The document discusses representations of masculinity in media. It begins by outlining objectives to explore how masculinity is portrayed stereotypically and how representations have changed over time. Definitions of sex, gender, and representation are provided. Traditional 1970s/80s representations emphasized ruggedness, while contemporary depictions show men in touch with emotions. Emerging representations like the metrosexual emphasize appearance and consumerism. Case studies demonstrate dominance of stereotypes in action films, video games, and reality TV. While representations have diversified, analyses typically find men depicted positively using traditionally masculine traits like strength, rationality, and lack of emotion.

1. Representations of Men

2. Objectives
• To explore masculinity and how it is
represented in the media
• To understand the stereotypical
representations of men in the media
• To understand how representations
change over time.
• To explore the representation of men in
film/TV and advertising – case studies

3. Definitions
• Sex – biological grouping – what makes
us male and female
• Gender –this is effected and created by
social and cultural influences (what is
means to be a man and or a woman)
• Not fixed - This changes over time – think
back to representations of women
(traditional to modern)

4. Introduction to Representation
• Media is a powerful means by which
messages are transmitted to the public. How
masculinity or ‘maleness’ is shown in those
texts can have the power to help define what
masculinity is.
• These stereotypes are found in fictional and
non fictional formats: film, TV, games,
magazines, adverts, music, newspapers.

5. Male Stereotypes
• Masculinity is often represented in media texts
through using stereotypes or set characters
(archetypes): encoded via a range of semiotic codes
– dress, speech, performance, etc.

6. Introduction to Representation
• Stereotypically men in the media are
represented differently from women but
their representation, like that of women,
has changed in order to address changes
in society.

7. Masculinity
• Task: What do you think it means to be
masculine?
• Can you think of examples from the media
who represent what masculinity is?

9. Traditional Representations of
Masculinity – 1970s/80s
• The Sweeney,
Starsky and Hutch,
Magnum (PI)
Starsky and Hutch
(2004)
The Sweeney
2012
The Sweeney
1976

10. • Task: In groups define the traditional
traits/characteristics of masculinity shown
in early representations of men.

11. Masculinity as defined in the
1970s/80s:
• Rugged features
• Moustaches and stubble
• Long hair
• Demin
• Open shirt and medallions
• Being rough and ready
• Action, violence and general ‘toughness’

12. Masculinity
• As you have probably noticed. Those
images (70s/80s) are now somewhat
dated!
• Contrast with modern images of
masculinity

13. Contemporary Representations
of Masculinity:
Modern characters are seen as in being
touch with their feminine side, showing
emotions, shopping and taking care of their
appearance.

14. The Metrosexual and the New
Man
• In the mid 1990’s – development of
representations of masculinity shift
• The young, single man with a disposable
income, living in the city
• The Meterosexual man is not gay but often
confused with being homosexual
• He is objectified and sexualised (turned
into a sex object) which goes against
traditional representations of masculinity.

15. Metrosexual: TOWIE
• Task: How are men being represented?
Do these clips challenge or reinforce
male stereotypes? What are their
attitudes, values and beliefs of the
world (ideology)
• Joey Essex
• Joey Essex 2
• Mario and Mark

16. Values and beliefs (ideologies)?
• Party
• Conscious of image/look after
body/muscles
• Hang out with mates
• Get girls
• Wealth

17. • Demonstrates that representations of
masculinity has a tendency to change over
time
• This leaves us with a rather mixed bag of
the features of masculinity in the media!

18. The Female Gaze
• The female gaze
• Females are now being placed in a
position of the subject, and males are
more frequently being placed in the inferior
position of the object. Women are more
often taking on a position of power when
placed in advertisements with men.

19. Analysing Representations:
• The main consideration when you are
analysing the representations of men and
masculinity, will be regarding the issues of
fairness and accuracy and what the
representation is actually saying to the
audience

20. Female Gaze: Representation
in adverts
• Old Spice Advert
• Aero Advert

21. Representation of Men in reality
TV
• Geordie Shore, Made in Chelsea and the
Only Way is Essex.
• Geordie Shore, The Only Way is Essex and Made in
Chelsea represent our generation's "time capsule" for
the future. That's how the people of 2042 will think we
look, spoke and behaved. Which is a shame because
they're not supposed to be representative. They're
supposed to be different from "normal people". They're
walking caricatured receptacles for spite. Their job is to
make absolutely everyone who tunes in hate them.
Instantly hate them. Hate them so much they can't take
their eyes off them. Charlie Brooker, The Guardian, 1st
July 2012

22. Lesson 2: Learning Aims
• To explore masculinity and how it is
represented in the media
• To understand the stereotypical
representations of men in the media
• To understand how representations
change over time.
• To explore the representation of men in
film/TV and advertising – case studies

23. • Masculinity has a tendency to change over
time
• This leaves us with a rather mixed bag of
the features of masculinity in the media!

24. Case Study: 1
• Alternative Representation of men the
Metrosexual man (heterosexual men with
feminine characteristics)
• Gavin and Joey Essex Makeover
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qqdcd6
Af6EY

25. Gavin and Joey Essex
Makeover
• How has the subject been represented? Is
this a traditional representation of
masculinity? What camera shots are
used? Consider use of language, mise en
scene, use of non diegetic sound
• Why has the subject been represented in
this way? Who is the target audience?
What about the narrative structure? Is it
entertainment?

26. Changes over time…
• Although it is clear that representations of
masculinity have changed over time, the
dominant representation of masculinity still
focuses on:
• Body image
• Physical strength
• Sexual attractiveness and relationships
with women
• Power and independence

27. Alternative Representation of
Men – Lifestyle Magazines
• One media area that has developed
dramatically is men’s lifestyle magazines.
• Aspirational – role models
• Concentrating on representing body image
– the perfect body!
• Images manipulated
• Magazines refer to ‘sex’ rather than
relationships

28. Case Study 2: Representation
of Men in magazines

29. Men’s Health
• Visual codes
• Layout
• Language
• How are men
represented
here?

30. Men’s Health
• Image – medium/long shot
• Celebrity endorsement
• Direct mode of address – connotes seductive like approach
to a female audience.
• Text reflects conventional language of women’s magazine –
’bigger arms now’, ‘drop 5% body fat in 31 days’, reflecting
interest in body image/appearance
• Sex rather than relationship - If you understand her needs
you will get what you want
• Target audience – 25-40
• Colour code – grey/black, although sometimes in colour
• Female gaze? – David Gauntlett argues that men are
presented as beautiful and positioned in such magazines.

31. Kerrang
• Image – medium long shot
• Niche music magazine with celebrity endorsement on
front cover
• Direct mode of address- group shot
• Masthead is not all visible – covered by image.
Representing the strength of identification with the brand
• Images and captions clearly relate to genre of magazine.
Not specifically related to sex/dating/relationships
• Bold typography – fits with genre of magazine
• Target audience - Attracting a young male audience (18-
25), aspiring musicians, interested in gigs/concerts
• Not about physical appearance,

32. Representation of men in Action
Films: 1980s
• Die Hard
• Rambo 1982
• Terminator 1984
• When Action movies became big business
in Hollywood
• Summer blockbusters

33. Representation and Violence:
Hypermasculinity
• Some writers have talked about a Crisis of
Masculinity – as women are adopting roles
and qualities once occupied by men, men
are said to be confused about what they
should be like now.

34. Hypermasculinity
• An extreme macho identity aimed at
making men distinct from women, e.g. The
Lad
Tough Guise

35. Representations and Violence
• Area which has been researched – males
and violence in the media.
• Earp and Katz (1999) argue that media is
responsible for a ‘steady stream of images
which define manhood as connected with
dominance, violence and control’.
• The media appears to show that this it is
‘normal and accepted’ part of masculinity.

36. Representation of Men in Action
Films: Present Day…
Captain
America Trailer
A challenge to
the stereotype, -
Juno Trailer

37. Men in Action Films
• Men are often constructed to appear as if
they were caught in the midst of action
(e.g. action posters often feature a man
holding a gun, looking intently at
something, as if he was honing in on a
target).

38. Case study 3: Dominant
Representation of men in Action
Film
• Skyfall trailer analysis
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kw1UV
ovByw
• How has the subject been represented?
• Why has the subject been represented in
this way?

39. How are men represented in
SkyFall?
Through Bond, hegemonic masculinity (the dominant
position of men and the subordination of women) is
reinforced throughout the film.
In contrast to the representation of women, the male
characters, were made to be heroes and masterminds.
Gamman & Marshment (1988) argued that men can also
be positioned as sexualised objects for the pleasure of the
female gaze.

40. Case study 4: Dominant
Representation of men in
Computer Games
• How has the
subject been
represented?
• Why has the
subject been
represented in
this way?

41. • Research conducted in 1999 –by pressure
group Children Now, found that there
were 7 common stereotypical
representations of men in the media.

42. The ‘Strong, Silent’ type
• Decisive
• In control
• Independent
• Unemotional
• Reliable

43. The ‘Joker’
• Funny
• Immature
• Emotionally retarded
• Assexual
• Flippant

44. The ‘Big Shot Businessman’
• Professional
• Successful
• Rich
• Powerful
• Arrogant

45. The ‘Lovable Buffoon’
• Well Meaning
• Unintelligent
• Clumsy
• Irresponsible
• Socially Inept
• Childish

46. The ‘Action Hero’
• Aggressive
• Violent
• Independent
• Sexual
• Strong

47. The ‘Outdoors’ Man
• At one with nature
• Instinctive
• Knowledgeable
• Practical
• Strong
• Fearless

48. The ‘Geek or Nerd’
• Quiet
• Thoughtful
• Shy
• Technically capable
• Poor social skills
• Introverted
• Loner
• Intellectual

49. Common Representations of
Masculinity?
• Men are ‘active agents’ (women passive -male
gaze). Men ‘do’ things. (the hero’s journey’).
• Men can be physical, rational and problem-
solving archetypes.
• Men can be unemotional or averse to
empathy.
• Men cannot show weakness or emotion.

50. Conclusions?
• Men are overwhelmingly represented
positively or sympathetically
• Where men are represented negatively they
are usually given traits that are often
stereotypically ‘feminine’. e.g. physically
weak, emotional, untrustworthy, etc.
• Men/boys are therefore encouraged to think
that certain attributes are inherently male:-
strength, power, control, rationality,
authority, lack of emotion, etc

51. Stretch and Challenge
• Pick 3 case studies, can be print magazine cover,
TV programme, Film, Reality TV, Music Video
• Analyse the representation of men:
• For each text answer the following questions:-
• 1. How are men represented?
• 2. Is it a positive, negative or complex
representation?
• 3. Why do you think are men being represented
this way?
• 4. Are stereotypes being used? How?