Part One. Marketing to
a Demographic and the Assumed Demographic Feed Off Each Other in a Symbiotic
Relationship.
1. Television markets to a stereotyped
demographic. For example, MMA fighting has ads for young males with a very
narrow definition of masculinity. Or soap operas market to married women with a
very narrow personality type. These ads reinforce roles and have a lot of
influence on the viewers who “become” like the very ads they’re supposed to be
like in the first place. In turn, the marketers see the demographic traits as “proof”
that they’ve defined their audience and this cycle repeats and reinforces
itself.
2. Sometimes these roles “match the
expectations and fantasies of their intended audience.” See page 203.
3. Men’s Men: The man is the embodiment
of hyper masculinity. As such, he seeks “escapism and male camaraderie” like in
the Acura or Carl’s Jr. commercial. In this latter commercial, the man is
always young, handsome, and smarter than the losers who get ripped off in steak
houses. They want to be alone. “Get your own burger.” Or “Leave me alone. I’m
eating.”
4. Men’s Women: Often depicted in beer
commercials, these women play out a man’s perennial adolescent imagination.
5. Women’s Women: These women have the
same desires and insecurities of the women audience. They fear being fat,
falling short as housewives and as mothers. They desire to be desirable and
perceived as smart and thrifty in the community.
6. Women’s Men: These men fulfill
women’s fantasies of the ideal man.
Part Two. Essay Option:
In half a page, summarize Steve Craig’s major points. Then
choose 4 commercials OTHER than the ones Craig uses and show how each ad
markets to the four categories of people.
Part Three: Contrasting
the Bro and the Metrosexual
The 12 Qualities of the
Bro (also called the Dude)
1. He is self-conscious about people
ranking him high on the Heterosexual Scale. He does this by amassing Man
Points.
2. The less meticulous his fashion
style, the more Man Points he receives.
3. His definition of masculinity is
narrowly focused on feats of strength, athleticism, toughness, and general
competitiveness as for the Bro masculinity is born from a fantasy of dominating
others.
4. He prefers a dumbed-down image of
women, in which they are accessories and as such do not inconvenience him from
his true passion: hanging out with other guys. His image of women conforms to
his intractable adolescent imagination.
5. The Bro prefers technology that
heightens his sense of male power and dominance. Therefore, cars are a central
theme in his technological world, as are violent computer games.
6. The Bro has a streak of misogyny
(hostility toward women) in which he looks at women as threatening to his
freedom and independence. Therefore, a lot of car and truck commercials depict
men getting together and “escaping their women” on a variety of expeditions,
treks, and general getaways.
7. The Bro can never reconcile his
perennial contradiction: He bloviates endlessly about how much he loves women
but he forever longs to escape from women and enjoy the escape of male
camaraderie.
8. The Bro often feels disgusted and
oppressed by the “feminization” of popular culture and he seeks relief from
this disgust by becoming absorbed in violent, conspicuously male pursuits:
football, MMA fighting, bellicose computer games.
9. The Bro loves hanging out with other
Bros or “dudes,” but he demands that the number be three men or more since two
men on an outing is too intimate and suggests a relationship not sharply
heterosexual and masculine.
10.
The
Bro only dances when drunk and even then his dancing cannot be
over-choreographed because an expertise in dancing suggests a lack of Man
Points. In essence, the Bro dances as a “necessary evil,” part of the mating
game he must put up with.
11.
The
Bro is comfortable with his ignorance and finds intellectual curiosity less
than manly. He thus seeks other men who are as comfortable with their ignorance
as he is.
12.
The
Bro is essentially conservative in nature, meaning that he hates change. He
believes things are a certain way and to try to change them is to tinker with
nature, a foolishness that will result in chaos and destruction.
The 12 Qualities of the
Metrosexual (also called the Hipster)
1. The metrosexual is a heterosexual who
unlike the Bro is meticulously concerned with grooming and fashion, to the
degree that he budgets for a variety of beauty and grooming products and does
so without feeling insecure about his sexuality.
2. The metrosexual is a highly refined
consumer who pursues the best products available and distinguishes between high
quality, mediocre quality, and low quality. While the Bro drinks Bud Light, the
metrosexual is more inclined to drink Grey Goose or a mojito. A Bro does not
know and does not want to know what a mojito is. While the Bro wears Gap jeans,
the metrosexual wears Diesel or Evisu. However, the Bro wouldn’t get caught
dead in those designer labels.
3. The metrosexual is open-minded to new
experiences, travel, and change, things considered anathema and an abomination
to the Bro.
4. While the Bro is provincial, clinging
to the cultural mores of one small town or area, the metrosexual is
cosmopolitan, gathering influences from all over the world.
5. The idea of a “feminine side” is
abhorrent to the Bro, but the metrosexual embraces his feminine side in order
to express his full humanity. The metrosexual not only goes to “sensitive”
movies that the Bro would never go to; the metrosexual cries with no shame at
those movies.
6. For the Bro, a lack of style is the
hallmark of his bedroom. In contrast, the metrosexual looks for a very distinct
style and is not ashamed to consult with an interior decorator or some other
fashion consultant.
7. While the Bro frets over others
accusing him of being a homosexual, the metrosexual is blithely indifferent
regarding what anyone thinks of his sexuality since he is very secure in his
deeply-rooted heterosexual orientation.
8. While the Bro eschews books and
reading in general, the metrosexual is constantly haunted by the idea that he
is behind in his reading and is constantly eager to start a new book.
9. The Bro clings to old traditions
while the metrosexual is always on the cutting edge and is often perceived as a
“cool setter.”
10.
While
the Bro likes to “get up and go,” the metrosexual will prepare himself in the
bathroom twice as long as the average woman. Even the metrosexual’s closet will
be oversized to accommodate his abundant fashion choices.
11.
The
Bro orders plain, provincial food like a hamburger while the metrosexual eats
from an international menu. For example, the Bro cannot eat with chop sticks
while the metrosexual is fluent in this form of eating.
12.
The
Bro goes out of his way NOT to dress in gay attire while the metrosexual and
gay attire are often the same.
Part Four. Essay
Option:
Summarize Warren St. John’s definition of a metrosexual and
McMahon’s definition of a Dude. Then choose a metrosexual and Dude you know and
profile them in a contrast essay.
