final draft

December 9, 2012

Dear American Citizens:

Gender discrimination remains in our culture because of the pervasive influence of advertising in the media. Advertising makes people believe there is only one right way a male and a female should act or look, which has caused many people to question their  acceptance in society. The media promotes a powerful influence of gender roles which are broadcasted through sexual, violent, and dehumanizing advertisements. The pressures created onto people by the media describe an unrealistic reality from which men and women try to understand and emulate. The objectification of women in advertisements is dehumanizing and the glorification of violence has increased sexual, physical, and verbal assault in our country. Equality in our nation has been the ultimate goal since the first settlers arrived on this land. However, there still are gender inequalities due to the evolutionary idea “survival of the fittest”. Behaviors exhibited by the strong and powerful (men in our society) are justified through this concept, conditioning them to ride over the weak. The media has evoked this very idea which has stretched the inequalities of male and female gender roles further apart.  

Since the day we are born, gender roles are being taught to us. In a typical American family, a parent would present either a red fire truck to their son or a pink barbie doll to their daughter. Blakie, author of "Gender Roles and Degrading Women in America", says children should not be forced into gender roles. She suggests giving a child an equal balance of toys to choose from will make it so they are not forced to conform to modern gender roles. I was raised by parents who allowed me to choose what things I wanted to play with. I always ended up choosing the more masculine item, not only because I wouldn’t want my friends to make fun of me for playing with a doll, but because I was more interested in the masculine toy. My parents also never guided me to act or behave by societies pretense of masculinity, but allowed me to discover my own gender role. However, when I reached the age when I was subjected to outside influences other than my parents, I took on society’s projection of masculinity. From brothers, friends, coaches, and the media I was taught the “right way” to behave. 

Masculinity is a characteristic played out by males in our culture in order to seek acceptance. In the essay, “Bros before Hos”: The Guy Code, the author Michael Kimmel defines society’s expectations of masculinity in males ages 16 to 26. He searched throughout our nation, as well as 15 other countries, to hear men’s responses to the phrase, “be a man”.  What he discovered, he call’s, “Real Guy’s Top Ten List”, which summarized the top ten things guys said. For example; #1. “Boys don’t cry”, #2. “It’s better to be mad than sad”, #3. “Don’t get mad-get even”(609). The underlying message from all of the responses he received was it is not manly to show emotion or admit vulnerability. To be accepted as a “real guy”, Kimmel argues, “The face you must show to the world insists that everything is going just fine, that everything is under control, that there’s nothing to be concerned about”(609). These traits that make up “The Guy Code” act as a set of rules from which males live their lives according to.  This formulated structure of behavior most males in our society follow is the result of other men in their lives telling them how to act, says kimmel.

Kimmel suggests the reasons men follow this idea of masculinity is because they want to be positively evaluated by other men. By caring about other men’s approval, one can determine the right way to grow increasingly more liked on the social ladder.  If one breaks any of the “laws of masculinity” men will point out the weakness and the effect will be mostly verbal name calling. The names I hear people being called the most are gay and faggot.  These words are so commonly used in peoples everyday language that the actual definition of the words are rarely thought of. In an interview with Eminem, Eminem say’s, “The lowest degrading thing you can say to a man when you’re battling him is to call him a faggot and try to take away his manhood. Call him a sissy, call him a punk. ‘Faggot’ to me doesn’t necessarily mean gay people. ‘Faggot’ to me just means taking away your manhood”(612). However, taken out of this context and into reality, the meaning of those words attract a negative connotation, suggesting anyone that is gay is bad. Gay stereotypes are based on many different things, such as the way you dress, talk, walk, and what your interests are. The reasoning behind some of these characteristics are based on actual attributes of gay people, but most of the time when someone uses the word gay it is because something is different. 

The same reason some Americans fear a different culture, is the same reason some Americans fear gay people; difference. Fear is the byproduct of ignorance in people because we are programmed to fear difference. By pushing “gender roles”, marketers are promoting inequality and stereotypical gender roles, thus enhancing the idea that only one gender role is acceptable. Also, when trying to designate a specific gender role, the marketers use models who look according to society’s projected cultural appearance. Aldous Huxley said, “individuals have had to de-individualize themselves, have had to deny their native diversity and conform to a standard pattern, have had to do their best to become automata”(Brave New World Revisited). The models used in advertising are so heavily computer edited it is impossible for women to achieve what they see, yet they endlessly attempt to do so.  Former Supermodel Cindy Crawford said, "Even I don't wake up looking like Cindy Crawford". Advertisements are not promoting peoples Individual uniqueness, but are promoting the marketers  interpretation of normal. Aldous Huxley said, “They are normal not in what may be called the absolute sense of the word, but normal to an abnormal society”(Brave New World Revisited). Cultural norms are always evolving, and because of the large affect the media has on people, our culture is evolving at the marketers pace. We have become so accustomed to this mode of attack, the constant exposure to advertising does not leave us with the mindset to question the attack and develop on our own. 

Exploiting women's bodies is a very effective way of selling a product. However, this comes at the cost to every women’s safety. In the essay, “Two Ways a Women Can Get Hurt: Advertising and Violence” by Jean Kilbourne explains how sexual and violent advertising in the media are affecting women and mens attitudes, which leads to sexual aggression.  Kilbourne argues the way ads portray bodies of women as objects conditions us to see each other in dehumanizing ways, thus normalizing and glorifying rape and violence. Men are encouraged to be forceful and dominant because of how the advertisements show people having fun and enjoying what seems to be dark and evil behavior. For example, “don’t be such a good boy”, say’s an ad with two beautiful women looking adoringly at a man, but he isn’t looking at either one of them. Men who act dangerous and dark are considered sexy and desirable, if you believe this advertisement. However, popular culture believes this is the way men should really act.  Our society does not condone this behavior and it’s a manifestation of marketing. 

In the culture we live in, women are thought of as weak and powerless. Men are considered strong and powerful. In a Diet Coke ad “the women are physically, separated from the man. He is the one in control. His body is powerful, not passive”(587). Strength and powerfulness are gender stereotypes which are ways to oppress and discriminate one gender role from the other. It is human nature for men to play out these roles, but not so much to make women feel like they are nothing. In a Calvin Klein advertisement, they use a model who looked abused, vulnerable, and exploited. She is lying naked on a sofa, “pliant, available, androgynous enough to appeal to all kinds of pedophiles”(593). This kind of advertising degrades women.

Gender roles vary, but in our society only one role fits a specific gender. The negative effects of advertising is felt largely on younger people. Kids have a more difficult time telling right from wrong and if they see someone acting in a certain way, they are likely to copy that behavior. Growing up and going to school is challenging for any kid not “normal”. He or she is likely to be harassed and tormented and struggle to become accepted. Marketers use beautiful models to sell their products and promote an image.  Ignoring individual differences, they try to make their customers all want what they sell.  These items ignore that we are all different in size, shape, color, gender, weight, uniqueness  and mold customers to their product line. Many people in our culture have been tricked into believing there is only one acceptable way a female or male should look or act. Subjected by the media, people feel hopeless and insignificant.     

Sincerely, 

Sam Imsland

Bibliography 

Blakie. "Gender Roles and Degrading Women in America." Yahoo! Contributor Network. N.p., 15 Nov. 2012. Web. 18 Nov. 2012. http://voices.yahoo.com/gender-roles-degrading-women-america-10930.html. 

Huxley, Aldous, and Aldous Huxley. Brave New World: And, Brave New World Revisited. New York: HarperCollins, 2004. Print.

Kimmel, Michael. “Bros Before Hos”:The Guy Code. Rereading America: Eighth Edition. Text. 18 Nov. 2012.

Kilbourne, Jean. Media Selection. “Two Ways a Woman Can Get Hurt: Advertising and Violence”.Rereading America: Eighth Edition. Text. 18 Nov. 2012.