Gender, identity and advertising: blog task
1) What examples does Gauntlett provide of the "decline of tradition"? How can we link our advertising CSPs (Score hair cream and Maybelline 'That Boss Life') to this idea?
Gauntlett states that while tradition was an important factor 20-30 years ago and that traditional gender identity was an important factor for businesses to consider, but as societies begin to progress into a more liberal state of mind due to mainstream media, the idea of fluidity is beginning to become more popular, this is apparent with the Score advertisement compared to the Maybelline advertisement.
2) How does Gauntlett suggest the media influences the way we construct our own identities?
As the media is a force of change, gauntlett suggests that due to this the media has an active effect on how we construct our identity, one way they do this is by actively challenging traditions, one quote from the summery "The traditional view of a woman as a housewife or low-status worker has been kick-boxed out of the picture by the feisty, successful 'girl power' icons." is a perfect example as to how the media is challenging traditions.
3) How do the two CSPs reflect the generational differences that Gauntlett discusses? Is it a good thing that the media seems to promote modern liberal values?
Gauntlett states "Views of gender and sexuality, masculinity and femininity, identity and selfhood, are all in slow but steady processes of change and transformation." this is an accurate quote when comparing the score advertisement and the Maybelline advertisement, it is apparent that the views and beliefs in society have drastically changed during the 50 years between the two CSP's. This change would have not been possible if it weren't for the mass media, the continuous promotion of liberal values are important in today's society as they accurately represent the ideology of the upcoming generation, continuing to follow the traditions and ideologies of the "baby boomers" would be foolish.
4) Why might Manny and Shayla be a good example of the role models that Gauntlett discusses - and also demonstrate how those role models have changed in recent years?
Manny and Shayla represent not only represent a more diverse part of society, but they both represent a changing society, something important in today's shifting world; due to this they're brilliant role models for today's younger generations
5) Why does the Score hair cream advert provide such a good example of traditional masculinity? How can you link this to Gauntlett's discussion of whether masculinity is in crisis?
The score advertisement shows multiple instances of traditional masculinity that was present in 1960's society, the advertisement accurately shows how men were treated and seen compared to women. Due to this, the advertisement also becomes a prime example of not only hyper masculinity but also the change that has occurred from the 1960's to present day and the change form traditional to modern masculinity.
6) Gauntlett consistently argues that masculinity is not in crisis. Can the Maybelline 'That Boss Life' advert be used as evidence of this?
The "That Boss Life" advertisement can be used as evidence for both arguments, it represents the slow shift of the traditional view of masculinity in society, this can be seen as an example of masculinity being in crisis. But the advertisement can also be used as an example of the emergence of a new view masculinity, an introduction of new identities and ideologies of masculinity, not the extinction of it.
7) Does advertising still reinforce the "conventionally rugged, super-independent, extra-strong macho man" that Gauntlett discusses? Offer examples for both sides of the argument from the wider advertising industry.
8) Gauntlett discusses the idea of 'girl power' and offers examples from music and film. Does advertising provide evidence to support the idea of 'girl power' or is the industry still reinforcing traditional representations of men and women?
The advertising industry has begun to further introduce more "girl power to help" attract more viewers and to also appeal to society. But this does not mean that the traditional view of men and women have disappeared from the advertising, there are still plenty of instances of advertisers trying to appeal to audiences using the traditional ideologies of gender and sexuality that members of society may still have.
9) Do you agree with Gauntlett's argument under 'Popular feminism, women and men' where he suggests that younger generations are not threatened by traditional gender roles and are comfortable with social changes? Does advertising (and our CSPs in particular) provide examples either reinforcing or challenging this idea that younger generations are more comfortable with changing gender roles?
I do believe that in general, the newer generations are far more comfortable with new gender roles and social changes due to the fact that they are being brought up in this new societies. But there are cases where kids who belong to more religious families do develop more traditional ideas and beliefs about gender roles and ideologies
10) How do the two advertising CSPs show the changing 'diversity of sexualities' that Gauntlett suggests?
In the first CSP, the advertisement predominantly showed heterosexual relationships, this is due to the fact that society had tabooed any other form of sexual relationship, as society shifted, so did what the advertisements presented to the viewers. Other sexualities are far more accepted in society.
11) What examples from advertising does Gauntlett provide for the changing nature of gender in society (from the section on Judith Butler's Gender trouble)?
The main example Gauntlett provides is from fragrance companies such as Calvin Klein, a Calvin Klein's advertisement that was promoting a fragrance used an androgynous actor to show that the product is both for men and women.
12) How can the Maybelline 'That Boss Life' advert be applied to Judith Butler's work on 'gender trouble'? ("The binary division of 'male' and 'female' identities should be shattered, Butler suggested, and replaced with multiple forms of identity...")
The "That Boss Life" advertisement supports Butlers view that traditional gender binaries should be shattered, it does this by having a gay man being a professional makeup artist, a job that was traditionally given to women.
13) How can our two advertising CSPs be used to argue that power has shifted from media institutions to audiences? (Clue: how did Manny and Shayler from the Maybelline advert first become famous?)
Traditional media mediums are beginning to lose viewership due to the increase in online social media and video platforms being used by millennials, generation z's and now even some of the older generations. Due to this companies are beginning to shift their focus to the growing new phenomenon of online media viewing by using well-known figures from social media to star in the advertisements and hopefully garner more views.
14) Why is advertising such a good example of the 'contradictory elements' that Gauntlett discusses with regards to the mass media? In other words, how does advertising continue to both reinforce and challenge gender stereotypes?
Gauntlett states that advertisers "put out a whole spectrum of messages which cannot be reconciled." What this means is that due to the significant amount of messages an advertisement can portray to an audience, some of the views can end up contradicting each other.
15) Finally, Gauntlett makes a clear case that things change and modern identities are increasingly fluid. How do our advertising CSPs demonstrate the changing attitudes towards gender and sexuality in society?
In the Score advertisement, the traditional idea of masculinity was clearly definable due to what the advertisement contained, this is due to the ideology of masculinity that was present in society before. The new maybeline advertisment shows a brand new form of masculinity that fits modern day society more accuratley.
Gauntlett states that while tradition was an important factor 20-30 years ago and that traditional gender identity was an important factor for businesses to consider, but as societies begin to progress into a more liberal state of mind due to mainstream media, the idea of fluidity is beginning to become more popular, this is apparent with the Score advertisement compared to the Maybelline advertisement.
2) How does Gauntlett suggest the media influences the way we construct our own identities?
As the media is a force of change, gauntlett suggests that due to this the media has an active effect on how we construct our identity, one way they do this is by actively challenging traditions, one quote from the summery "The traditional view of a woman as a housewife or low-status worker has been kick-boxed out of the picture by the feisty, successful 'girl power' icons." is a perfect example as to how the media is challenging traditions.
3) How do the two CSPs reflect the generational differences that Gauntlett discusses? Is it a good thing that the media seems to promote modern liberal values?
Gauntlett states "Views of gender and sexuality, masculinity and femininity, identity and selfhood, are all in slow but steady processes of change and transformation." this is an accurate quote when comparing the score advertisement and the Maybelline advertisement, it is apparent that the views and beliefs in society have drastically changed during the 50 years between the two CSP's. This change would have not been possible if it weren't for the mass media, the continuous promotion of liberal values are important in today's society as they accurately represent the ideology of the upcoming generation, continuing to follow the traditions and ideologies of the "baby boomers" would be foolish.
4) Why might Manny and Shayla be a good example of the role models that Gauntlett discusses - and also demonstrate how those role models have changed in recent years?
Manny and Shayla represent not only represent a more diverse part of society, but they both represent a changing society, something important in today's shifting world; due to this they're brilliant role models for today's younger generations
5) Why does the Score hair cream advert provide such a good example of traditional masculinity? How can you link this to Gauntlett's discussion of whether masculinity is in crisis?
The score advertisement shows multiple instances of traditional masculinity that was present in 1960's society, the advertisement accurately shows how men were treated and seen compared to women. Due to this, the advertisement also becomes a prime example of not only hyper masculinity but also the change that has occurred from the 1960's to present day and the change form traditional to modern masculinity.
6) Gauntlett consistently argues that masculinity is not in crisis. Can the Maybelline 'That Boss Life' advert be used as evidence of this?
The "That Boss Life" advertisement can be used as evidence for both arguments, it represents the slow shift of the traditional view of masculinity in society, this can be seen as an example of masculinity being in crisis. But the advertisement can also be used as an example of the emergence of a new view masculinity, an introduction of new identities and ideologies of masculinity, not the extinction of it.
7) Does advertising still reinforce the "conventionally rugged, super-independent, extra-strong macho man" that Gauntlett discusses? Offer examples for both sides of the argument from the wider advertising industry.
8) Gauntlett discusses the idea of 'girl power' and offers examples from music and film. Does advertising provide evidence to support the idea of 'girl power' or is the industry still reinforcing traditional representations of men and women?
The advertising industry has begun to further introduce more "girl power to help" attract more viewers and to also appeal to society. But this does not mean that the traditional view of men and women have disappeared from the advertising, there are still plenty of instances of advertisers trying to appeal to audiences using the traditional ideologies of gender and sexuality that members of society may still have.
9) Do you agree with Gauntlett's argument under 'Popular feminism, women and men' where he suggests that younger generations are not threatened by traditional gender roles and are comfortable with social changes? Does advertising (and our CSPs in particular) provide examples either reinforcing or challenging this idea that younger generations are more comfortable with changing gender roles?
I do believe that in general, the newer generations are far more comfortable with new gender roles and social changes due to the fact that they are being brought up in this new societies. But there are cases where kids who belong to more religious families do develop more traditional ideas and beliefs about gender roles and ideologies
10) How do the two advertising CSPs show the changing 'diversity of sexualities' that Gauntlett suggests?
In the first CSP, the advertisement predominantly showed heterosexual relationships, this is due to the fact that society had tabooed any other form of sexual relationship, as society shifted, so did what the advertisements presented to the viewers. Other sexualities are far more accepted in society.
11) What examples from advertising does Gauntlett provide for the changing nature of gender in society (from the section on Judith Butler's Gender trouble)?
The main example Gauntlett provides is from fragrance companies such as Calvin Klein, a Calvin Klein's advertisement that was promoting a fragrance used an androgynous actor to show that the product is both for men and women.
12) How can the Maybelline 'That Boss Life' advert be applied to Judith Butler's work on 'gender trouble'? ("The binary division of 'male' and 'female' identities should be shattered, Butler suggested, and replaced with multiple forms of identity...")
The "That Boss Life" advertisement supports Butlers view that traditional gender binaries should be shattered, it does this by having a gay man being a professional makeup artist, a job that was traditionally given to women.
13) How can our two advertising CSPs be used to argue that power has shifted from media institutions to audiences? (Clue: how did Manny and Shayler from the Maybelline advert first become famous?)
Traditional media mediums are beginning to lose viewership due to the increase in online social media and video platforms being used by millennials, generation z's and now even some of the older generations. Due to this companies are beginning to shift their focus to the growing new phenomenon of online media viewing by using well-known figures from social media to star in the advertisements and hopefully garner more views.
14) Why is advertising such a good example of the 'contradictory elements' that Gauntlett discusses with regards to the mass media? In other words, how does advertising continue to both reinforce and challenge gender stereotypes?
Gauntlett states that advertisers "put out a whole spectrum of messages which cannot be reconciled." What this means is that due to the significant amount of messages an advertisement can portray to an audience, some of the views can end up contradicting each other.
15) Finally, Gauntlett makes a clear case that things change and modern identities are increasingly fluid. How do our advertising CSPs demonstrate the changing attitudes towards gender and sexuality in society?
In the Score advertisement, the traditional idea of masculinity was clearly definable due to what the advertisement contained, this is due to the ideology of masculinity that was present in society before. The new maybeline advertisment shows a brand new form of masculinity that fits modern day society more accuratley.
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