Unseen advert- dove men analysis

 

Analyse how the advert conveys ideas, values and attitudes about gender? 

In your answer you must: 

• Consider how media representations convey values, attitudes and beliefs in source C 
• Make judgements and reach conclusions on how audiences may respond to and interpret these media representations 

What is the purpose of the advert and how do you know this? 

• -Make a mockery of male stereotype 
• - (challenge gender stereotypes) - man doing cooking (operate complex machinery= oven) instead of operating cars or machinery 

Who is the target audience and how do you know this? 

-Young family men- older men wouldn’t wear an apron in the kitchen (traditionally women) so it shows the change in gender attitudes and values of a younger audience who will be more likely to be in the kitchen 

How is gender being represented in this advert? 

-It shows that gender roles are being reversed so that in today’s society and that these gender roles shouldn’t be fixed- it challenges male stereotypes 

-Unconventional representation of men to a certain degree- it suggests that men can enjoy cooking and take on more “feminine” roles around the house 

-It challenges the typical representations of men found in body grooming products- no muscular torso on show 

-Change in modern social attitudes that this representation is not about humour- there is likely to be an acceptance within society that this happens on a regular basis 

-Links to feminism- that both sexes should be equal 

-A real man can be involved in typically feminine activities because he is comfortable in his own skin 

How is this representation of masculinity constructed? 

-Black and white- traditional (juxtaposition) 

-Props- oven- reinforces the change in gender and equality 

-Costume on shirt with apron- represents a man to be comfortable in more “feminine” costume 

-Mid shot- shows his action clearly 

-“real men operate complex machinery”- a real man includes working ovens and not just the typical cars or machinery 

-Slogan is selling the product 

-Setting in kitchen (seems a women's domain) but it’s a man in kitchen to challenge the norm 

-2 dishes in oven- conveys he is cooking for his family or wife (Wedding ring) -

-Shirt and ring- informs he came from work and started cooking 

-“tough on sweat not on skin” you can be tough but soft too 

How will audiences respond? 

-Older, traditional audiences will respond negatively to this advert 

-Younger men might seem inspired and motivated to do these roles more 

-Women might feel appreciated 

There is an unconventional representation of men to a certain degree by showing that men can be comfortable in typically more “feminine” roles which are traditionally constructed. For example, we can see that the man is in a kitchen setting, which is generally known as a woman's domain, and the use of props here breaks the norm conventions that has been built up over the years. 

The props used are a wedding ring and the oven, which is traditionally shown as what a women would usually look like in relation to cooking for her husband, and thus reverses the role of a man cooking for her wife.