Masculinity In The Media

Masculinity, the possession of qualities traditionally associated with men, is an important aspect of our culture that is instilled at a young age and solidified through society and mainstream media. Young boys are subjected to violent, sexist, and homophobic messages, shaping their ideas of what it means to be a “true man” (Tough Guise 2). An event like the Super Bowl attracts millions of viewers, primarily male football enthusiasts, and companies target these men with entertaining commercials. Through media, these companies solidify the boundaries of masculinity by targeting men to fit into the box of hegemonic masculinity. The theme of power and control is manifested through a series of commercials in which men need to take control of their

Montez and De Orca found that media has constructed a “white male loser” who is vulnerable to humiliation at the hands of a woman. Such Super Bowl commercials feature emasculated men who have become submissive to their partners, therefore relinquishing their power and control. One example is Flo Tv’s ad “Spineless” featuring a man shopping for bras with his girlfriend and a sport’s commentator updating on an injury report saying “as you can see his girlfriend has removed his spine rendering him incapable of watching the game.” The man is staring blankly as the girlfriend drags him to various stores, ending with the commentor saying “change out of that skirt Jason.” This commercial targets men who have been “feminized” by women. This is also true of Pascoe’s article, which says “Boys are forced to hide their true emotions and develop an emotional shell which is masculinity” (CP 94). A man must stand up to a woman to prove he is not emotional and therefore

It shows a series of emasculated “average” men narrating a list of humiliating things they do for their wives such as “I will put the toilet seat down, I will hold your lip balm, I will watch your vampire show.” The commercial then cuts to a loud fast car zooming by and the man saying “ because I do this I will drive the car I want to drive.” To regain control of his own life, a man must drive a fast and powerful car, the one thing a woman cannot control.

These examples offer insight to how media plays a role in shaping our ideas of masculinity, questioning a man’s power will ultimately lead him buying the product for fear of being “unmasculine.” When a man’s masculinity is threatened the only solution is to reassert dominance and control over those around