Hegemonic Masculinity in Advertising

Women are not alone in falling victim to gender stereotypes in advertising. Men are also stereotyped in advertisements, but in a slightly different way. In advertising, men are seen as strong, confident, and dominant. Advertising has created a specific definition for masculinity. Ideally, when we think of masculinity, we think of a demographic of a heterosexual white, employed and of good complexion, ideal weight, and tall in stature. This idea of hegemonic masculinity is seen illustrated in Beth A. Quinn's interviews in her article The Power and Meaning of "Girl Watching". "When asked what being a man entailed, many of the men and women I interviewed triangulated towards notions of strength (if not in muscle, then in character and job performance), dominance, and a marked sexuality, overflowing and uncontrollable to some degree and natural to the male "species"". (Quinn, 111). This idea of hegemonic masculinity can be seen in advertisement (1) below. This advertisement for Dolce & Gabbana highlights a group of white men, wearing suits. The suits indicate a level of professionalism as well as affluence. All of the men in the advertisement are looking straight ahead, and all of their hands look very tense. This shows the power the men have on their surroundings. It is also important to note that all of the men have a slender physique.

(1)

This uniform image of masculinity creates a problem for large numbers of men in society. Many men do not fit the definition of masculinity that is promoted by advertising and other media. Men of different demographics or backgrounds are burdened with feeling emasculated. Stephanie Coontz does a great job of defining the situation in her article How History and Sociology Can Help Today's Families. "Male pain is the other side of male power. Not all men, contrary to the rhetoric of masculinity, can be at the top of the pyramid. The contrast between rhetoric and reality is very painful for men whose race, class, health, or even height does not allow them to wield power, exercise authority, or just cut a figure imposing enough to qualify as a "real man."" (Coontz, 15). The gender stereotypes in advertising, negatively effect men and women by promoting false, sometimes unachievable, attributes to what fabricates gender.

This is another example of hegemonic masculinity. 

More information on hegemonic masculinity: 

1. http://ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1149&context=artspapers

2. Specifically related to sports: http://epe.sagepub.com/content/19/3/360.full.pdf+html


Works Cited:
1) Coontz, Stephanie. "2: How History And Sociology Can Help Today's Families." The Practical Skeptic: Core Concepts in Sociology. By Lisa J. McIntyre. Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2006. 14-15. Print.
2) Quinn, Beth A. "12: The Power and Meaning of "Girl Watching"" The Practical Skeptic: Core Concepts in Sociology. By Lisa J. McIntyre. Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2006. N. pag. Print.