walk like a man...talk like a man?

In last weeks class, we watched a video about the "typical" role that men often work at to portray. These "cookie cutter" men are what little boys dream of being, right? Tall, dark, handsome, strong, muscular, tough, badass, rebel, etc.? Masculinity in our world today, is a very narrow concept. Because of this, I feel as though the media is almost forced to meet the standards of these tough guys, by portaying this character in shows and movies. If a guy isn't masculine, than he is weak, geeky, nerdy, etc. What is a man without his masculinity?


However, what happens when a man strays away from the ideal? Is that character always made to be weak? According to what we have grown up thinking, this man must be ugly, fat, weak, and nerdy, because he doesn't fit into the role that he should. However, this isn't always true...There are many men that go against the "ideal" and are still looked up to and viewed as someone who is manly and desireable.

Justin Timberlake:
Justin Timberlake is a man who doesn't fit into the ideal image of the typical man. He is thin, funny, kinda nerdy, and not very hardcore. He is someone, however, that girls still view as being a man. Just because he doesn't fit into the norm, he is still masculine. There are many different kinds!

Ryan Gosling:
Another example of a man who isn't buldging with muscles and giving mean looks to anyone and everyone. He is a clean cut man, who is a star in many famous movies. He is the guy people tend to put in the "friend" zone, because he doesn't give off the idealism that they prefer. However, he is one that all girls admire.

Ryan Reynolds:
Lastly, is this gentleman, Ryan Reynolds. He is again, a funny man who doens't portray the typical image that is expected. He is sensitive, humorous, and often nerdy. He is a man who is knowlegdable, and doesn't act like someone who is always looking to pick a fight, also.









So, as shown above, not every man needs to be the tough meat head, with buldging muscles, to be considered masculine. In every day life, more men look like the ones above, rather than the others.

What Sex Really Sells...

Over the years, advertisments have become a larger part of media. Advertisments have become very powerful and influential. As we explored sexual advertisments in class last week, we learned that women seem to always be portrayed as sexual objects in the advertising industry today. From the way they stand in ads, to what they wear, women are always being demeaned. While there are several types of ads that do this, the main ones are fashion ads.

The ad above is a Keneth Cole advertisment for men's cologne. However, this ad clearly states "wear me out," which seems to be what the woman is telling the man to do to her sexually. The way she is positioned in the ad, with no bra and her nipples out for the world to see, makes her seem as though she is begging for sex from the man. Does the cologne really make girls drop their pants for any guy she smells? Maybe not..but that is what is being portrayed here.

Do you ever want to make love to a car? Cleary above, this man does. The "ultimate attraction" to this guy is a BMW. However, this BMW has the body of a women and has no face? What this is saying is that a woman's body is all the man wants so that he can sexually please himself, while still having his fantasy of a car in mind. With the car being the face of the woman, this ad seems to be saying that the man like's that the woman doesn't talk. Is this a way to shut a woman up?

Now this ad is one that truley belittles women with just the words presented in the ad. This ad simply says that alcohol is better than the woman the man is with because it has a better body. Also, while this ad doesn't specifically state who the audiance is, we can assume it is aimed toward younger people due to the "girlfriend" title that it gives off.



This ad for Dooney and Burke, a well known purse maker, shows a woman positioned in a vulnerable pose. She looks as though she is being threatened and stripped of her clothing to  be shamed. She looks like she is a helpless victim, even though this ad is suppose to be selling a purse. This simply shows that womer are looked at as vulnerable and are easily demeaned.



The last ad I am showing is one by Dolce and Gabbana. This ad clearly shows a women in a sexual pose, being almost raped by a gentleman. While this guy takes advantage of the woman, there are guys in the background staring almost in an animal like stage watching the
"event" take place. This shows that women are looked at only as sexual beings as well. Wear Dolce and Gabbana and be raped or attacked by men?? No thanks.

While there are many ads in the industry aimed at teens, children, and even men, the most clear are ads aimed at women.