Esquire's Virna Lisi

Virna Lisi’s March 1965 cover ridicules the concern of feminism masculinizing women. Even during an otherwise manly task of shaving, she is seen in full makeup to assure the audience that she could still somehow be alluring.  “It was a spoof of the whole idea of a glamorous Hollywood.” Just a few months later, Harper’s July edition featured Marion K. Sanders’ The New American Female: Demi-feminism Takes Over which discussed the topic of women’s capability of being independent.  Lois’ cover was a significant contribution to the spinning hurricane of women’s movements that included the right to privacy which later became the basis for striking down abortion laws in Roe v. Wade in 1973.