Just Me

Just Me

Advertisements play a key role in reinforcing notions about what it means to be a “real” man in our society. Men are portrayed in a variety of ways through these advertisements, such as funny, confident, successful, athletic, violent, and angry (Lowenstein & Merrill, 1979, p. 107). They are generally seen as great leaders and problem-solvers (Media Awareness Network, 2008). It is also more common for an advertisement to show men in a workplace rather than sitting at home (Lowenstein & Merrill, 1979, p. 125). They are also portrayed as being heterosexual, powerful and in control (Media Awareness Network, 2008). We constantly see advertisements of men and women in heterosexual relationships, but rarely or never see advertisements involving a homosexual relationship. Through the elaborate schemes of advertisements, society is telling us that the relationship between men and women is the natural and required relationship. Another dominant portrayal of men in advertisements is that men are muscular (Media Awareness Network, 2008). Looking at advertisements, we notice that men are equated to large muscles and the bigger a man is the more of a man he is. In other words, we can say that, in our society, muscularity means masculinity (Media Awareness Network, 2008). Furthermore, we are spoon fed this idea that men are powerful, violent and aggressive. According to societies standards, the stronger men are physically, the more powerful they are. The more powerful they are, the more violent or aggressive they tend to be. For example, “when a man kills his son, the headlines read ‘Another Case of Domestic Violence’” (Media Awareness Network, 2008). However, if it were a woman who committed the crime, “it is reported ‘A Women Depressed’” (Media Awareness Network, 2008). Society and the media are portraying male violence as a normal expression of male behaviour (Media Awareness Network, 2008). Men are also often linked to “power, dominance and control” (Lowenstein & Merrill,...

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