Beer and tea: harmony and contradiction among two unlikely counterparts

S. MacPherson

This essay begins by examining the representations and interpretations of women and men in two sets of images: the Women's Institute Alternative Calendar and a television commercial for Guiness beer. Both of these compositions are exceptional in their own right, and have captured the imaginations of wide audiences. Taken together, the counterpointing of culture and nature, serentity and intensity, and feminine charm and virility creates a montage of images that both reflect and represent traditional forms of femininity and masculinity.