The media’s influence overwhelms men to the point of change. The repetition of such commercials and products produce a different brand of male stereotype. This alters the gender construction of the male race as we know it. Robert Levine states “Informed by the academic breakthroughs of feminist scholarship, the new psychology of men examines masculinity as a problematic construct.”(Science Direct) Men grow materialistic to such a level it decreases a sense of masculinity. This new culture emerges as a response to such commercials objectifying women and men through sex to sell a product.
This new culture created through a stereotype is defined as metro sexual. Dr. Diana Lawson in her Honors Thesis defines a metro sexual as “An urban male with a heterosexual orientation who rejects many macho attributes often linked to masculinity. He adopts many traits often associated with heterosexual females and gay males — e.g. expensive hair care, stylish clothes”(Marketing and the Appearance of Man). Controlled by women, sex in a sixty second commercial drives the adolescents of today into such a culture. The product of sex and new technology puts macho man attributes in feminine products.Since a company wants to reflect a good image of itself it makes the customer assume this act is accepted as good standards in what we call society. This image alters the perception of men by presenting objects like shower gel to be in a correct form of masculinity.
Works Cited:
Signorielli, Nancy. "ScienceDirect - Journal of Adolescent Health Care : Children, Television, and Gender Roles : : Messages and Impact." ScienceDirect - Home. University of Delaware, Department of Communication, Jan. 1990. Web. 03 Dec. 2010. <http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B7GHK-4G24DX8-8B&_user=918210&_coverDate=01/31/1990&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_origin=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=1564841281&_rerunOrigin=scholar.google&_acct=C000047944&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=918210&md5=35b219417e9538116397d217e4424543&searchtype=a>.
Lawson, Diana. "Marketing and the Appearance of Man." The Evolution of Masculinity. Andrea Rodel, July 2007. Web. 30 Oct. 2010. <http://www.andreabaumgartner.com/docs/honorsThesis.pdf>.