Lesson Four Masculinity

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 5

The Diet Coke Break (1990s) was an iconic campaign featuring women objectifying a handsome, shirtless male construction worker during a 11:30 AM work break. This shifted traditional gender roles, objectifying men for a female audience. The "Be a Man" or "Hunk" campaigns aimed to boost appeal to female consumers through humor, style, and playful, suggestive themes. The "Diet Coke Break" (often referred to as Coca-Cola Light Break in various international markets) first-edition commercial, which began the famous advertising campaign, premiered in 1994 in the US. However, it became an iconic, widely recognized British and international hit with the 1995 version, often referred to as the 11:30 ad. Key Details of the First Edition Campaign (1994-1995):

The Actor: The first commercial starred American actor Lucky Vanous as a handsome construction worker taking his shirt off during a work break.

The Premise: A group of female office workers in London pauses their work to watch the construction worker across the street at exactly 11:30 AM.

The Music: The commercial featured a version of "I Just Want to Make Love to You" (notably the 1960 Etta James recording in later versions).

Tagline: The original campaign often closed with "Diet Coke. Just for the taste of it".

Impact: The campaign was so successful it ran variations from 1994 to 2013, solidifying the "break" as a popular cultural moment.

Wikipedia

Wikipedia

The Diet Coke Break campaign is remembered as being one of the earliest examples of gender roles being swapped in TV advertising, with women objectifying attractive men, rather than the other way around – it has been described as "much loved" and "truly iconic". The campaign has also generated criticism over whether its adverts are sexist towards men. Dispenser was pulled off the air by the Canadian government, who felt that the commercial was demeaning to men. Similarly, in 2013 Gardener was included in a list of "sexist male adverts".

www.theguardian.com

A  Gillette commercial from 2019 cam out right after the beginning of the MeToo movement calling out “toxic masculinity” has sparked both praise for and criticism of the razor company.

The new “We Believe” ad — a 48-second spot that Gillette shared on its social media accounts on Monday — plays on the company’s tagline of “Is this the best a man can get?” to address issues like bullying, sexual harassment and the #MeToo movement.

“Is this the best a man can get? Is it?” a voiceover says in the ad. “We can’t hide from it, it’s been going on far too long. We can’t laugh it off, making the same old excuses. But something finally changed. And there will be no going back.

Because we…We believe in the best in men. To say the right thing. To act the right way. Some already are, in ways big and small. But some is not enough. Because the boys watching today will be the men of tomorrow.”

Since the commercial’s debut, some have voiced their support for its rebuke of the “boys will be boys will be boys will be boys” mentality while others have threatened to go so far as to boycott both Gillette and parent company Procter & Gamble.

Central question

What is hypermasculinity?

Danger is exciting

Toughness is a form or emotional self control

Violence is manly

It's fine to be callous about women and sex

Is hypermasculinity  dangerous? 

Masculinity

Hypermasculinity

The video and text in the next slide gives you some aspects of hypermasculinity supported with some images.

Watch the video to increase your understanding of the term. 

Full documentary Toxic Masculinity Is Killing Young Men is available on the net. If you want to use this as a BoW you will have to give a presentation in class. 

Remember this from before the vacation. This car commercial was shown during the 2010 Superbowl. The commercial pokes fun at the idea of women emasculating men. Women are depicted as nagging relatively powerless men. In the clip, men are redeemed through driving a sports car. The ad makes a clear connection between masculinity and driving fast but also represents the desires of men as antithetical to the desires of women. Therefore, this clip might be useful for demonstrating the social construction of desire as a process that works within a gender binary. Think about the context - aired during the superbowl in 2010. Was it appropriate? What is the implicit message commenting on in terms of masculinity and marriage.

Parody on the video. flips the script, with a female narrator describing the oppression of a contemporary heterosexual relationship,Does the Dodge Charger ad employ mysoginy to sell cars? Is Fegan's response an improvement?

How does this spoof commercial make us more concious of how harmful the original is to women? 

This is the ultimate muscle car. Has more horsepower, is lower to the ground. In a cultural context of muscle cars and the Dodge commercial are highly effective in targetting their audience. Only Mustang makes it happen - what does IT refer to? What is the effect of the word ONLY? How does this advert appeal to identity?

Think about the cultural context of other vehicles. - Everyone quickly find an advert for a vehicle and add it to the next slide.  

Central Question

To what extent has masculinty been redefined because of advertising

HL essay or PWS? 

Yes, masculinity is being redefined in advertising, shifting away from rigid, traditional stereotypes of stoicism and dominance toward a more inclusive, nuanced, and vulnerable representation. While traditional portrayals of "hyper-masculinity" still persist, brands are increasingly adopting a "modern masculinity" narrative to align with evolving societal views and to better connect with Millennial and Gen Z consumers.

 

Here is a breakdown of how advertising is redefining masculinity:

The Shift from Traditional to Modern Masculinity

For decades, advertising relied on a "hegemonic" model of masculinity: strength, independence, dominance, and emotional restraint. Modern advertising is attempting to shift this narrative in several ways:

University of Twente

University of Twente

 +1

Vulnerability and Emotion: Brands are beginning to depict men expressing emotions, talking about mental health, and showing vulnerability as a sign of strength rather than weakness.

Nurturing and Caregiving: Men are increasingly shown in domestic roles, as caring fathers and partners, breaking the mold of the breadwinner/handyman archetype.

Diverse Representations: Progressive marketing is beginning to showcase a broader spectrum of male identities, including different body types, backgrounds, and LGBTQ+ representation, moving away from a singular "chiselled jaw" archetype.

University of Twente

University of Twente

 +2

Key Examples of Redefinition

Lynx (AXE): Moved away from the "Lynx Effect" campaign (which portrayed men as needing a spray to get women) to the "Find Your Magic" and "Is It Okay for Guys" campaigns, which challenge traditional stereotypes and celebrate individuality.

Gillette: Shifted from "The Best a Man Can Get" to "The Best Men Can Be," directly challenging toxic masculinity and encouraging men to hold each other accountable.

Nike: Challenges traditional tropes in sport, focusing on "playing new" rather than aggressive, win-at-all-costs mentalities.

Biztalbox

Biztalbox

 +5

Drivers of Change

Consumer Demand: Research indicates that 7% of men worldwide identify with traditional depictions of masculinity in media, and 61% of young men believe brands have a responsibility to challenge stereotypes.

Social Movements: The #MeToo movement and increased conversations surrounding mental health have pressured brands to reconsider how they frame male behavior.

Cultural Relevance: Brands realize that "modern masculinity" is more authentic to the current generation, allowing them to remain relevant.

Biztalbox

Biztalbox

 +4

Challenges and Limitations

Slow Progress: While some brands are progressive, studies found that between 2010 and 2020, men were still portrayed in traditional, stereotypical ways more often than women.

Backlash: Brands attempting to change the narrative, like Gillette, have faced severe backlash from traditional consumers who view this change as a direct attack on manhood.

The "Double Burden": Sometimes, new advertising simply adds to the expectation, asking men to be both "traditionally strong" and "sensitive" at the same time.

 

Despite these hurdles, the consensus is that the definition of masculinity in advertising is in flux, moving toward a more multifaceted, realistic, and responsible representation.

Hand out HL Essay. Have students focus on MEAL PLUS annotation. Show PP

Photo of car advert

Select two adverts - each from a different era. 'To what degree is hypermasculinity depicted in these adverts and what adverse effects might such advertisements have on their target audience?'

Adverts typically marketed to men - lawnmowers or beer. Think about time and space. Think about context.  Think about the key concepts. 

How have the notions of what it means to be a man changed over time. 

Add to your portfolio.

Homework

 Select two adverts - each from a different era. 'To what degree is hypermasculinity depicted in these adverts and what adverse effects might such advertisements have on their target audience?'

300-400 word essay incorporating the Lang Lit Elements. 

Next lesson be ready to show your adverts. Explain your ideas. Finish writing the essay. Essay is due tomorrow at the end of the day. Add it to your portfolo and send me a copy. 

Adverts typically marketed to men - lawnmowers or beer or power tools. Thin about the three areas of exploration. Think about time and space. Think about context. Think about the key concepts.

How have the notions of what it means to be a man changed over time.

Write a 300-400 word essay incorporating these Lang Lit elements.