ESSAY - OUGD401

'ADVERTISING DOESNT SELL THINGS; ALL ADVERTISING DOES IS CHANGE HOW PEOPLE THINK OR FEEL' (JEREMY BULLMORE).

EVALUATE THIS STATEMENT WITH REFERENCE TO SELECTED CRITICAL THEORIES (PAST OR PRESENT).

    This quote taken from Jeremy Bullmore questions the fabric of what advertising aims to do and seems to deem it potentially unethical. Adverts are known to be exaggerated examples of how the specific product can affect your life usually for the better. Even though many people are aware of the fabrication and romanticizing that go's into the making of advertisements, they still, even if unknowingly, influence our choices and lifestyles. There are positives and negatives to the impact advertising can have on the public. Throughout this evaluation I will be investigating the ethics of advertising when it comes to the perception of men by comparing and contrasting these influences along with the opinions and views of professionals.

    When it comes to advertising on the television, and more recently, over the Internet, Advertisers carefully pick and choose where to place their advertisements as well as the channels they are shown on and the time of day they are shown. This is done to ensure that the product being promoted is being directed at an audience that is most likely to take an interest in the product and potentially make a purchase.

    Considering the influence of gender in advertising, Berger points out how men are perceived in a traditional way. ‘Men are measured by the degree of power they offer. The power may be in any number of forms, for example moral, physical, economic etc. A man’s presence suggests what he may or may not be able to do to or for you.'  (John Berger, 1972, p.5) The image shown in (fig. 1) is usually displayed within the pages of a magazine and, in a modern way, depicts the quote of Berger. This Dolce Gabbana advertisement shows a male dressed in a suit with a slight smile on his face, the fact he is wearing a bow tie suggests that he is going for dinner at a very well to do affair among wealthy clientele like himself. He is also adjusting his tie implying he has just got ready and the finishing touch of perfection is the fragrance advertised. The image feels quite personal as the male is looking directly at the camera implying he is looking directly at the viewer. The ethos of this image applies to the above quote as power is shown through morals and wealth.  This man takes care of himself and takes pride in his appearance. Through the sale of this product the male character is offering his type of lifestyle to men. Therefore, subtly implying that this is what men should strive for and without this they are inferior. Even though many people see adverts like these everyday, whether it be on the television, on billboards or in magazines, many don't interpret them in-depth. However, understanding the manipulation delivered through this character introduces the opinion that advertising in this way is immoral. Suggesting to the consumer that spending money and buying this product can put you on a par with the rich and famous is a very unethical approach to promotion. Therefore in an opposing opinion this advert contradicts the traditional identity of men disclosed within the quote from Berger. This, in turn supports the title statement given by Bullmore.

    'Men used to know their place, as provider for their family, says Clare, and this was a role to be proud of. But today, as women show that they can do everything that men can, this provider role becomes diminished.'  (Clare in Gauntlett, 2008. p8) Clare in Gauntlett discusses how men and women have become more equal through time, advertising involving the lifestyle of men has changed. There are still many advertisements that depict men as the to the 'bread winner' or 'protector' to gain recognition of a certain brand. However this, now old-fashioned stereotype of the workingman has taken a back seat due to the rise in equality of women in society, and their pursuit to break out of the ‘house wife’ role they were once stereotyped and labeled through. Due to this leveling and fading of positions is society regarding gender, brands have started to use more modern stereotypes to depict men and gain recognition. Showing men as mischievous and humorous' is now quite a frequent persona that brands attempt to inflict when promoting a product. The use of humour in this way makes the advertisement more memorable to the consumer, which in turn may influence their next purchase for filling the targets od advertisers. Even though this humour is seen as a charming and harmless form of entertainment, the way in which this is translated through a male character can be stereotypical in a negative way. Men are sometimes depicted as idiotic, which with respect to the title quote from Bullmore could be damaging to how men are perceived in society.

­­ In a way this statement from Gauntlett supports this feeling of new emerging identities for men in advertising due to the rise of the ‘stronger women’. The word ‘flux’ suggests that men are struggling with their identities and how they want to be seen by others. However, this suggestion of a struggle alone brings in to question the morals of advertising due to the pressure it is putting on the consumer. Men believing they need to mirror what they see in adverts to be successful in the workplace, in relationships or in their male friendship circles can be seen as a negative influence, which can diminish the core of their personality and their individuality. The rise in advertisements that show men as part of a group acting foolish provoke laughter is part of this new separation from women. ‘Male banter’ has now become a very specific thing to men and is something women find shallow and inconsequential. This is because ‘Male Banter’ is often made up of crude comments that can often be taken offensively.

‘There is even a noisy minority who argue that feminism has ‘gone to far’ and that it is now men who have the worst deal in society’  (Gauntlett, 2008. p3) This suggestion implies that because of this leveling, and even over compensation of power for women in society, men have begun to suffer. It could be said that due to this ‘fluctuation in masculine identity, advertisers have used this new phase of idiotic, immature depictions of men to get ‘cheap’ recognition. However this can be a damaging and unfair stereotype for men to carry. It can also be seen to have a negative effect as it can influence men in to thinking that making fun of others, and not taking situations seriously, as acceptable and even drop some of the responsibilities they have to others.

  There has been a huge rise in the amount of adverts that are directed at men, however make fun of their thought processes and lifestyle. Even though this method belittled these thought processes, somehow they have become popular when directed toward a male market. The immature nature that is depicted in many advertisements makes the promoted product become more relatable to men who strive to be ‘one of the lads’. there are not many theorists that go in to detail on this very new demeaning portrayal of men. However this quote from Murdock & Wilborn supports this notion. 'It's not just stupidity that is supposed to make all of the males in the audience nod and say, "That's me!" it's childlike laziness, too.' (Murdock & Wilborn, 2012) This quotation also relates back to the initials title statement by Bullmore that advertising changes the way in which people think and feel.

As well as adverts relating to this immature nature, there are many promotions that also play with the ‘old fashioned’ stereotype of the man being the powerful force behind a family. The ‘Moneysupermarket’ (fig.2) advertisement shows a very average man named Geoff visiting the beach with his family. Because this man is not in the best physical shape, as he starts walking towards the sea with ridiculous inflatable in hand, the way in which he is striding along with an intense look on his face implies he is a powerful family man with great confidence. The humour in this advert comes from the fact that this is not how powerful and masculine men have been perceived in the past as stated by Berger in the earlier quotation. The story within this advert can be taken negatively or positively. Negatively, it can be seen as making fun of the average, everyday man due to his lack of physical fitness and choice of odd clothing.

     On the other-hand, positively this advert revolves around a real person, even though the man's roll is played by an actor, his character depicts the ‘average Joe’ which, in turn, makes this character more relatable and recognizable to everyday people. The fact that this very average man exudes such confidence about himself almost gives influence to others to be more content and happy within them-selves.

    Another good example of this almost exaggerated and humourous take on traditional gender rolls is depicted in the recent Yorkie chocolate bar advert (fig 3). This advertisement show a man struggling to take multiple bags of shopping from the car into his house and focuses on very recognizable dilemmas he has to overcome during this normal, everyday activity. The humour comes from the fact that this male character ‘oozes’ power and masculinity to overcome these issues to simply get the shopping in from the car. There is also an added, more modern gender stereotype at the end of the advert were the man looks to his suggested spouse with a look of proud achievement and satisfaction on his face which is met by the raise of the women’s eye brows implying that she is not impressed. The inclusion of the passive reaction from the woman supports the suggestion that women have become more powerful in gender stereotyping.

‘Men have to find a new, modern, useful place for themselves in the world – just as women have to. And this is where the mass media and popular culture come in, because they offer important tool to help men – and women – adjust to contemporary life.’  (Gauntlett, 2008. p9) In this statement Gauntlett suggests that mass media is a helpful thing when it comes to depicting new gender roles and stereotypes because it gives women as well as men a visual representation on how they can live and act in society while being successfully accepted. This quote also addresses the title statement by Bullmore but translates it in a positive light. Gauntlett accepts that mass media is a very influential thing in todays society but implies that this great power can be useful in aiding men and women in being aware of what is acceptable. Again the ‘Moneysupermarket’ advert is a good example of how mass media can be used to good effects relating to the pressures put on men and women in today’s society concerning physical appearance. The Yorkie advert can also be a representation of the corresponding view Gauntlett has taken on the title quote as it represents how far society has come concerning gender rolls and the fact that we can now laugh at what has been before because traditional views are now not seen as acceptable.

  ‘True masculinity is almost always thought to proceed through men’s bodies.’ (Connell, 2005. p45) This quote suggests that men strive to have muscular bodies because this is a very strong display of masculinity. The fact that muscle equals strength and strength equals power creates an image of dominance, which as well as hormones defines masculinity.

   As well as women being bombarded by images of ‘perfect’ bodies, Men are also subject to similar pressures. (Fig 4) Many advertisements show near naked men adorned with muscles from head to toe, often promoting products that have nothing to with the physical attributes of the male figure (products such as fragrances). However the use of this body image paired with un-related items still influences the feelings men have. In recent years many issues have been raised about the use of small framed, skinny women in advertisements because of the huge impact it has had on women. It has been proved that women are deeply affected by body image and has contributed greatly to many illnesses such as anorexia. There have also been similar problems in men being affected by such imagery, however because women have to starve themselves, and become unhealthy to reach such goals, men do not have to go to the same extremes as this to reach the same level depicted in magazine pages.

‘Blaming the media for reproducing and extolling representations of unrealistic female bodies that influence young women to starve themselves as almost become a popular truism’ (‪Wykes & Gunter, 2004. p3)

The argument for men being advertised in this way is that it is perfectly healthy and if men are inspired to have a body like this then this can be very beneficial to their health and well being. An example of this positive use of male imagery is shown with in the popular publication 'Men’s health' magazine.

    As well as having these images of muscular, physically fit men, there are now many adverts, usually shown in digital media, depicting average looking men that are not in the best physical shape. The ways in which these adverts are presented suggest that these ‘imperfect’ men are being made fun of. However this almost ‘soft’ form of bullying is acceptable as the character is receiving it in an open way because this mirrors how peers in a male group treat each other and act toward each other through ‘male banter’.  When this type of advertising is related to women, as stated before, it already feels that through time the depiction of women has risen so they are seen on the same social par as men. Because it has been suggested that in recent times men have been struggling to establish a new identity of masculinity due to the equality between men and women, it feels as though men are breaking from this ‘crisis’ through this jokey everyday man image. When this is shown through the physical form, it almost feels as though men are getting back at women. There is no denying that women fret about their physical appearance more than men and it is something that many women worry about everyday. So to show men as content, happy and almost uncaring on how they are seen by others gives a feeling of freedom and, through the eyes of a man, superiority over women.

    “When the gaze is turned on itself, men are more likely to move through a range of responses such as rejection, identification and desire” (Schroeder & Zwick, 2004 .p26) In the past, advertising methods that portray the ‘male gaze’ have been used to entice both male and female audiences. From a women’s point of view the ‘male gaze’ is something that is desired. For a woman to attract the gaze of a man suggests that she is attractive and sexually appealing to men. From a man’s point of view, visually sexualizing a woman gives them a greater sense of masculinity because they strongly desire the opposite sex. However, viewing women as sexual objects in advertising has come in to question in recent years due to the affect it can have on consumers suggesting that this type of behavior towards women in acceptable. The statement above from Schroeder & Zwick refers to advertising based on the physical appearance of a man, however it can also be used to accompany the new advertising craze of the average, comical man discussed previously.

    It is very evident that advertising, through every form it comes in, will always have a massive influence on how society is. In the past advertising through mass media has been frowned upon due how it can create stereotypes that can, in turn, have a negative effect on everyday people. Not only has this created unfair stereotypes of certain lifestyles of cultures, it has also created, purposefully or not, un-realistic stereotypes to which many strive to achieve within their own lives. There is no doubting that it is these types of issues that have helped form the opinion stated in the initial quote by Bullmore as there is a hint of distain towards the effect advertising has had on society. By looking at masculinity in advertising it has given a specific audience within which we can explore the effects and ethics of mass media and how it is being used in todays society. Through male directed advertising and advertising depicting men and their various lifestyles we can see evident changes in how men and women are shown together and also changes in how masculinity is identified. These changes have been brought about mainly through the rise of women’s rights, which has forced advertisers to find new identities for men that no longer rely on the traditional gender roles. Humour based on male immaturity has become popular in recent times and this is one way in which advertisers have separated the lifestyles of men and women. This is because women do not find this type of comedy as appealing, yet men can relate to the ‘male banter’ ethos. There are still many adverts today that depict masculinity through power; however showing such displays in a humorous way makes it more acceptable as it is not taken in a serious manner. This is also the case for advertisements involving both men and women.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

- Gauntlett. D (2008) ‘Media, gender & Identity: An Introduction’, Routledge, p3.

- Clare in Gauntlett. D (2008) ‘Media, gender & Identity: An Introduction’, Routledge, p8.

- Gauntlett. D (2008) ‘Media, gender & Identity: An Introduction’, Routledge,

p11.

- Gauntlett. D (2008) ‘Media, gender & Identity: An Introduction’, Routledge, p9.

- Murdock. C & Wilborn. A (2012) ‘The 5 Most Insulting Ways Products Are Advertised to Men’ (online) Date accessed – 25/4/2013

-Wykes. M & Gunter. B (2004) ‘‪The Media and Body Image: ‪If Looks Could Kill’, Sage, p3.

- Connell R. W (2005) ‘Masculinities’, Polity, page 45.

- Berger. J (2008) ‘Ways of Seeing’, Penguin Classics, page 5, (online) Date accessed - 10/1/2013

- Patterson. M and Elliott. R in Schroeder J. E. & Zwick D. (March 2004) ‘Consumption, Markets and Culture’, Vol. 7, Taylor & Francis Ltd, page 26, ISSN 1477-223X (online),

Further Research.

- Spence. E, Heekeren. B. V (2005) ‘Advertising Ethics – Basic ethics in action’, Pearson/Prentice Hall.

- Pringle. H (2004) ‘Celebrity Sells’, John Wiley & Sons.

- O’Shaughnessy. N. J, O’Shaughnessy. J (2004) ‘Persuassion in Advertising’, Routledge.

- Dr. Popova. D (2010) ‘Gender stereotypes in advertising’(online) Date accessed - 27/1/2013

- Kirkpatrick. J (2007) ‘In defence of Advertising’, TLJ Books.

- Jobling. P (2005) ‘Man Appeal: Advertising, Modernism and Menswear’, Berg

(FIG1)

(FIG 2)

(FIG3)

(FIG4)