Gender, identity and advertising: blog tasks

David Gauntlett: academic reading

Read this extract from Media, Gender and Identity by David Gauntlett. This is another university-level piece of academic writing so it will be challenging - but there are some fascinating ideas here regarding the changing representation of men and women in the media.

1) What examples does Gauntlett provide of the "decline of tradition"?

• The traditional view of a woman as a housewife or low-status worker has been kick-boxed out of the picture by the feisty, successful 'girl power' icons. Meanwhile the masculine ideals of absolute toughness, stubborn self-reliance and emotional silence have been shaken by a new emphasis on men's emotions, need for advice, and the problems of masculinity.

2) How does Gauntlett suggest the media influences the way we construct our own identities?

• Your life is your project - there is no escape. The media provides some of the tools which can be used in this work. Like many toolkits, however, it contains some good utensils and some useless ones; some that might give beauty to the project, and some that might spoil it. (People find different uses for different materials, too, so one person's 'bad' tool might be a gift to another.)

3) What does Gauntlett suggest regarding generational differences? Is it a good thing that the media seems to promote modern liberal values?

• Gauntlett suggests that the generation gap is closing and older people are becoming less traditional than they were in the past showing that the media promoting modern liberal values is causing people to become more liberal in their beliefs.

4) Why does Gauntlett suggest that masculinity is NOT in crisis?

• men's magazines have an almost obsessive relationship with the socially constructed nature of manhood. The continuous flow of lifestyle, health, relationship and sex advice, and the repetitive curiosity about what the featured females look for in a partner, point to a clear view that the performance of masculinity can and should be practiced and perfected. Although the magazines reflected a concern for men to find an enjoyable approach to modern living, then, there was no sign of a 'crisis' in either the magazines or their readers. The self-help books for men (discussed in chapter ten) also refuted the idea that changing gender roles had thrown men into crisis. The problem for men was not seen as being their new role - or lack of one; instead, men's troubles stemmed from their exaggerated and pointless commitment to men's old role, the traditional role of provider and strong, emotionless rock. Where men had a problem, then, it was not so much because society had changed, but because they as individual men had failed to modernise and keep up. In contrast with women's 'you can be anything' ethos, the identities promoted to men are relatively constrained.

5) Does advertising still reinforce the "conventionally rugged, super-independent, extra-strong macho man" that Gauntlett discusses? Offer examples for both sides of the argument from the wider advertising industry.

• conventional masculinity is increasingly exposed as tediously monolithic. In contrast with women's 'you can be anything' ethos, the identities promoted to men are relatively constrained. We noted evidence in chapter one that, whilst young females are taking to the full spectrum of school subjects and jobs, their male counterparts still generally avoid subjects and work that they see as 'female'. These things are continually crumbling, though. It is worth remembering, as we noted in chapter four, that even that archetype of masculine strength and independence, James Bond, cannot be too hard and self-reliant in today's Bond movies without being criticised for it by another character.

6) Gauntlett discusses the idea of 'girl power' and offers examples from music and film. Does advertising provide evidence to support the idea of 'girl power' or is the industry still reinforcing traditional representations of men and women?

• Magazines for young women are emphatic in their determination that women must do their own thing, be themselves, and/or be as outrageously sassy and sexy as possible. Their clarity only disturbed by the idea that women can be extremely tough and independent whilst also maintaining perfect make-up and wearing impossible shoes - seems to have had some impact on the identities of young women ,as well as being very successful within pop culture as an image/lifestyle idea. I think this still continues to reinforce the idea that women need to look a certain way but subverts the previous ideas as its not about looking good for a man anymore but instead yourself.

7) Do you agree with Gauntlett's argument under 'Popular feminism, women and men' where he suggests that younger generations are not threatened by traditional gender roles and are comfortable with social changes? Does advertising provide examples either reinforcing or challenging this idea that younger generations are more comfortable with changing gender roles?

• I believe that Younger generations are more open to change when compared to older generations however there are still many young people in the world who follow traditional gender roles either because they believe it's what's right for them or because of the societal expectations placed upon them. Advertising sometimes reinforces this belief as more frequently women and men are portrayed in ways that go against traditional gender norms

8) What examples from advertising does Gauntlett provide for the changing nature of gender in society (from the section on Judith Butler's Gender trouble)?

• there have only been a relatively small amount of media representations fitting the Butler bill. Some advertising - such as the sexually charged but androgynous imagery promoting the CK One fragrance 'for a man or a woman' - had reminded viewers of the similarity of genders, hinting that it wouldn't matter which of the attractive male or female models you chose to desire. Other ads, such as ones for Impulse deoderant and Kronenbourg lager, playfully teased heterosexual desires only to reveal that the lust object was more interested in their own sex, pointing audiences to the unpredictability of sexualities.

9) Why is advertising such a good example of the 'contradictory elements' that Gauntlett discusses with regards to the mass media? In other words, how does advertising continue to both reinforce and challenge gender stereotypes?

• Advertising is a good example of the 'contradictory elements' that Gauntlett discusses as due to them trying to reach as wide an audience as possible for their products they can sometimes contradict the message they are trying to send for example an advert about diversity where all of the models have the same body type and height.

10) Finally, Gauntlett makes a clear case that things change and modern identities are increasingly fluid. What is your opinion on this debate - do you agree that the media reinforces the changing attitudes towards gender and sexuality in society?

• 
  

Media Magazine: Andrew Tate - Masculinity in crisis?

Now read 'Tate Crime'(MM83: p6) - Media Magazine's analysis of the rise of online influencer Andrew Tate. You can find this in  in our Media Magazine archive. Answer the following questions:

1) What is misogyny and how does it link to Andrew Tate?

• misogyny is the dislike of, contempt for, or ingrained prejudice against women this links to Emory Andrew Tate III as he holds harmful traditional beliefs surrounding women and their place in society.

2) How does the article suggest Andrew Tate used social media to build up his reputation and following?

• 
  

3) Does Andrew Tate's popularity suggest there is in fact a 'crisis in masculinity' - disagreeing with David Gauntlett's view?

•