This document introduces students to representations of masculinity in various media like magazines, TV, video games, music and film. It encourages students to find examples of masculinity in media and draw their ideal man. The document then explores common stereotypical portrayals of men as socially powerful, physically violent, in control of others, and financially independent. It examines character archetypes in popular video games and discusses concepts like hegemonic masculinity. Students are tasked with analyzing a media text of their choice to discuss representations of men and whether it reinforces or challenges stereotypes.

1. S TA R T E R
• Find examples of masculinity, this could be magazines,
TV shows, video games, music or film examples.
• The more the better!

2. • Let’s draw our ideal man!
• Life size, put your examples and key words on here.

3. M A S C U L I N I T Y
I N T R O D U C E S T U D E N T S T O T H E D I V E R S I T Y O F H O W M A S C U L I N I T Y I S R E P R E S E N T E D A C R O S S A R A N G E O F M E D I A
E X P L O R E M A S C U L I N I T Y A N D H O W I T I S R E P R E S E N T E D I N T H E M E D I A
U N D E R S TA N D T H E S T E R E O T Y P I C A L R E P R E S E N TA T I O N S O F M E N I N T H E M E D I A
E N C O U R A G E T H E D E V E L O P M E N T O F ‘ O W N R E A D I N G S ’ W I T H I N T H E C O N T E X T O F E X I S T I N G T H E O RY

4. • The portrayal and acceptance of men by the
media as socially powerful and physically
violent serve to reinforce assumptions about
how men and boys should act in society,
how they should treat each other, as well as
how they should treat women and children.
• In most media portrayals, male characters
are rewarded for self control and the control
of others, aggression and violence, financial
independence , and physical desirability.
• Marketing campaigns are objectifying men
in the same way women have been for
decades. The new focus on fit and muscled
male bodies is causing men the sam anxiety
and personal insecurity that women have
felt for decades.

5. V I R T U A L W O R L D , M A L E F O C U S
• Males constitute 80% of game designers and 90% of
game programmers
• Video games imply certain aspects of their creators
view of the world
• Video games often depict a world of physical,
emotional and gender extremes

6. Marcus Fenix
Gears of War
Mr X
Resident Evil 2
Dante
Devil May Cry
Prince of Persia
Kane
Command and Conquer
Ryu
Street Fighter
Agent 47
Hit Man
Solid Snake
Metal Gear
Brucie
Grand Theft Auto IV
Kratos
God of War
Cloud Strife
Final Fantasy
Sephiroth
Final Fantasy VII
Master Chief
Halo
Links
The Legend of Zelda
W H AT C O M M O N
F E AT U R E S D O
T H E S E V I D E O
G A M E S
C H A R A C T E R S
H AV E ?
Leon Kennedy
Resident Evil

7. C H A R A C T E R I S T I C S O F A H E G E M O N I C
M A L E ?
• Dominant social position of men
• Heterosexual
• Rough and tough
• Violent
• Non-emotional
• Successful

8. – M I C H A E L F O U C A U LT
“Where there is Power, There is Resistance.”

9. WA L K E R ’ S C R I S P - C R I N K L E C U T
• How is gender
represented?
• How does the advert
use Gary Linkers
secondary persona?
• What is the current
media representation
of premiership
footballers?

10. B I G B A N G T H E O RY
• How are men being
represented?
• Does this clip reinforce
or challenge
representations?
• What are the attitudes,
values, ideologies
(beliefs) of the world?

11. M E T R O S E X U A L

12. M E T R O S E X U A L = M E T R O P O L I TA N +
H E T E R O S E X U A L
D E F I N I T I O N & H I S T O RY

13. – M A R K S I M P S O N
“Metrosexual Man: a single man with a high
disposable income living and working in the city
and is perhaps the most promising consumer
market of the decade. In the eighties he was only
found inside fashion magazines such as GQ, in
television advertisements for Levi jeans or in gay
bars. In the nineties he was everywhere and he was
going shopping”

14. H I P S T E R T H E
N E W M E T R O
• Is being hipster a new way
of performing
metrosexuality?

15. TA S K
• Choose your own media text and discuss how men are
represented in the media using close textual analysis
• How are men being represented? Using what codes and
conventions? Within what genre?
• Does this media text reinforce or challenge
representations? How?
• Whose representation is it? Whose interest does it
reflect? How do you know?
• At whom is this representation targeted?