Lisa was kind enough to send along a course preview of her upcoming class on Pinups. It starts in a couple weeks, and you can register here!

From Lisa:

When I was much younger, I was influenced by the media’s pressure on women and girls to look and behave a certain way. It is a constant struggle for many women not to allow societal expectations to carve some sort of void in the way we perceive ourselves. So what about the Pinup girl? She comes in all flavors, sizes and shapes, and they seem to have some way of avoiding the call for overt sexualized images; instead she teases, she restricts.

Today I’m hopelessly in love with the Pinup girl.

Beyond the image, what does it all mean: the red lips, the sensuality, the girl on the side of a B-52? The image of a Pinup girl triggers myriad reactions, from viewers, female and male -- and from feminists and theorists. The Pinup has a real place in art and culture – are these women degraded objects, subjects or are they empowered by their decision not to reveal everything? What subversive message is loaded behind the image of the Pinup girl?

In this course, I’m interested in providing a brief history of the Pinup (there will be pictures!), the cultural implications of these lovely ladies, and where the Pinup culture is heading today. Who do you see as today’s Pinup? Katy Perry? Dita Von Teese? Yourself!?

It is important to discuss these things not only because the Pinup aesthetic is still so vibrant today, especially in New York City, but because the Pinup, though not oft-spoken of, represents some major element in the journey of women.

Wait! This isn’t just for women. Men have enjoyed, desired and admired the Pinup for a long time (hell, these girls got some men through wars, at least by allowing them to escape into their own minds for a brief time). I’m specifically interested in the male point of view, and it would be wonderful to generate some real discussion about this across genders.

More so, it’s about fun. We all love to look at beautiful things, have good conversation and maybe learn something new about ourselves along the way.