1. Masculinity in the Media
Media’s View on “What a Man is”

2. Men in Ads
Males, when depicted in ads alone, appear as strong and cultured

3. Studies Show...
The report by Children Now entitled Boys to Men: Media Messages About Masculinity, 1999, found that:
Male characters are more often associated with the public sphere of work, rather than the private sphere of the home,
Issues and problems related to work are more significant than personal issues

4. Tough and Aggressive Males are told to act tough,
…hide their emotions, and
…assert themselves in any way necessary

6. Be Ready to Fight and...

8. Media Trends...
Dominant trends in the media’s portrayal of men reinforce and support social attitudes that link masculinity to
Power
Dominance
Control

9. Never Acknowledge Weakness

11. Tough Guise
In Tough Guise: Violence, Media and the Crisis in Masculinity, Jackson Katz and Jeremy Earp argue that the media provide an important perspective on social attitudes—and that:
The media are not the cause of violent behaviour in men and boys
BUT: they do portray male violence as a normal expression of masculinity
BUT… Is this a LEARNED Behaviour?

12. What Media Emphasizes
The portrayal and acceptance of men by the media as socially powerful and physically violent serve to reinforce assumptions about:
How men and boys should act in society
How they should treat each other
How they should treat women and children

13. The Upside? Positive Changes?
Unfortunately… not really. We are still producing sexist Ads!
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Can you think of any Gender Equality ads, or ads that have stepped away from the “Masculine” stance?
What do you think has changed about the attitudes of men towards women?