Gender, identity and advertising: blog tasks

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?

Modern Western societies do not leave individuals in any doubt that they need to make choices of identity and lifestyle - even if their preferred options are rather obvious and conventional ones, or are limited due to lack of financial (or cultural) resources. Same time, 'an experimental life' (2002: 26).  He also suggests that no matter which texts we choose to consume, there will certain representations of gender that will appeal to our own sensibilities. Inevitably, there will be some tension between this construct and how we present ourselves to the world.

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. The mass media has become more liberal, and considerably more challenging to traditional standards, since then, and this has been a reflection of changing attitudes, but also involves the media actively disseminating modern values.

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. Gaps in a person's attempt to generate a masculine image are a source of humour in these magazines, because those breaches reveal what we all know - but some choose to hide - that masculinity is a socially constructed performance anyway.

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.

No it doesn't reinforce as the popular culture offers a range of stars, icons and characters from whom we can acceptably borrow bits and pieces of their public persona for use in our own. In addition, of course and slightly contradictorily - individuals are encouraged to 'be yourself', and to be creative - within limits - about the presentation of self. This joyful excess of liberated forms of identity would be a fundamental challenge to the traditional understandings of gender which we largely continue to hold onto today

 People are changing, building new identities founded not on the certainties of the past, but organised around the new order of modern living, where the meanings of gender, sexuality and identity are increasingly open. Different aspects of popular media can aid or disturb these processes of contemporary reorientation. Some critics say that the media should offer traditional role models and reassuring certainties, but this view is unlikely to survive.

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 (see chapter nine).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. So i think its a mix of both as they are independent but still wearing make up and dressing how people believe they should be wearing and still looking always perfect. 

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 partly disagree because a lot of men are still judged by the traditional male stereotypes however i also agree with him because a lot of males are not acting like females and challenging those stereotypes. 

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)?

The idea that the existing notions of sex, gender and sexuality should be challenged by the 'subversive confusion and proliferation' of the categories which we use to understand them. The binary division of 'male' and 'female' identities should be shattered.

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?

This is because alot of males are expected to look and act dominant male however, nowadays there is alot of examples that challenge these stereotypes and subvert them by seeing males putting on make up and wearing feminine clothing. 

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 agree with Guantlett again that modern identities are becoming a lot more fluid and is mostly accepted and now normalised in the media and advertising 

Media Magazine: Andrew Tate - Masculinity in crisis?

Now read 'Tate Crime' - Media Magazine's analysis of the rise of online influencer Andrew Tate. You can find this in MM83 (p6) 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, or ingrained prejudice against women  and it links to Tate as Tate was a contestant in Celebrity Big Brother but was removed only six days into the show after a video emerged of him appearing to beat a woman with a belt. This drew further scrutiny onto some of his tweets where he shared racist and homophobic views.

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

 Perhaps one of the most revealing ways to look at Tate is to juxtapose how he presents himself in two forms of media. Firstly, let’s look at his recent interview on the Piers Morgan Uncensored show. Morgan, despite being no stranger to mouthing off reprehensible views, does a good job of holding Tate’s feet to the fire. Morgan plays him a clip of him saying ‘I think my sister is her husband’s property’ and asks him if he believes this statement. In his responses, Tate complains about being taken out of context, repeatedly asks the audience to listen to the whole interview, knowing full well that would increase his engagement on social media. He crafts imagined scenarios about how if he is in a relationship with a woman he would have authority to tell her not to go out at night without him. He uses the argument that these things were said before he was famous and that he might say them differently now that he’s in the public eye and yet when Morgan asks him if he regrets saying what he said, he affirms that he stands by them, as if changing one’s mind might be seen as a sign of weakness. If this paragraph seems meandering and contradictory, then that might be an accurate reflection of the experience of watching the show. He’s a tiresome little man who wants to say hateful, misogynistic things to gain more and more attention but who doesn’t want to be labelled by others as a misogynist.

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

I think that Andrew Tate does believe that masculinity is in crisis but that instead men should embrace hyper masculinity and that it is the norm for men to be dominant and believes that liberal values threaten the place of the man in society when men are rightfully based in a role of power and is a role of the man to be powerful and conform to these certain values and attributes of hyper masculinity.