Being Man, Being Woman: Masculinity and Femininity as Reinforced by Advertisements
Being Man, Being Woman: Masculinity and Femininity as Reinforced by Advertisements

Summary/Abstract: Advertisements have gone a long way from merely selling things. Itreflects social attitudes as well. Advertising is a powerful medium ofreproducing and reinforcing social values and ideologies. And gender does notescape it. In patriarchal societies, advertisements play a crucial role ofreinforcing stereotypical gender roles. What an ideal women or an ideal manshould be like is shown in the advertisements. It is also shown in what an idealwoman or an ideal man should not be like. While advertisements started withcommodification and objectification of women, it moved on to objectifyingmen as well. However the objectification did not subvert gender roles. Thispaper will study such depiction of gender roles in advertisements in Indianmedia. While women’s bodies are marked by fragility, vulnerability, sexuality,men’s bodies are invested with values like power and authority.

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