I fully agree that the self-image for women relative to the media applies to men as well.
About 8 out of 10 men that I knew in college all weekly went to get manicures to clean their nails. The same amount subscribed to Maxim and Men's Health, and all of them would go "shopping" and end up buying more than they set out to buy in the first place.
The media is not only effecting how women view themselves, but also how a man views himself as well.
I find that most men won't admit that the clothes they bought are a little.. out there. Instead, it is phrased, like in the reading of the No side in Taking sides, that it is a manly purchase. That somehow they are more "man" now from doing this.
I think this is a critical point to understanding this kind of marketing. Men, on one hand, need to be marketed that they will be more manly. What is ironic is the standard of man has changed. In the article, the phrase "John Wayne days" is used to describe how men used to be more rugged. I ascribe my standard of image to those days. John Wayne is awesome.
Now the image has changed to something more than that. Men, to be more manly, have to be more attractive. Men now are self conscious (and maybe more self aware as well).
So maybe the standard of man has just changed. Now a man needs more things to be a man, before you could just wear an old t-shirt from a decade or so ago.
I am still going to wear my t-shirt, personally.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
To say that males have not changed in the past in the 50’s years is ludicrous. However, just because a male hits the gym or puts moisturizer on his face does not mean he is not rugged anymore. Research has indicated the positives of physical fitness on the human body and the positives that moisturizers have on the skin. The article by Cottle is off the mark. It implies that if a man is not John Wayne than he falls into the metro sexual category.
8 out of 10 men got manicures?!! Weekly?! Things have defintely changed since my undergraduate days in the 80's...most of the guys I knew wouldn't be caught dead in a salon for any reason. (grin)
Madison Ave. has done a great job convincing both sexes that we all need to be "Forever 21." The increased emphasis on fitness is a good thing since technology has made us all more sedentary. But liposuction, manicures, and moisturizer for men? That IS a change. Not that I'm making any judgements... I will NEVER go gray gracefully. 8)
If Shakespeare were alive today, no doubt he would have written, "Vanity, thy name is human!"
I definatly think that the media does target both men and women and portray the ideal image that they should have. I do agree that both men and women are affected, however I feel that there is more pressure on women to fit the ideal image than the males. There may be the articles for men saying how to get the six pack you want, and the right exercises, and the products they should be using to get the right look. However I feel that the pressure is not the same as the pressure for women. There is a lack of female role models in the media who are so called "real." However this too is changing, companies are realizing that it is dangerous and unattainable standards, the ridiculously thin models are slowly being pushed out of the picture.
The standards of men are raising, and it is more apparant , however I feel that men are proving their masculinity to the rest of society. In both men and womens magazines, there is the same underlying tone, lose weight, look good, and be great in bed, all with these "simple steps."
Overall I think it depends on the person, male or female, and how they perceive the ads and the models in the magazines. If you are a self concious person looking to change yourself and to fit the ideal image, than you are going to be more affected by the media than a person who is more comfortable with themselves.
Post a Comment