"Is it sexist?" No.
This is late seventies; See that chrome yellow kitchen? It was A Thing in 1976, 77 to paint ones walls screaming go-to-hell bright colors, especially that color. Granny, 1975, that color, the plantation house is still that color inside! The clothes are Seventies, a Halston redone in red rubber for the kitchen, hilarious! Below is a very Yves St. Laurent dress and a shift that has me thinking Oscar De la Renta. The Vera Collection- for you dozen people who don't have one Vera did textiles, every one had a couple Vera scarves in the Seventies. The box packaging looks like a Vera. What a shame its not on cases!
So in the kitchen is a woman in couture Halston slinging treasure. More is in the oven. To Cook is a metaphor for many things, including working hard, hustleing etc. This woman is in a designer high end dress making valuables- her work is well rewarded! The late Seventies were when women started pouring into the workforce, partly as a result of a disastrous economy, partly because the feminist movement got them autonomy. They could get credit in their own names, open bank accounts, no girls, you couldn't do any financial services without hubby, daddy, or a brothers permission 40 years ago. Most places. Women could vote, but were still chattel property. Like a piece of furniture.
You are not home free- The Equal Rights Amendment that would have changed the wording in The US Constitution from "Men" to "Men and Women" never passed. Women are not mentioned anywhere, and a crazy government could wipe it all out. It's happened before. WWII we were holding great paying jobs building stuff, doing all the jobs. On site child care everywhere! War ended, men wanted the jobs, we were shoved into suburbs with no car, nobody to talk to, and put in high heels and restrictive clothes. And laws were passed to keep us there.
So we marched and got tear gassed, like our grandmothers did for the vote. In the Sixties but mostly the Seventies women suddenly had options again- like leaving awful husbands and supporting themselves. It took another ten to fifteen years for serious disposable income to create MAC as we know it, but see the girls Shop Shop for MAC? Cook Cook for money? The pictures are full of jokes and Easter Eggs, but the pictures reference both before and after- and celebrate our freedom! Late Seventies, watershed time. Although we never got employer supported child care. Feminism was pulled in other directions by women who weren't interested in what they called "breeding". As even they now know, it's a shame! Married with children, just like everybody else....
Cook Cook means make it, Shop Shop means spend it; MAC would not exist without working women with disposable income. They know it, and they appreciate it! I personally think the Cook picture is genius! Amazing metaphorical symbolisms, look at all the eggs she had to break, lol. The unfamiliar way she holds pots, wearing dish gloves? Her kitchen is really like Carries- a place for take out cartons. Where she cooks, she wears high end dresses and makes serious treasure! "Cause I'm A Free Bitch, Baby!"- Lady Gaga, rubber wearer extraordinaire.
There are many significant anniversaries coming up in women's fight for the vote, for basic Civil Rights, The Womens Education Movement, Then Feminism in the Sixties and Seventies. For Mac to reference them is so cool! But this is the first ressesion as bad as the Seventies and people rebelled with bright color and disco, which was fun! I was there.
Beautiful Collection! I want it all!
I go only to her when she's there and as often as I can....we hit it off really quick for some reason. There are some other MA's I'll go to but it's usually her I seek out.
