Lesson Four Masculinity

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 5

www.theguardian.com

A  Gillette commercial from 2019 cam out right after the beginning of the MeToo movement calling out “toxic masculinity” has sparked both praise for and criticism of the razor company.

The new “We Believe” ad — a 48-second spot that Gillette shared on its social media accounts on Monday — plays on the company’s tagline of “Is this the best a man can get?” to address issues like bullying, sexual harassment and the #MeToo movement.

“Is this the best a man can get? Is it?” a voiceover says in the ad. “We can’t hide from it, it’s been going on far too long. We can’t laugh it off, making the same old excuses. But something finally changed. And there will be no going back.

Because we…We believe in the best in men. To say the right thing. To act the right way. Some already are, in ways big and small. But some is not enough. Because the boys watching today will be the men of tomorrow.”

Since the commercial’s debut, some have voiced their support for its rebuke of the “boys will be boys will be boys will be boys” mentality while others have threatened to go so far as to boycott both Gillette and parent company Procter & Gamble.

Central question

What is hypermasculinity?

Danger is exciting

Toughness is a form or emotional self control

Violence is manly

It's fine to be callous about women and sex

Is hypermasculinity  dangerous? 

Masculinity

Hypermasculinity

The video and text in the next slide gives you some aspects of hypermasculinity supported with some images.

Watch the video to increase your understanding of the term. 

Full documentary Toxic Masculinity Is Killing Young Men is available on the net. If you want to use this as a BoW you will have to give a presentation in class. 

Remember this from before the vacation. This car commercial was shown during the 2010 Superbowl. The commercial pokes fun at the idea of women emasculating men. Women are depicted as nagging relatively powerless men. In the clip, men are redeemed through driving a sports car. The ad makes a clear connection between masculinity and driving fast but also represents the desires of men as antithetical to the desires of women. Therefore, this clip might be useful for demonstrating the social construction of desire as a process that works within a gender binary. Think about the context - aired during the superbowl in 2010. Was it appropriate? What is the implicit message commenting on in terms of masculinity and marriage. 

Parody on the video. flips the script, with a female narrator describing the oppression of a contemporary heterosexual relationship,Does the Dodge Charger ad employ mysoginy to sell cars? Is Fegan's response an improvement?

How does this spoof commercial make us more concious of how harmful the original is to women? 

This is the ultimate muscle car. Has more horsepower, is lower to the ground. In a cultural context of muscle cars and the Dodge commercial are highly effective in targetting their audience. Only Mustang makes it happen - what does IT refer to? What is the effect of the word ONLY? How does this advert appeal to identity?

Think about the cultural context of other vehicles. - Everyone quickly find an advert for a vehicle and add it to the next slide.  

Photo of car advert

Select two adverts - each from a different era. 'To what degree is hypermasculinity depicted in these adverts and what adverse effects might such advertisements have on their target audience?'

Adverts typically marketed to men - lawnmowers or beer. Think about time and space. Think about context.  Think about the key concepts. 

How have the notions of what it means to be a man changed over time. 

Add to your portfolio.

Homework

 Select two adverts - each from a different era. 'To what degree is hypermasculinity depicted in these adverts and what adverse effects might such advertisements have on their target audience?'

300-400 word essay incorporating the Lang Lit Elements. 

Next lesson be ready to show your adverts. Explain your ideas. Finish writing the essay. Essay is due tomorrow at the end of the day. Add it to your portfolo and send me a copy. 

Adverts typically marketed to men - lawnmowers or beer or power tools. Thin about the three areas of exploration. Think about time and space. Think about context. Think about the key concepts.

How have the notions of what it means to be a man changed over time.

Write a 300-400 word essay incorporating these Lang Lit elements.