http://youtu.be/7cZH861tZhs
In class, we watched footage of television clips from famous T.V. shows that depicted masculinity and what it is like to be a "real man". These depictions occur frequently on the T.V shows we watch from day to day. But what about what is in between the shows? Commercials can be just as influencing as the T.V shows we watch.
While flipping through the channels the other day, I saw this commercial for a gillette razor. It amazed me at how masculinity is drawn out in one single 30 second commercial. You have these three celebrities, who are the epitome of masculine. They are dressed nice, and walk with a specific manly swagger. They even walk into the room and get all the women's attention. By seeing this commercial, what exactly is it telling men?
This commercial is telling men that if they buy this razor then they can be as manly as these men. Perhaps that only manly men use this razor. Deffinatly by using this razor, it puts them at a higher class to where they can dress nicer and get more women's attention. It seems that the ultimate man uses this razor.
What is this saying about men in advertising? That advertisements want to show men as "real men" to sell their products. Author, Tom Nakayama, said, "In general, these concentrated views of manhood suggest the many ways in which advertising negatively affects men by narrowing the definition of what it means to be a man in American society." I believe this is true. By narrowing the idea of manhood in the media, it is negatively affecting its male viewers and buyers. They will believe that if they do not buy a gillette razor, then they are not really a real man. This is not the case.
Advertisements such as this are altering our way of thinking and how we view ourselves as a whole. While flipping thorugh the channels, think about what the commercial is saying and how it can affect you.
I fully agree with you on the topic of commercials being a big factor in the way a man thinks about himself and what he must do to be a "man". It is crazy to think that a man will do anything that he sees on T.V to improve his self image to other and other around him. Even when this change is as slight as changing the razor one uses to shave. How corrupt is society that they can make a man change his razor and make him actually believe people will notice a difference. If a man were to logically think about his decisions due to commercials, he would see that he is blinded by society.
ReplyDeleteI think the worse part is that these commercials are telling men that if they cannot afford nice things, that even if they get the razor, they still won't be a real man. Though it may help to keep a clean shave, but every single one of the men in this commercial is a rich man. I find it very funny that they advertise like this to general society, when in reality the larger portion can't even afford a suit like this, or go the places they are in the commercial. It saddens me to think that this kind of ideal is advertised to people who will never be able to afford anything other than the razor.
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