Charm Offensive : : Commodifying Femininity in Postwar France / / Kelly Ricciardi Colvin.

• VerfasserIn: Colvin, Kelly Ricciardi ,
• Place / Publishing House: Toronto : : University of Toronto Press, , [2023]; ©2023
• Year of Publication: 2023
• Language: English
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (242 p.) :; 21 b&w illustrations
• Other title: Frontmatter --; Contents --; Illustrations --; Acknowledgments --; Introduction --; Chapter One. Creating the Model Hostess --; Chapter Two. Hostessing beyond the Airplane --; Chapter Three. Hostessing Global Events --; Chapter Four. Selling Postwar French Femininity --; Chapter Five. The Gendering and Selling of France --; Conclusion --; Notes --; Bibliography --; Index
• Format: Mode of access: Internet via World Wide Web.
• ISBN: 9781487538088
• DOI: 10.3138/9781487538088
• Access: restricted access
• Hierarchical level: Monograph
• Statement of Responsibility: Kelly Ricciardi Colvin.

In the aftermath of the Second World War, the French government cultivated images of sensual and sophisticated white French women in an attempt to reestablish its global image as a great nation. They promoted the beauty, sexual appeal, and general allure of French women, all while shrinking the boundaries of what was considered beautiful. Charm Offensive explores how this elevation of French femininity created problems on both sides of the equation: the pressure on French women to conform to an exacting physical standard was immense, while the inability of anyone else to access that standard resulted in a sense of failure. Drawing on cultural figures like Air France hostesses, tourism workers, and celebrities such as Brigitte Bardot, Charm Offensive offers an innovative understanding of a tumultuous time of decolonization.