The Male Body in Advertising: Analysis
The purpose of this paper is to introduce, discuss, and analyze the article "Beauty (Re) discovers the Male Body" by Susan Bordo. Specifically, it will discuss her outlook on advertising with males, and look at some modern ads using the male body as the central focus of the ads. Throughout this essay, author Bordo equates the new appreciation of the male form in advertising to a greater acceptance of homosexual attitudes and male "femininity." This may be the case, and certainly gay men would enjoy many of these ads as much as straight women do. However, to credit changing acceptance as the main reason these ads are fashionable seems a bit one-sided. Certainly male sexuality is at play in the ads, but there are also many other factors at play, including changing morals throughout society that allow these ads to exist in the first place. In her essay, Bordo writes, "Throughout the century, gay photographers have created a rich, sensuous, and dramatic tradition which is unabashed in eroticizing the male body, male sensuousness, and male potency, including penises" (Bordo 176). Througho
Instead, he seems to be a female-dominated male or pool boy. Thus, the author's claim that homosexuality has led the way in these ads seems to be disintegrating with modern advertising. Both of these ads feature men without their shirts, in various poses. It is also interesting that so many straight men are somehow threatened by this male nudity, while they see nothing wrong with viewing naked females. Thus, the author's claim that homosexuality has led the way in these ads seems to be disintegrating with modern advertising. Just as many advertisers are attempting to show that all female forms can be appealing (such as the current Dove campaign), it seems advertising is growing to include all male forms, from large and flabby to skinny and underdeveloped. ut this essay, Bordo gives much of the credit for the new male image in much advertising to gays, but this seems to be one-sided. For example, in the Scoop Away ad, the male in the ad does not inspire a sensual response. Bordo indicates this with the ad "Honey, what do I want?" where the man asks his wife what he should wear (Bordo 189). While the pampered woman watches with her cat, he goes about cleaning up after the cat and his messy mistress. The State Farm ad, written in Spanish, shows a "macho" man "super hero" showing off with his son. Male advertising is becoming more common, and so are the subjects, and that is the way it should be. Instead, he seems to be a female-dominated male or pool boy. Bordo continues with a quote from a male writer, "'here is something disconcerting about the sight of a man's naked body being presented as a sexual object'" (Bordo 177), he says, and it is easy to see the statement is blatantly sexist. Instead, he looks inferior and degraded or subservient, which is unusual for a male-oriented ad.
Common topics in this essay:
Farm Insurance,
Bordo Specifically,
Cosmopolitan Gays,
America Witness,
,
male advertising,
Beauty Re,
male body,
watches cat goes,
Scoop Farm,
cat goes cleaning,
boy pampered woman,
pampered woman watches,
woman watches,
boy pampered,
pampered woman,
cat goes,
watches cat,
cleaning cat,
male pool,
woman watches cat,
goes cleaning,
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Acceptance Essays
