the tagline is finally delivered ("This fall, get some action"), the two meanings for the word "action" have been given essentially equal weight. To give the empowerment angle a final boost, the last line of the trailer is one from the film: Dylan says, "And that's kicking your ass." To make the preview acceptable for all audiences, the word "ass" is not actually spoken but is replaced with the sound (and sight) of Dylan kicking two men in the face and knocking them on their backs.

Although the trailer weakens itself by setting up Charlie's patriarchal position and includes many sexualized images of the women, it finishes with an image of a woman triumphant, "kicking the ass" of any man who would seek to bring her down. Unlike the poster and the teaser trailer, this trailer is much more in line with the film in that it demonstrates Joan Riviere's idea (further developed by Mary Ann Doane) that femininity can be worn as a mask, strategically concealing the strength that is on the inside. In Riviere's example, an intellectual woman overdoes the "gestures of feminine flirtation" to compensate for the threat she may have posed by assuming the role of the subject of a discourse rather than its object. Riviere notes that, in this case, womanliness is essentially worn as a mask, "both to hide the possession of masculinity and to avert the reprisals expected if she was found to possess it" (qtd. in Doane 25). The women of Charlie's Angels and Alias do this as well, presenting themselves as excessively feminine (read: weak, passive, helpless, and, most important, nonthreatening) to conceal their possession of such traditionally masculine (and therefore threatening) traits as intelligence and physical strength. Unlike many of the promotions, this trailer hints at the complexity of this masquerade and its importance to the development of the multilayered characters within the main texts.

Charlie's Angels home video release uses an altered version of the movie poster, revealing more skin and highlighting the stars' sex.

A revealing look at Drew Barrymore (from the DVD package).

The Charlie's Angels Home Video Release

Approximately six months after the theatrical release of \the film, Charlie's Angels was released on VHS and DVD. A new wave of promotion began, as the film's backers tried to get people to bring the film into their homes. The primary marketing tool for the VHS/ DVD release is the package itself, which is filled with images and text meant to entice potential viewers. For the most part, the exterior packaging for the VHS and DVD versions is the same. On the front of the box is an image that looks very familiar, as it is almost the same as the movie poster. There are, however, a few significant changes. The women are still lit partially from behind (their shadows are visible in front of them), but their faces are no longer obscured by darkness. Unlike the poster, the women are not silhouetted but are fully lit in front, so that their faces and clothing can be seen clearly, revealing new details. All three wear bright red lipstick, and their tops are cut in such a way that they reveal a hint of cleavage. In full lighting, the amount of skin shown by Cameron Diaz becomes more striking, and her snug top visibly hugs her breasts, which are almost at the dead center of the image.

The images of Cameron Diaz and Lucy Liu are affected by the change in lighting (most likely an alteration made to the image long after photography); however, the image of Drew Barry more has been replaced entirely, although it is not exactly clear as to why. In the new image, her right hand rests on her hip, not the left, which makes her into almost a mirror image of Lucy Liu's pose, thus balancing the overall picture. Her outfit is clearly black now, rather than purple, so that she matches the other two Angels. Although these changes seem justifiable in terms of aesthetic balance in the overall picture, a third change seems inappropriate. In the first picture her hair rests on her shoulders; in the new picture, her hair is being visibly blown away from her face by a mysterious breeze that does not affect the other two Angels. (It's only mysterious if you still believe that the three women were photographed together.) This wind-blown look gives her the appearance of a fashion model on the cover of a magazine, upping the sexual ante of the overall image even more. The poster certainly sexualized the women, but it also created a sense of mystery and menace. The changes made for the VHS/DVD image (visible cleavage, more skin, pouty red lips, wind-swept hair) eliminate any mystery and go for full-on sex appeal.

The tagline from the poster has been replaced with a quote attributed to a Rolling Stone review. The text below the picture of the women reads "Babea-licious . . . with relentless action!" The second part of the quote is a line below the phrase "Babe-a- licious" and is in a much smaller font, indicating which of the two phrases the marketers see as more important.

Whereas the front of the package clearly plays up the sex appeal at the expense of the strength and empowerment message, the text on the back makes an attempt to balance things out. The blurb does refer to the Angels as a "captivating crime-fighting trio," but it also describes them as "masters of disguise, espionage, and martial arts" and points out that they are "on the spot with their brains, brawn, and high-tech toys." The description goes on to say that the "stunningly smart detectives use their state-of-the-art skills to kick evil's butt." The text highlights the mental and physical abilities of the women in the film, but is it enough to outweigh the sexed-up image on the front cover? If we are to believe the old saying that "a picture is worth a thousand words," then these few phrases aren't likely to make the same impact as the cover photo, especially when the photos on the back do nothing to support the claims of the text.

There are five photos on the back cover of the DVD package, and most of them sexualize the Angels. One features Natalie in her Swiss yodeler's outfit, cleavage prominently displayed. Another shows Dylan in her racetrack disguise, with bleach-blond hair, bright red lipstick, and breasts about to tumble out of her jumpsuit. The photo of Alex shows her in her tight, black dominatrix outfit. A fourth photo shows Dylan, Alex, and Bosley (Bill Murray) as they go undercover at a party. Posed as they are, the two women appear to be clinging to Bosley like trophy dates that he has brought along to show off. The final picture, the only one to show a hint of action, is of the villains, not the Angels. It shows Knox (Sam Rockwell) pointing a gun as Vivian (Kelly Lynch) looks on. (The VHS package features two additional photos: head shots of Cameron Diaz and Crispin Glover.)

The five pictures featuring the Angels depict scenes in which the women intentionally Haunt their sexuality for a specific reason. In the film, these scenes are all juxtaposed with scenes involving demonstrations of superior intellect or athletic abilities, such as a scenario in a science lab or a fight sequence. In the context of the film, these are all images created and controlled by the women. In all cases, the women perform femininity as a masquerade and invite the sexual gaze as a way of creating a distraction, which will allow them to do their job. Taken as still images and placed out of context on the DVD/VHS's case, the meaning of the images is changed dramatically. There is no longer evidence of the motivation for these sexualized images, and the control and empowerment that the women have in the film are lost in this new context. The women are presented here as objects of the look and nothing else. There are no photos on the DVD/VHS case to offer evidence that the women really have any redeeming qualities beyond good looks. The combination of the photos on the front and back covers easily overwhelms the text that tries to describe the physical and intellectual skills of the three women. As with many of the other Charlie's Angels promotions, the home video packaging offers a glimpse of the Angels' strength and independence but, in the end, places more emphasis on sexualizing and objectifying the film's stars, thereby placing them in the passive role that Mulvey attacks in her work.

The Launch of Alias

Alias has certainly had its fair share of promotional items as well, and the ongoing nature of the series requires continual production of new promotions. As an early example, a poster promoting the series features a photo of Jennifer Garner/Sydney in a rubber dress that she wears in the series' second episode, "So It Begins." The dress is very low cut, revealing much cleavage and accentuating her breasts. The image is in black and white and is cropped to show her from the waist up. Her head is tilted slightly down, and she is looking off to the side, away from the camera. Written across her left breast in small text are two phrases: "Not just a secret agent. She's a concealed weapon."

On one hand, the poster as a whole seems in line with the development of the series. The image presents Sydney as a beautiful woman displaying a variety of feminine signifiers. Her long blond hair, her necklace, and her dress mark her as traditionally feminine and imply the passivity and weakness usually associated with traditional femininity. The text, however, indicates that the photo doesn't tell the complete story. The phrase "concealed weapon," in particular, indicates a certain danger and power lying beneath the surface. Weapons can kill, and the implication is that Sydney can, too. The idea that a strong, violent individual may exist in the same body as a hyperteminine, sexed-up young woman (or an average girl next door, for that matter) is central to the concept of the series. The poster tries to reinforce this message. However, as with some of the Charlie's Angels promos, the photographic image is so dominant that it is likely to outweigh the idea suggested by the text. As a black-and-white image, the photo depends on the contrast of light and dark to create its impact. The two lightest portions of the image are Garner's face and exposed chest, causing the viewer's eye to be drawn to those body parts. While the viewer looks at her, Sydney looks away, casting her eyes to the side rather than returning the gaze. Although the bit of text implies that this weak, passive, objectified image is merely a cover, the image still dominates. In the absence of context, the poster simply displays Sydney as an object of the gaze. In Mulvey's words, "She is isolated, glamorous, on display, sexualised" (28).

Whereas the poster depends on sex appeal, the promotional trailer for the series goes a lot deeper and attempts to develop the character and story more fully. The focus of the trailer is shifted away from the idea of Sydney as object and presents her as an active individual moving through a complex world of danger and intrigue. Various clips of dialogue from the pilot are used to set up the basic concept of the series, while a montage of images reinforces the spoken words. Sex is downplayed, and some of the other important elements of the series-action, relationships, and emotions-are highlighted. The montage features shots of Sydney scaling a wall, crawling through an air duct, picking a lock, being tortured under water, firing guns, and narrowly escaping a large explosion. It becomes clear that the character leads a life filled with risk and danger. It is also clear that she is an active participant in this danger, not merely someone who is constantly caught in the role of victim. Sydney's strength is played up through the use of numerous connections to another tough female character from the realm of popular culture: the title character from the film Run Lola Run (1999). Numerous clips in the trailer show Sydney wearing a bright red wig very similar to Lola's distinctive and recognizable hair in the film. The trailer is loaded with shots of Sydney running-on a track, through a parking garage, down a hallway. Emphasizing thi\s connection is the trailer's soundtrack, which features music from Run Lola Run.

Alias questions gender roles within the nuclear family by way of Jack and Sydney Bristow's unusual father-daughter relationship.

In this ad for Alias, Sydney and her dress are depicted as equally desirable commodities.

Mixed in with the scenes of action and violence are clips highlighting the relationships in Sydney's life, particularly those with her father, Jack (Victor Garber), and her fianc, Danny (Edward Atterton). The emotional range of the show is demonstrated with a shot of Sydney discovering her fiance's murdered body and then crying in shock. By exposing the series' many layers rather than Sydney's body, the trailer is a more accurate indication of what the program actually will be like and acts to reinforce the show's positive messages of female strength and empowerment.

Another promotion that ran before the premiere of the series is a two-page ad on the front inside cover of Entertainment Weekly's fall TV preview issue on September 7, 2001. The ad features all eight of the series' regular characters standing in a line. The lighting is just bright enough so that their faces are clear, but their bodies disappear into darkness. Sydney is positioned a few steps in front of the others, so her face takes up more space in the photo than anyone else's. Everyone is wearing dark, conservative clothing, and the ad overall is largely devoid of color aside from skin tones. The major exception to this is the bright red wig that Sydney is wearing, which (combined with her positioning) makes her clearly stand out from the others. Her hair hangs down, covering half of her face. Only her left eye is visible as she stares back at the camera. The tagline "Sometimes the truth hurts" is printed just below Sydney. This enigmatic phrase introduces a certain amount of mystery and points to the hidden layers lying beneath the show's surface. What is the truth? What kind of hurt will this truth cause when it is revealed? Who are all these people, and what is their relationship to one another? This simple yet complex ad clearly establishes the importance of the supporting ensemble within the show, but it manages to distinguish Sydney from the rest of the group, positioning her as the show's central character. The image emphasizes her importance without isolating and emphasizing her sexuality or placing her in a position of objectification.

Alias Returns

A second major wave of promotions surfaced as ABC launched Alias into its second season. In the time between the first and second seasons, the thinking behind the promotions clearly shifted. Whereas promotions for the launch of the first season either focused on sex (the poster), action with hints of deeper developments (the trailer), or the show's sense of intrigue and mystery (the print ad), the second season promos had a different feel. In some cases, the ads became self-reflexive, parodying the show itself and reflecting an understanding of its own audience. Other ads turned away from action and overt sex appeal, focusing squarely on the relationships between Sydney and the other main characters. In many ways, the changes in the ads reflect changes in the series.

One tongue-in-cheek ad (appearing in Entertainment Weekly on September 20, 2002) was primarily a promotion for an auction being sponsored by ABC, but it served a double purpose, promoting Alias in the process. The ad shows a young couple, sitting together on a couch, each looking off into the distance, lost in thought. Cartoon bubbles rise from their heads to show what they're thinking. In the woman's bubble is a picture of a green dress on a hanger. In the man's bubble is a picture of that same green dress, but, in this case, it is worn by Sydney Bristow. The text above the picture says, "She's dreaming of owning Sydney's dress. He's dreaming the impossible dream." The ad reflects an understanding of the reasons different audience members may be drawn to Alias. The ad clearly indicates a belief that a woman is likely to admire or desire Sydney's wardrobe and, perhaps by extension, her lifestyle. The male viewer, on the other hand, is portrayed as desiring Sydney herself. Referring to Sydney as "the impossible dream" puts her on a sexual pedestal, out of reach of the average man. She is set up as a fantasy object and is apparently more desirable to this man than the woman sitting next to him.

Although the ad takes a humorous tone and gently pokes fun at its audience, it also reinforces the acceptability of objectifying Sydney (and women in general). The ad seems to encourage male viewers to fantasize about Sydney by normalizing it as the typical response. As for the woman, she is clearly too busy thinking about buying a new dress to worry about her husband's wandering eye. Perhaps she wants the dress because she thinks it will make her look like Sydney, thus making her more attractive to the man. As John Berger points out in his documentary Ways of Seeing, "Men dream of women. Women dream of themselves being dreamt of by men" (qtd. in Green 45). This ad seems to be a visual representation of that quote. The ad attempts to poke fun at stereotypical viewer reactions at the same time that it encourages that behavior. And while the woman dreams of the dress and the man dreams of Sydney in the dress, apparently no one is interested in Sydney's actual accomplishments. According to the ad, that's apparently just fine.

Another humorous promo is a television spot that ran during Monday Night Football just before the start of the second season of Alias. The promo, shot partially on the regular Alias set, is a send- up of Sydney's usual missions, specifically targeted at the audience tuned in for a professional football game. The spot opens with Sydney's boss outlining Sydney's mission, which ends up being the acquisition of a coach's game plan. The logical disguise for this mission involves Sydney dressing as one of the few female archetypes she hasn't touched in the series: a cheerleader. With her short skirt and pompoms, she searches for the game plan, using snack food and beer to distract some rabid fans that get in her way.

This promo is obviously aware of its audience and plays directly to it. Avoiding references to the various complex personal relationships on the show, this piece focuses on the elements most likely to interest the male-dominated football audience: sex appeal and action. It pokes fun at Sydney's endless array of hyper- feminine disguises by pulling out the female fantasy object most likely to appeal to men watching a football game. It is humorously self-reflexive in its targeted attempt to attract a specific audience.

This second season ad plays up the family melodrama at the heart of Alias.

Another series of ads focuses on the second season's shift in focus. From its beginning, Alias has blended elements of the action genre with elements of the melodramatic soap opera. In the second season, the soap opera elements were moved front and center, as the reappearance of Sydney's mother, Laura (previously thought to be dead, but actually living as Irina Derevko, a powerful leader in the criminal underworld), brought her personal and professional lives together. In its second season, the series spent more time exploring Sydney's personal relationships, and many of the ads for the second season reflect this.

One such advertisement received prominent placement inside the back cover of Entertainment Weekly the week before the second season began (September 27, 2002). The ad features all three of the Bristows: Sydney, Jack, and Laura (Lena Olin). Sydney is standing in front of her parents, with her arms raised to shoulder height, her hands resting on what appears to be a doorway. The text reads, "Spying. Stealing. Murder. And you think your family has issues." The family drama has been positioned as the central issue in the series, and the message is clear that this is no ordinary family. In a more traditional family, the father would likely be in the center of a family photo. In this case, however, Sydney is clearly the dominant figure.

Numerous elements of the photo combine to make Sydney the central focus of the image. The majority of the image is very dark. All three people are dressed in dark clothing, and the dark gray wall behind them is barely visible. Sydney is wearing a sleeveless leather top. which is slightly hitched up because of the positioning of her arms. The exposed skin on her arms, face, and stomach provide a bright contrast to the surrounding darkness, making Sydney the most visible figure in the photo. Each of her arms acts as a sort of frame for one of her parents behind her, while partially blocking them from view. The location of the photo is not clearly discernible, but it has the feel of a prison cell, with stone walls and a steel doorway. Sydney's position seems to block this doorway, in a sense trapping Jack and Laura in the cell behind her. The exposed skin sexualizes Sydney somewhat, but it also accentuates her body's fitness. Subtle shadows indicate the muscles in her stomach and arms, highlighting a strength that is not displayed by either Jack or Laura.

Both parents glare menacingly at the camera, but their positioning and body language do nothing to increase their relative strength within the picture. Trapped in the cell by Sydney, Jack's arms are not visible (but presumably hang at his side) and Laura's arms are folded in front of her, taking up as little space as possible-quite a contrast to Sydney's expansive pose, which itself goes against traditional notions of feminine behavior. As Cecilia Hartley points out, "A woman is taught early to contain herself, to keep arms and legs close to her body and take up as little space as possible" (61). Breaking these rules, Sydney takes up a good deal of space by spreading her strong arms to the sides. Because of t\he placement of the three individuals in relation to one another, as well as the positioning of their bodies, it is Sydney who commands this image. Overall, the ad makes reference to the developing family drama, while emphasizing Sydney's strength and dominance within the series' narrative.

Another clear attempt to appeal to the fans of Alias' softer side can be seen in promotions that emphasize Sydney's romantic relationships, or at least the possibilities of such relationships. One such ad features Sydney, her CIA handler, Agent Vaughn (Michael Vartan), and her friend Will (Bradley Cooper). Sydney stands in the middle, facing to the left side of the image, looking down. In front of her and so far to the left side of the photo that he's nearly cut out entirely is Will, who is looking directly at Sydney. Vaughn stands behind Sydney at the right edge of the photo, also partially cut out. He, too, is looking directly at Sydney. The text for the ad reads, "One woman. Two men. Love is still the greatest adventure."

The focus on the romantic possibilities of Sydney's relationships clearly plays up the series' ties to the realm of soap operas, in which relationships dominate storylines, and love triangles are commonplace. However, the line "Love is still the greatest adventure" ties the ad right back to the action-oriented elements of the show by implying that Sydney's personal life is actually more exciting and dangerous than her professional life. Whereas the Monday Night Football promo targeted men, this ad is seemingly trying to attract women, not only with its suggestion of romance but also with its prominent use of the series' two most attractive men.

Whereas the ad featuring Sydney with Jack and Laura places Sydney in a position of power, this ad does just the opposite. First, there is the issue of looking. Although Sydney is not overly sexualized here (only her arm is showing, and her positioning is not provocative), she is still set up as the object of the triple look described by Mulvey (33). The camera, and thus the viewer, is looking at all three individuals, but, because the men are partly cut off at the edges while Sydney dominates the center of the frame, she is the primary focus of the look. The men are also looking at Sydney, one from the left and one from the right. Combined with the viewer's/camera's look, Sydney is receiving the look from three sides. Although she may be one point in the love triangle, she is caught in the center of a looking triangle and is unable to look anywhere but down. Rather than returning any of the three gazes cast on her, she seems to be passively receiving all three of them while casting her own gaze somewhere outside the situation. Although her narrative position (caught between the two of them) may make it inappropriate to return the look of either man, there is no logical reason that she could not look back at the camera. Sydney's character is developed in the series as a strong, active woman whose job (as a spy) is based on looking and seeing. And yet, in this image, she slips into the mask of passive femininity described by Doane, diminishing the threat that her active looking might pose for her two male suitors. In this instance, Sydney exemplifies the role described by Mulvey, acting "as erotic object for the characters . . . and as erotic object for the spectator" (27).

In addition to positioning Sydney as the object of the male gaze, this ad seems to attempt to reincorporate her into the patriarchy that she has tried so desperately to escape. The phrase "Love is still the greatest adventure" seems to say that this romantic situation is more important than the work she does for the CIA. Her globetrotting missions that attempt to save the world are all well and good, but they can't compare to her life's true mission (the "greatest adventure"), which is apparently to end up with a suitable man. And, unlike James Bond, who can take pleasure in having multiple women, Sydney must choose just one man. The ad implies that Sydney's work-her forays into the masculine public sphere-will be forgotten once one of these men wins her heart and brings her home, thus recuperating the sexual order. It is almost as though, as Philip Green points out, "happiness, or even survival, can only be found within some version of the family and normalized sexuality" (29).

Another ad focuses on Sydney's family, but it really plays up the image of female empowerment. The ad features Sydney and her mother (her father is absent in this case). Sydney's back is to the camera, and she looks at the camera over her right shoulder. Both of her hands are behind her back; she holds a gun in her right hand. Laura stands facing Sydney and the camera and slightly to her right, her body partially blocked from view by Sydney. Text laid over Sydney's back says, "Like mother, like daughter? Like hell." To the side, and slightly smaller, there is text reading, "She always knew the job could kill her. She didn't know her deadliest enemy would be her mother."

In this image, neither woman is clearly dominant. Both women display a mix of masculine and feminine signifiers, straddling traditional gender lines the way Sydney has since the start of the series. They are both wearing sleeveless black tops, cut not to expose cleavage or enhance the bust line but to expose their fit, yet not overly muscular, arms. Not only are their breasts not emphasized, they are hidden from view. Sydney's breasts aren't visible because she is facing the other way, and Laura's chest is blocked from view by Sydney's arm. In fact, the only visible signifier that marks them as feminine is their hair. They both have long hair, worn in very feminine styles. Although their appearance is similar, the primary difference is that Sydney is holding a gun, visible to the viewer but hidden from Laura. Although Sydney very rarely uses guns (she far more often fights with her hands and feet), gunplay has long been a recognizable convention of the action genre. Sydney's mere possession of the phallic weapon places her squarely within this male-dominated genre. As Sherrie Inness points out, "Bearing weapons signifies toughness for women just as it does for men" (111).

The gun initially seems to give Sydney the advantage in this scene, but, as the text points out, her mother is "her deadliest enemy" and should not be underestimated. Whereas Sydney's gun is visible to the viewer, Laura's hands are completely blocked from view by Sydney's body and a lack of light. Although no weapon is present, there is also no reason to assume that Laura doesn't possess one. Sydney's gun is hidden from Laura, so it is equally plausible that Laura could have a weapon hidden from both Sydney and the viewer. Laura's history as a woman full of secrets, surprises, and deception sets this up as a likely possibility. In addition, Sydney is somewhat weakened by her own position. The placement of her hands, behind her back and together, almost gives the impression that she is bound or hand-cuffed, leaving her vulnerable to Laura or anyone else.

Overall, the image does not offer a clear picture of who is in command of the situation, which reflects the development of the series. Sydney is usually presented as a seemingly average woman who secretly possesses extraordinary physical talents. Her talents are known to the audience and yet hidden from many characters within the context of the series, much like the gun in the picture, which is visible to the viewer but not to Laura. Laura/ Irina, on the other hand, is a woman whose secrets are hidden from the other characters as well as the audience. Although it is not clear who is in control in this image, the one thing that is clear is that these are two strong women. There is no man present to control either one of them, and the ad, therefore, reinforces the theme of female empowerment that runs through the series.

Conclusion

Overall, the promotions for both Charlie's Angels and Alias provide rather mixed messages. Some offer a representative picture of the main texts, demonstrating the complexity of the characters and stories. On the other hand, many of the promotions isolate one aspect of the characters-their sexuality-and use that as the basis for selling the main text. This could be based, in part, on the studios' reluctance to fully embrace strong female characters who might be seen as threatening. As Inness points out, "The popular media are still deeply ambivalent about how to depict tough women so that they do not challenge gender conventions too dramatically" (5). Although the film and series do take steps to challenge these conventions, the promotional tools may indicate a nervousness on the part of the producers, a fear that too direct a challenge up front will scare away potential viewers. And so, like the intellectual woman described by Joan Riviere, many of the promotions essentially effect a feminine masquerade to diminish the potential threat that they might pose to viewers. As Doane says, "The masquerade, by flaunting femininity, holds it at a distance. Womanliness is a mask which can be worn or removed" (25). The full-length texts explore the complexity of this masquerade (in these cases, both literal and figurative), proving that the often-flaunted feminine exterior is not the true or inherent identity of the women involved.

The promotions, however, with their lack of context and development, often display the end result of the feminine masquerade without revealing the masquerade itself. Whereas the texts themselves show how femininity and female sexuality can be used as a means to an end, these ads simply offer the women up as spectacle, returning them to their traditional status as passive, sexualized objects. In the end, the potentially progressive Charlie's Angels and Alias are weakened by their conflicting and regressive promotions, which act to undermine much of what t\he film and series work so hard to accomplish.

Many promotions focus solely on sex appeal and all but ignore the physical and mental abilities that the main texts display so carefully.

With no existing narrative, the women are presented in this situation as pure spectacle, there to be looked at. In lieu of striking opponents, they strike poses.

In the absence of context, the Alias poster simply displays Sydney as an object of the gaze.

In addition to positioning Sydney as the object of the male gaze, the ad seems to attempt to reincorporate her into the patriarchy that she has tried so desperately to escape.

WORKS CITED

"Business Data for Charlie's Angels." Internet Movie Database Aug. 19. 2004.

Doane, Mary Ann. Femmes Fatales: Feminism, Film Theory, Psychoanalysis. New York: Routledge, 1991.

Fiske, John. Television Culture. London: Methuen, 1987.

Green, Philip. Cracks in the Pedestal: Ideology and Gender in Hollywood. Amherst: U of Massachusetts P, 1998.

Hartley, Cecilia. "Letting Ourselves Go: Making Room for the Fat Body in Feminist Scholarship." Bodies Out of Bounds: Fatness and Transgression. Ed. Jana Evans Braziel and Kathleen LeBesco. Berkeley: U of California P, 2001. 60-73.

Inness, Sherrie. Tough Girls: Women Warriors and Wonder Women in Popular Culture. Philadelphia: U of Pennsylvania P, 1999.

Mulvey, Laura. "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema." Sexual Subject: A Screen Reader in Sexuality. Ed. Mandy Merck. London: Routledge, 1992. 22-34.

Snierson, Dan. "The Upside-Down Season." Entertainment Weekly May 31, 2002: 67.

DAVID ROGER COON is a graduate student focusing on the study of media in the Department of Communication and Culture at Indiana University. His research interests include popular culture, gender performance, architecture, and suburbia. He is currently investigating relationships between media and the built environment.

Copyright HELDREF PUBLICATIONS Spring 2005

Source: Journal of Popular Film & Television

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