For Father’s Day, give us men who aren’t shown as fools and clowns
Men are regularly represented in the media and advertising as stupid and clumsy and it is denying younger generations proper role models argues Peter West of the University of Technology in this cross-posting from The Conversation.
Get your hand off it,” says the girl in the ad. Here is a cowgirl type telling men not to play with anything while driving. It’s the mobile that she means, ha ha.
Why should we be concerned? Because yet again, here’s an ad showing men as fools, clowns or rogues. Time and again we’ll be shown someone doing the wrong thing, then told off. It always seems to be the man doing the wrong thing, and a woman ridiculing him.
I see ads about littering on suburban litter bins. Here’s a man shown dropping a wrapper. And here’s a woman frowning at him, unimpressed and thus no longer seeing the man as desirable. Dumb men, wanting the affection of women who don’t welcome their interest.
This asks the question: “How much social responsibility should Advertising have?” If the client pays the bill and the ads do the job – i.e. increase sales – does the buck stop there?
I must say, as a young male, I applaud this article.
It’s not because I believe women should be ‘back in the kitchen’ or getting pa’s slippers ready for when he comes home drunk on whiskey and wants to beat her.
It’s because men, on a societal level, are being bashed like never before.
It’s obvious through all media and it’s being driven by research. It’s well known you can take the piss out of a man, but shall thou darst take the urine out of thine woman and you’ll burn in hell.
But it goes way beyond that, to a point in our ordinary lives.
A silly case in point. A woman arrives home at 1am drunk to her boyfriend. If said dude innocently asks where she’s been, he’ll cop a tirade of abuse, followed by half a month of silent treatment and dirty looks from all of his ‘wife without benefits’ BFF’s for eternity times three.
Boyfriend comes home in the same situation, you can imagine how different the story would be.
A modern, stereotypical woman wants a guy who’s sensitive, good with his hands, can work hard, fight fires but at the same time not only put dinner on the table but actually cook it then clean afterwards, while looking after the kids.
The girl in return offers… nothing.
That’s the stereotype, but there is a truth in that. And there’s also a reason most of Australia’s eligible bachelors are marrying women from overseas who believe equality is the best foundation in a relationship.
… Can open, worms everywhere….This could be fun
For what its worth though, great point… Blokes are an easy target these days for many reasons. Good article.
The fact remains that “Straight White Male” is life’s lowest difficulty level: http://whatever.scalzi.com/201.....-there-is/
Men get a few ads that make them look like loveable dopes. Women are actively passed over in their careers in case they decide to have a baby. People get more job interviews when they use a western surname instead of an ethnic one.
I have to admit – I did laugh out loud when I watched that insurance ad.
That being said, poking fun at either gender is always a risky strategy. It can work if the humour is good enough and the insult is light but go too far and you’ll alienate everyone involved. Women don’t really appreciate advertisers painting their husbands and sons as idiots.
@Congratulations
Do you honestly believe that mens’ alleged tarnished image in the media is actually being perpetuated by women?
Females only account for a minuscule amount (around 3%) of influential positions in the mainstream media. The people that are doing the supposed “bashing” are your fellow males. Not us. I think you have completely missed the point of Peter’s article.
If you think that the “problem” lies solely in women- then you best start educating yourself.
The problem at large is the hypermasculine media we consume day in and day out. where archaic stereotypes exist- women’s value lies in their looks and men’s in their ability to be the provider and protector, otherwise a dummy.
larger problem lies in the
Speaking as a (presumably) straight, white, middle class male… i don’t think you have too much to worry about, mate.
Please, take your small minded, misogynistic opinions to an MRA forum because they are not at all welcome here.
@Congratulations
Do you honestly believe that mens’ alleged tarnished image in the media is actually being perpetuated by women?
Females only account for a minuscule amount (around 3%) of influential positions in the mainstream media. The people that are doing the supposed “bashing” are your fellow males. Not us. I think you have completely missed the point of Peter’s article.
If you think that the “problem” lies solely in women- then you best start educating yourself.
The problem at large is the hypermasculine media we consume day in and day out. where archaic stereotypes exist- women’s value lies in their looks and men’s in their ability to be the provider and protector, otherwise a dummy.
Speaking as a (presumably) straight, white, middle class male… i don’t think you have too much to worry about, mate.
Please, take your small minded, misogynistic opinions to an MRA forum because they are not at all welcome here.
Bam Bam, have you got any sort of references for you claim of only 3%? (Don’t tell me to google it, you made the claim, you should be able to back it up)
OH PLEASE!!!!!
This has nothing to do with women directly. This trend is just another face of the cringing, apologetic, head hiding, and doona scrunching activity associated with that huge social problem known as P.C. or Political Correctness.
Producers are scared to death to depict a woman as an example of a stupid, foolish, ill educated or clumsy human being, much safer to depict a man , because men are much less likely to complain bitterly and have 20 or more other men backing them up.
By the same token, producers are careful never to cast a person other than a white middle class male as the idiot. I understand it perfectly, I don’t agree with it, but I understand why they do it.
@harvyk
http://therepresentationprojec.....tatistics/