Study: Increasing mix of female and male clichés in advertising
In advertising, female and male stereotypes are increasingly blurring. The cult of the body and beauty ideals are finding their way more and more into the world of men’s advertising, as shown by the sociological study «Masculinity and Femininity as Reflected in Advertising» conducted at the University of Trier.
Female and male clichés are becoming increasingly intertwined in advertising. Body cult and beauty ideals are increasingly finding their way into the advertising world of men, as a sociological study "Male and female in the mirror of advertising" by the University of Trier shows. Images conveyed by the advertising industry in male advertising are increasingly adopting originally female stereotypes. Young men between the ages of 14 and 19 in particular are more frequently shown with body care and cosmetic products than was previously the case. The images suggest a previously unfamiliar interest in beauty and fashion to men.
Body cult for men and women
The marketing of beauty in advertising is leading to a convergence of gender images. For both women and men, there are hardly any alternatives to the current beauty ideal of the slim body. It is true that the female sex remains dominant in the group of 14- to 19-year-old advertisers and models at 76%. However, the industry has also discovered the male target group for beauty and body cult and propagates ideals that deviate from the previous form of representation of masculinity. It remains to be seen whether advertising is shaped by social reality or reality by advertising.
Traditional roles are also disappearing at an older age
According to the results of the study cited by Pressetext, the presence of women in the advertising landscape decreases significantly as people get older. Between the ages of 40 and 49, the ratio of women to men is only 65 to 35 percent. A decline in the gender-specific distribution of roles can also be observed in this age group. For example, men over the age of 40 are more frequently shown caring for children. The images conveyed in this way are perceived positively by the target groups, while the role of the classic housewife and mother tends to have negative connotations. Women of all generations welcome the fact that young men, at least in advertising, are subject to a similar cult of beauty as the female sex has been in the past, whereas men tend to reject it.
Body cult for men and women
The marketing of beauty in advertising is leading to a convergence of gender images. For both women and men, there are hardly any alternatives to the current beauty ideal of the slim body. It is true that the female sex remains dominant in the group of 14- to 19-year-old advertisers and models at 76%. However, the industry has also discovered the male target group for beauty and body cult and propagates ideals that deviate from the previous form of representation of masculinity. It remains to be seen whether advertising is shaped by social reality or reality by advertising.
Traditional roles are also disappearing at an older age
According to the results of the study cited by Pressetext, the presence of women in the advertising landscape decreases significantly as people get older. Between the ages of 40 and 49, the ratio of women to men is only 65 to 35 percent. A decline in the gender-specific distribution of roles can also be observed in this age group. For example, men over the age of 40 are more frequently shown caring for children. The images conveyed in this way are perceived positively by the target groups, while the role of the classic housewife and mother tends to have negative connotations. Women of all generations welcome the fact that young men, at least in advertising, are subject to a similar cult of beauty as the female sex has been in the past, whereas men tend to reject it.
