The Art Manliness

What does it mean to be a man?
Well, according to Old Spice brand deodorant, it means: being athletic, being intelligent, being strong and, most importantly, not being a woman.All of these elements of manliness are obviously pointed out in the commercial above. The ad is showing that for the different types of men(or the different aspects of masculinity) they need to have different scents. The aspects of manliness could be put into four general categories of power: social, economic, political, and physical.

From one positive view, because even though it's ideas of masculinity are still very old fashioned, it says to the viewers that you don't necessarily need to encompass all aspects of masculinity to be a "real" man. I think this idea might make some men feel secure in their masculinity even if they are not the archetypal male and it would lead them to feel as if they are still fit into one of these categories that are opposing aspects of femininity.

However, still, this could make a man feel like if he is not fulfilling all the possible aspects of his own masculinity, it could make him feel like "less of a man". Typically, when men feel emasculated they tend to over compensate one aspect of their masculinity. For example if a man is of the working class(meaning he may have limited political, economic power) he may have physical power (as a laborer, he may be more physically fit) and may be more likely to over compensate his social power(by being more controlling of his family/partner). And if a man is of the upper class(meaning he may have a desk job and not be as physically fit)he may have more economic and political power(as he may be wealthier) and be more likely to over compensate his social power as well(by being similarly more controlling of his family/partner)to make up for his lack of physical strength.

In all, I think the idea of highlighting only the differences between men and women(and generalizing to boot!) is unproductive because its only driving people to see their differences and to judge how we feel about ourselves based completely on how we view others. A man can only feel manly in opposition of women or "weaker"/subordinate men. And he can only be emasculated in comparison of women and lesser men.

Spotting the "Hoo-Hoo"

Phallic symbols are used all over. They're usually a sign of power and dominance. Other times just for kitsch(weird how a penis can be a symbol of power or something humorous). But the use of vaginal imagery in ads seems much less commonplace.

I came across an article called Spot the Hoo-Hoo. Most are obviously directed at women. Few towards both sexes.
Here are two examples of ads directed at women. The left, Dior lipstick, and the right, a womens magazine. The images here are symbols of feminine beauty and interest.


The ads below are for womens health. The ad to the left is for pro-choice/anti-abortion and the ad to the right is an ad against rape/violence towards women. They use the subtle image of the female anatomy to represent women's strength in facing issues.


Why is it then that hinting at masculinity makes a product accessible to both men and women, but femininity only seems to be marketable to women?

Where my girls at?

Video-gaming has long been a male dominated past time. And it seems it might be silly to ask why when we look at the hyper-sexualized portrayals of women in many games.

The average women in video games has an unrealistically proportioned body. (A women with her actual measurements would topple over from the weight of her breasts.) And of course, with such an "amazing" body (like these pictured below: Ivy of Soul Calibur(left) and Laura Croft(right)) they should want to show off. And they do, even though these costumes may seem completely impractical for any task at hand.

How can women expect to feel comfortable playing a game that makes them feel like they are being objectified?

I'm Sorry, You're Just A Tool

The second season of Tool Academy premiered this Monday night on VH1. The plot: Twelve obnoxious, macho men are brought to a relationship boot camp by their fed-up girlfriends.


When I first heard of this show/saw the promo I thought it looked like a hideous display of extreme gender stereotypes: the female- pretty and passive; and the male- an egocentric, meathead who's only cares involve womanizing, drinking beer, pumping iron and womanizing.

The opening credits seemed to reassert this idea of stereotyping(but, perhaps in a lighter fashion). They explain that this show will turn these "tools" into "Knights in shining armor". I felt that this was just a less extreme gender norm for males, which still places them as the dominant sex(as it implies that the females are just "damsels in distress" in need of saving). But I tried to stay optimistic because ultimately the show is about reform and change.

The men initially thought that they were auditioning to become "International Party Kings" and endorsing an energy drink marketed for women. (They had to be tricked into coming on the show because, in typical cocky "alpha-male" fashion, they would be too proud to admit that they needed to change their ways.) When the men still believed they were auditioning they exhibited their most over-the-top "cool"(read: chauvinistic male) behavior. This included getting near nude to show off their very developed muscles, being aggressively flirtatious with the female audience members, being as loud and vain as possible and bragging about their vast number of sexual conquests. But, when they found out their girlfriends were there, watching their every move, most of them quickly replaced their hard masculine exterior with a more caring and emotive skin. One contestant, Big John, revealed in therapy that he felt pressured to play the part of this ultra-masculine person because he felt that he was always looked at as a strong male role by others and felt he had to keep it up to not disappoint them.

Overall, I realize that the basic premise of the show is still quite empowering for both sexes (by helping them overcome these stereotypes) because its giving these formerly passive women the voice to speak up and tell their "douche bag" boyfriends that they want the respect that they deserve. Or, alternatively, that they want out. (Its the girlfriends who chooses to leave with or without her unreformed "tool" boyfriend.) And it gives these formerly superficial guys the opportunity to shed their macho facades and let their emotions out freely.

Maybe shows like this will change (absurd but) common ideas like "girls like assholes" or "nice guys finish last".