Public Rose: Beauty Myths of the 20th Century

Author: Zhu Zhu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-01-01
Features: This book selects 20 representative and highly feminine female celebrities from different periods of the 20th century, attempting to present and explore their unique beauty and personalities through text and photographs. It also strives to reveal the changing trends of female beauty ideals in the 20th century. Due to the unprecedented development of mass media in the 20th century, figures like Princess Diana, Jacqueline Kennedy, or even Marguerite Duras could have been included under the title "The Public Rose." However, doing so would have made the selection appear overly, and these individuals were not primarily presented to the public as aesthetic objects. Therefore, the editors have limited the book's subjects to the film industry. While fashion models are primarily a profession centered around aesthetic imagery, the famous models are essentially just signifiers, lacking the diversity of connotations in the public's perception. Thus, the editors have treated fashion models as a whole. Madonna's inclusion is not because she has acted in films, but because her clothing, actions, and posture played a role—perhaps even a greater one—than her music in shaping her public image. In this regard, she is unique in the music industry, and therefore, the editors decided to include her.