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Males in Ads
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 <Background:
At a semiotic level there is disparity in the portrayal of men and
women in popular advertising. When men and women appear in ads together,
the women are often depicted as weaker than the male, either through
composition of the ad or particular situations in the scene. When females
appear in ads alone we again note the stereotype of the female as sexual,
unintelligent and fragile. Males, conversely, appear as strong and
cultured. Particular roles and gender constructs are also evident in male
ads. Males are told to act tough, hide their emotions, and compete at all
costs (Thompson 1993:146-7). Nancy Chodorow argues that the attainment of
masculinity is a problematic issue for boys (1974:51), particularly as
boys are taught to differentiate themselves from others. There are a
number of sources that focus on males in advertising. One is a book of ads
called The Male Mystique. The other is a video produced by the
Media Education Foundation, known as
Tough Guise. I also recommend the work of John Stoltenberg,
Michael Kimmel and Jackson Katz.
The
Ads:
A number of the initial ads on the page present stereotypical images
of masculinity. Image 37 is interesting for its notion of the inculcation
of specific consumer values (related to the male love for automobiles) in
young boys. Discussion Questions:
(1) Compare these advertisements of males with those of females. What
similarities and/or differences do you note in male and female ads? (2) Do
you detect any changes in the constructions of masculinity over the last
ten or so years? Are these changes reflected in advertising? (3) Which of
the ads present males as tough, rugged and unemotional? Why are these
stereotypes presents in popular culture? (4) Are there variations of
masculinity presented within the ads? Can you create a typology of types
of masculinity? How would this typology compare to a similar one of female
ads? >
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<presented by Scott A.
Lukas, Ph.D.>
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