https://creativepool.com/minimart/projects/milk-for-real-men-for-maxinutrition
We live in an era where advertisements and digital media are around us almost 24/7. These advertisements shape the way we think and how we perceive concepts and, ultimately, how we perceive those around us. We may think these perceptions or ideas are our own, but in the world of media, it is almost impossible to say our perceptions are completely 100% our own and uninfluenced by something/someone else.
In the last 20 years or more, there has been an influx in the number of advertisements we see in a given day. But now, let’s think about the things those advertisements are trying to “tell us.” There has been an immense amount of research about beauty advertisements, as well as general advertisements, influence our perceptions of what a woman should be, how a women should behave, and how a woman should look. Now, what if I said that the same was true about advertisements, and how they portray masculinity? This is a concept that has not been vastly explored in the past. Research that is being conducted is finding the same is true for how advertisements portray masculinity. These portrayals of masculinity influence the way we perceive masculinity just as much as portrayals of femininity influences the way we perceive what it means to be feminine.
Connell (1995 & 2005) and Messerschmidt (2005), tell us, that we have preconceived notions of what masculinity is and because of these preconceived notions, we project what we believe masculinity should be onto others, whether that be through raising a child, or creating advertisements that reflect our perceptions of masculinity. We have been told what it means to be masculine since we were young. Our parents, friends, coworkers, etc. have all told us, even if unexplicitly what it means to be masculine. These ideas shape what we believe it means to be masculine, but now with advertisements, our perceptions are influenced more so than before.
Let’s take a look at one of the advertisements I presented at the beginning of this post. There are visual markers that tell us what it means to “be a man” or be “masculine.” Visuals tell us a lot about how we are to perceive something (Van & Jewitt, 2000). These visual indicators, whether or not we “think” about them when we see them, are used in a way to make us think or feel something. This advertisement explicitly says “MILK for REAL MEN,” this information tells us that what is in the photo is going to be a representation of what a real man should look like. So, for instance, in this photo we see a muscular man, who has facial hair/looks rugged, showing off his muscles. In this advertisement, we see that masculinity is represented by strength and the definition of one’s muscles. This is what the advertisement tells us it means to be a “REAL MAN” without saying, “Hey, this person in this advertisement is a real man.”
According to researchers, such as Gentry & Harrison (2010) & Rholinger (2002), it when advertisements show these projections of men that it hinders progression in the gender movement. Advertisements such as this one box in what it means to be masculine, leaving no room for interpretation. We perceive an idea a certain way, in this case masculinity, because we see it in a certain way as presented by advertisements and those around us. These advertisements also are meant to target a specific audience, which allows these advertisements to further perpetuate already existing gender stereotypes and creates a deeper rooted ideal in what it means to be a specific gender (An & Kim, 2007). This advertisement is building on already established stereotypes and perceptions, and centering itself around those perceptions and targeting audiences who are not informed or share those same viewpoints (Vokey et al, 2013).
Below is a video with information about masculine representation in advertisements, accompanied by examples:
Additional Advertisements:
Websites to visit for more advertisements/product branding:
https://www.axe.com/us/en/inspiration/culture/body-spray.html
Sources:
An, D., & Kim, S. (2007). Relating Hofstede’s masculinity dimension to gender role portrayals in advertising: A cross-cultural comparison of web advertisements. International Marketing Review, 24(2), 181–207. https://doi- org.ezproxy.snhu.edu/10.1108/02651330710741811
Connell, R.W. (1995) Masculinities. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press
Connell, R. W. & Messerschmidt, J. W. (2005). Hegemonic masculinity: Rethinking the concept. Gender and Society, (6), 829. doi:10.1177/0891243205278639
Gentry, J., & Harrison, R. (2010). Is advertising a barrier to male movement toward gender change? Marketing Theory, 10(1), 74–93. https://doi- org.ezproxy.snhu.edu/10.1177/1470593109355246
Rohlinger, D. A. (2002). Eroticizing men: Cultural influences on advertising and male objectification. Sex Roles: A Journal of Research, 46(3–4), 61–74. https://doi- org.ezproxy.snhu.edu/10.1023/A:1016575909173
Van, L. T., & Jewitt, C. (2000). The handbook of visual analysis.
Vokey, M., Tefft, B., & Tysiaczny, C. (2013). An analysis of hyper-masculinity in magazine advertisements. Sex Roles: A Journal of Research, 68(9–10), 562–576. https://doi- org.ezproxy.snhu.edu/10.1007/s11199-013-0268-1
Digital Advertisements and Masculinity 