Reader: Rosie the Riveter was a corporate creation -- so why not have her sell Pabst?

Last week Mutiny Information Cafe unveiled its new mural highlighting the characters of Broadway. But this is far from the only tasty mural on the side of a local watering hole. At Highland Tavern, an outside wall boasts Rosie the Riveter urging you to drink Pabst. But is that co-opting...

By Patricia Calhoun

October 28, 2013

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Last week Mutiny Information Cafe unveiled its new mural highlighting the characters of Broadway. But this is far from the only tasty mural on the side of a local watering hole. At Highland Tavern, an outside wall boasts Rosie the Riveter urging you to drink Pabst. But is that co-opting an iconic feminist figure just to sell bad beer?

Not according to ply99:

This view assumes that that poster was created by a feminist with a feminist message and audience in mind. It wasn't. It was a corporate image, created by a male artist for a male-dominated corporation in the midst of a wartime setting. Only since the 80s has it been used for feminist causes. The Pabst image is actually much closer to the poster's original meaning than this article implies. In the end, there's nothing wrong with either side appropriating the poster, but the patriarchal side arguably has a better original claim.

What do you think of the Highland Tavern mural? And have you spotted other noteworthy murals on restaurants around town? Post your suggestions below. In the meantime, here's a look at the new Mutiny mural:

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Patricia Calhoun is editor-in-chief of Westword, the alt-weekly she co-founded in September 1977. She’s been inducted into the Colorado Press Association Hall of Fame, the Association of Alternative Newsmedia Hall of Fame and the Colorado Restaurant Association Hall of Fame. She’s also received dozens of local, state and national awards for writing, including first place for feature writing and first place for column writing with the Society of Professional Journalists. Patricia is a weekly commentator on Colorado Inside Out, PBS 12's public affairs roundtable, which has won two Emmys.

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