Gauntlett- Gender, identity and advertising

Read this extract from Media, Gender and Identity by David Gauntlett. This is another university-level piece of academic writing so it will be challenging - but there are some fascinating ideas here regarding the changing representation of men and women in the media.

1) What examples does Gauntlett provide of the "decline of tradition"? How can we link our advertising CSPs (Score hair cream and Maybelline 'That Boss Life') to this idea?
'Modern media has little time or respect for tradition. The whole idea of traditions comes to seem
quite strange.' Score hair cream is an advert that re-enforces the stereotypes of the male and the female. These ideas then do not 'decline' the tradition. On the other hand, Maybelline in regards to Gauntlett's idea does provide evidence of the 'decline of the tradition'.

2) How does Gauntlett suggest the media influences the way we construct our own identities?
'Your life is your project - there is no escape'. The media provides some of the tools which
can be used in this work.

3) How do the two CSPs reflect the generational differences that Gauntlett discusses? Is it a good thing that the media seems to promote modern liberal values?
I feel that it is a good thing because this makes the society a more accepting place for people who are gay by having a gay influencer be their brand ambassador.

4) Why might Manny and Shayla be a good example of the role models that Gauntlett discusses - and also demonstrate how those role models have changed in recent years?
Manny and Shayla are a good example of the role models that Gauntlett discusses because by having influencers like this allows people to form groups online that represent their share identity.

5) Why does the Score hair cream advert provide such a good example of traditional masculinity? How can you link this to Gauntlett's discussion of whether masculinity is in crisis?
Score hair cream adverts provides a good example of traditional masculinity by having a lot of ideas that connote the man being more superior than the women. Linking this to Gauntlett's discussion the man is holding a gun the gun connoting a body part of a male. Could suggest him being gay. In that period of time they were not accepting of gay people.

6) Gauntlett consistently argues that masculinity is not in crisis. Can the Maybelline 'That Boss Life' advert be used as evidence of this?
Yes because this shows that men can come out more about their sexuality and be more accepted in society.

7) Does advertising still reinforce the "conventionally rugged, super-independent, extra-strong macho man" that Gauntlett discusses? Offer examples for both sides of the argument from the wider advertising industry.
Yes in adverts such as gym shark and other fitness adverts. 

8) Gauntlett discusses the idea of 'girl power' and offers examples from music and film. Does advertising provide evidence to support the idea of 'girl power' or is the industry still reinforcing traditional representations of men and women?
Yes in this period of time the girl power is more shown to a wider audience an example of this could be 'This Girl Can'. The adverts hows that women can do all the things can do maybe even better.

9) Do you agree with Gauntlett's argument under 'Popular feminism, women and men' where he suggests that younger generations are not threatened by traditional gender roles and are comfortable with social changes? Does advertising (and our CSPs in particular) provide examples either reinforcing or challenging this idea that younger generations are more comfortable with changing gender roles?
I feel like that in this generation the younger generations is not really bothered with the changes  that are happening in the society. I feel like some adverts do show that as some adverts that have gay people in the adverts. Some advertisers may get complains because of that and they are most likely to be from an older and more homophobic people.

10) How do the two advertising CSPs show the changing 'diversity of sexualities' that Gauntlett suggests?
In the older generations the sexuality of gay peopel was more hidden because of it not being accepted in society but in this time period it is more open in the adverts and it clearly is being shown in the adverts. 

11) What examples from advertising does Gauntlett provide for the changing nature of gender in society (from the section on Judith Butler's Gender trouble)?
'The binary division of 'male' and 'female' identities should be shattered, Butler suggested.'

12) How can the Maybelline 'That Boss Life' advert be applied to Judith Butler's work on 'gender trouble'? ("The binary division of 'male' and 'female' identities should be shattered, Butler suggested, and replaced with multiple forms of identity...")
Maybelline has done that by having a gay influencer in their very own advert and be their first male brand ambassador. This creating a new identity.

13) How can our two advertising CSPs be used to argue that power has shifted from media institutions to audiences? (Clue: how did Manny and Shayler from the Maybelline advert first become famous?)

14) Why is advertising such a good example of the 'contradictory elements' that Gauntlett discusses with regards to the mass media? In other words, how does advertising continue to both reinforce and challenge gender stereotypes?
'Individuals are encouraged to 'be yourself', and to be creative - within limits - about the presentation of self.'

15) Finally, Gauntlett makes a clear case that things change and modern identities are increasingly fluid. How do our advertising CSPs demonstrate the changing attitudes towards gender and sexuality in society?
They are more accepting of gay relationship in the society making them more 'normal' in this time period.