The Definition of The Fulsome Game
1. offensive to good taste, especially as being excessive; overdone: fulsome décor.
2. disgusting; sickening; repulsive: fulsome mounds of advertising.
3. excessively or insincerely lavish.
4. encompassing all aspects; comprehensive: a fulsome survey of teenage magazines.
5. abundant or copious.
Sterling silver charm bracelet is held in the display by pink powder-coated steel handcuffs. Charm bracelet fabricated one-of-a-kind sterling silver chain with pink plastic dice.
Look closely at the game board collage with magazine images covered with frosted Plexiglas.
Frame dimensions: 21.75" height x 21.75" width x 1.75" depth
Frame constructed from steel from vintage dollhouses and recycled tin containers with 10k. gold and aluminum rivets. (A close up of the frame is shown below.)
The Fulsome Game was inspired by three vintage game boards that I own in my feminist study of our material culture.
The oldest is a game titled “What Shall I be, The exciting game of Career Girls” © 1966. The game offered six possible careers to young girls playing the game: ballerina, model, actress, flight attendant, nurse, and school teacher. Game cards in the box make a range of comments like: “YOU ARE A QUICK THINKER, Good for: Airline Hostess and Nurse” to harsh, “YOU ARE OVERWEIGHT, Bad for: Airline Hostess, Ballet Dancer and Model.
Another game board is on the back of a “Campus Queen” lunch box (shown left and shown below) © 1967 steel, metal lunch box. The lunch box came complete with a thermos, two magnetic game pieces, and a spinner. The game board had spaces with statements like,” YOU NEED A HAIRDO FOR THE PROM GO BACK TO THE BEAUTY PARLOR” and “YOUR HEM IS DOWN! WAIT 1 TURN TO FIX IT!”
Roll the dice, advance thirty years, I think, or should I say, I hope. In 1997, my eight-year-old daughter was given a Barbie game called, “’We Girls Can Do Anything’ Game, Travel the Path that Leads to the Career of Your Dreams” © 1996. After all of these years the career options have improved only slightly (didn’t the feminist movement have any impact?). Now, the career options are: ballerina, fashion designer, actress, musician, pilot, and doctor. Note that every character is dressed in Barbie pink, including the pilot and doctor.
When my daughter was fourteen, I started “The Fulsome Game” inspired by the comparison (or should I say shocking similarity) between these three game boards. Adding to the culture shock for this woman’s lib mother/artist are the magazines marketed to young girls filled with underwear, make-up, nail polish, and articles are about “how to look good” or “what do boys want in girls”.
In the photo below, the gameboard looks out of focus. The photo is in focus, but the game board was covered with a diffuse Plexiglas sheet to give this frosty out-of-focus appearance. This is a commentary about hyper-focused advertising in teenage magazines.
Our culture sells this fulsome game of excessive advertising, consciously and subconsciously selling an incessant message that limits females to stereotypical roles that insincerely focus on appearance instead of substance. When will women be unshackled from the limitations of these formulaic and limited roles? Roll the dice…
This wall frame is available for purchase or exhibition. It hangs on the wall. The sterling silver charm bracelet should be tied on with monofilament in a public exhibition to prevent theft.
Look closely at the photo below. You can see my iron maker’s mark stamped in sterling and cut out like a charm.
Artist Statement about Fulsome Game
The Fulsome Game
1. offensive to good taste, especially as being excessive;
overdone: fulsome décor.
2. disgusting; sickening; repulsive: fulsome mounds of advertising.
3. excessively or insincerely lavish.
4. encompassing all aspects; comprehensive: a fulsome survey of teenage magazines.
5. abundant or copious.
Download Artist Statement with gameboard graphics
(This is a large PDF file and may take a minute or more to download, be patient, it's worth it!)
Photo Credit for images of The Fulsome Game: Philip Cohen Photography
© Harriete Estel Berman, 2003, 2021