In
the Old Spice Body Wash commercials, the "Old Spice Man" is half-
clothed, very muscular, and has a deep seductive voice. He then lists all the
things a man could smell like if he used Old Spice Body Wash. For example, Old
Spice Man addresses the "ladies" and says, "Do you want a man who smells like he can bake you a gourmet cake
in the dream kitchen he built you with his own hands?"
Even
though this commercial is funny, it implies that only manly men do things like build kitchens with their "own
hands" and smell like "adventure" (<- later mentioned in the commercial).
Whether this advertisement means to or not, it sends a message to its viewer
about the ideal man. Boys across
America look at this commercial and assume they have to fit this
rugged outline. But we all know the media goes well beyond
commercials. Action movies, models, TV shows, and other advertisements all spend millions of dollars enforcing
this manly mold.
So is this what a "man"
is? Or is it what Americans want men to be?
I think this is part of the perception of what being a "man" means to Americans and to the rest of the world. Obviously, the majority of the male population does not adhere to these high standards of having a low voice, muscles, and a motorcycle. However, those are the standards set by various media outlets in our society and men are left to try and achieve them.
ReplyDeleteI don't think this is what America wants men to be. I think this is what men want men to be. The commercial plays on the stereotypes already in place in our society. These stereotypes and standards of "manliness" have changed a little bit throughout the course of history, but mostly they've stayed the same. This commercial is simply playing on the values already in place in our society.