Advertising: David Gauntlett and masculinity

 Alezey

gender, identity and advertising

David Gauntlett: academic reading 
Read this extract from Media, Gender and Identity by David Gauntlett.

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

Gauntlett shows the decline of tradition by explaining how media has changed traditional gender roles. For example, the traditional view of women as housewives or low-status workers has been replaced by feisty, successful “girl power” icons. He also says that traditional masculine ideals like toughness, self-reliance and emotional silence are now being challenged by more focus on men’s emotions and the problems of masculinity. This shows how media is moving away from traditional ideas and making space for more diverse identities.

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

Gauntlett says the media gives us ideas, guidance and suggestions about lifestyles and identities. Things like magazines, TV, music and the internet show different ways of living. People then use these ideas as tools to think about their own identity and how they want to present themselves.

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 older generations are more traditional, for example being less tolerant of homosexuality or unmarried couples living together, while younger generations are more liberal. He says the mass media has become more harder to traditional standards and spreads modern values. This can be positive because it encourages tolerance and changing attitudes, but it is still unclear whether younger people will become more conservative as they get older.

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

Gauntlett suggests that older generations are more traditional, for example being less tolerant of homosexuality or unmarried couples living together, while younger generations are more liberal. He says the mass media has become more challenging to traditional standards and spreads modern values. This can be positive because it encourages tolerance and changing attitudes, but it is still unclear whether younger people will become more conservative as they get older.

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.

Some adverts still show the rugged, super-independent macho man, especially in adverts for cars, sports brands or aftershave, which focus on strength and power. However, other adverts challenge this by showing men being caring partners, helpful at home, or emotionally open, which reflects more modern ideas of masculinity.

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?

In some ways it does. A lot of adverts show women as self-confident, strong and independent, which links to the whole “girl power” idea Gauntlett talks about. But at the same time some adverts still focus a lot on appearance, make-up and being attractive, which kind of brings back more traditional ideas about women and links to Mulvey's male gaze theory.

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 mostly agree. Gauntlett says younger people have grown up with women as their equals, so they aren’t as threatened by changing gender roles. You can see this in advertising sometimes because men and women are shown in more equal relationships. But there are still adverts that use old stereotypes, so it’s not completely changed.

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)?

Gauntlett talks about the CK One fragrance advert, which used androgynous imagery and said the product was “for a man or a woman.” He also mentions adverts like Impulse deodorant and Kronenbourg lager, which play with people’s expectations about sexual attraction and sexuality.

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 because it shows a mix of messages. Some adverts still push traditional gender roles, but others show different identities and more modern lifestyles. So at the same time advertising can reinforce stereotypes and also challenge them, which is what Gauntlett means by contradictions in the media.

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?

I think it does to some extent. The media now shows more diverse identities and lifestyles, which makes people more used to different ideas about gender and sexuality. But traditional stereotypes still appear sometimes, so even though things are changing, the media still sends mixed messages.
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Media Magazine: Andrew Tate - Masculinity in crisis?

 Read 'Tate Crime' MM83 (p6) - Media Magazine's analysis of the rise of online influencer Andrew Tate.  Answer the following questions:

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

Misogyny means hatred, dislike, or prejudice against women. It links to Andrew Tate because he has made a lot of controversial comments about women online, where he suggests men should be dominant and women are inferior. Because of these views, many people accuse him of promoting misogynistic attitudes, especially to young male audiences on social media.

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

The article suggests he used social media by posting provocative and controversial content that spread quickly online. Short clips of his opinions were shared on platforms like TikTok and YouTube, which helped his videos go viral. This constant sharing helped build a large following, especially among young men, and increased his reputation as a bold online figure.

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

It could suggest that some people feel there is a crisis in masculinity, because Tate’s message focuses on men needing to be dominant, powerful and traditional, which might appeal to men who feel uncertain about their role in modern society. This could challenge Gauntlett’s idea that masculinity is not really in crisis. However, others might argue Tate is just a loud minority online, and that most men are still adapting to modern gender roles without being in crisis.