An Analysis of Gender Stereotypes and Their Portrayal in Media

This essay examines the pervasive influence of mass media on the construction and perpetuation of gender stereotypes. It begins by defining mass media and its impact on contemporary life, highlighting how media, including advertising, magazines, and films, shape our perceptions of gender roles. The essay analyzes advertising's role in reinforcing traditional gender stereotypes, using examples like the Mr. Clean commercial and the Diet Coke Gardener advertisement. It also explores how magazines, with their often erotized images, contribute to these stereotypes and how the male gaze influences the portrayal of women. The essay further investigates gender representation in films, using 'The Wolf of Wall Street' as a case study, and concludes that media's subliminal messages and ingrained prejudices significantly affect our understanding of men's and women's roles in society, reinforcing these stereotypes from a young age. The essay references relevant research to support its arguments and provides a comprehensive analysis of the topic.

Introduction:
It is required to define the term "mass media" in order to answer the question. "The methods of
communication that reach a huge number of information in a short amount such as broadcast,
newspapers, comics, and radio" is how mass media is defined (Collins English Dictionary 12th edition,
2014). In other words, any medium that provides the general public with information qualifies as mass
media.
The media has permeated every aspect of contemporary life and is here to stay. We can't escape the
media's grip on our minds and emotions, whether it's via movies, television, commercials, or even social
media. We're indoctrinated with this knowledge from an early age, and it has the power to mold our
gender roles and the way we express ourselves.
Whether in commercials, films, TV programs, publications, or other forms of media, we are often
confronted with gender stereotypes. Despite the fact that these clichés have been debunked over the
last several years, they are still prevalent in certain media output. When it comes to gender stereotypes,
for example, males have been shown in the media since the early 1800s as being rugged and unyielding.
Despite this, women are shown as more domestic, as housewives, or in careers with less significance
than those held by males. According to media clichés, both men and women are expected to be
attractive and resigned to their roles, regardless of their gender. There is little doubt that the media has
a big influence on influencing a generation's aspirations and worldview. According to Durham &
Douglas's findings (2006). Gender, gender relations, norms, and deviations in the media will be
examined in this article using a variety of media types. Ads, periodicals, and films will be the focus of this
essay's investigation.
Advertising
The cultural impact of advertising on the public's views of current social standards is one of the most
essential variables to investigate within the advertising business. Gender roles are clearly defined in
numerous advertisements in today's culture and times. There is a persistent portrayal of males as
aggressive, powerful, or in pursuit of physical and mental strength, riches, or supremacy. Men's-oriented
advertising almost invariably depict precisely what I said. Most male-targeted products are designed to
help men perform better at a given job. It is not uncommon for these characteristics to be reflected in
the product names. The bulk of items have titles that imply strength, speed, or superiority. Impact, pro,
elite, turbo, total, and power are just a few examples. Products geared at women play a distinct function
in advertising because they have a different definition of what it means to be a woman (Brasted, 2010).
In advertising, women are shown at the polar opposite end of the gender spectrum from how men are.
Aside from being shown in advertisements that promote them as physically powerful or speedy, they
are normally depicted in a household setting. Advertisements often cast women in the position of
housewife or mother. The dominating male character notices and praises the women in a submissive
manner. Many products developed for women's target market have a strong appeal because of this
belief. The focus on cuteness and lack of aggression is often emphasized on product packaging and
marketing. Adverts for items aimed at women convey the message that women must always look their
best in order to attract men. In addition, the ads often indicate that women lack the capacity to go out
into the world and handle any scenario that arises (Brasted, 2010). Advertisements for housekeeping
goods such as Mr. Clean, which portray women as housewives or domesticated, target women.

Ads for Mr. Clean's Magic Eraser show strong gender stereotypes, such as the one released in 2011. This
Mother's Day, go back to the work that truly counts, says the ad's text. As I said earlier, the commercial
incorporates images of a mother and her daughter, reinforcing my claim that women are often depicted
in advertising as housewives or mothers. Mr. Clean's Magic Eraser is seen to be being used by the
mother as her daughter stands nearby and seems to be interested in her mother's cleaning efforts. This
commercial reinforces and supports the negative perception that women are solely responsible for
housework and that men should refrain from doing the cleaning. Using the word "Mother's Day"
indicates that the product would be an ideal present for a lady who enjoys cleaning since she does it so
much of her free time. Because it is a muscular guy who exhibits signals of authority, the mascot for the
Mr. Clean brand plays into stereotypes about what males in advertising look like, as well as domination
over women, another stereotype that is part of the Mr. Clean mascot. Slippery slope fallacy (Walton,
1992) is used in this commercial to make a claim about what will follow should anything happen. As a
consequence, an unrelated event will occur. This commercial suggests that giving a Magic Eraser to a
mother or woman would encourage her to clean more, which is seen as the usual among women.
In the 2013 Diet Coke Gardener commercial, a bunch of girls sexualize a guy who's mowing the grass. I
Just Want to Make Love to You by Etta James is used in the commercial to further emphasize the
sexualization of masculine figures. As soon as they attract the gardener's attention, they hurl a soda can
at him, which they subsequently use to saturate him with the beverage. They then continue to remove
his wet top as a gesture of their appreciation for their efforts. An advertisement section in which some
men think that there are double standards since it is judged socially unacceptable and objectifying has
caused a significant split in gender relations. Additionally, the commercial plays on a slew of gender
stereotypes that have been discussed in the past, such as the idea that males can only undertake
physical labor since they are huge and strong. To use a theoretical concept, the female gaze is used to
portray the female spectator or character in this advertising.
Magazines
Both men's and women's magazines have traditionally been segregated by gender, with their own
publications, although many men's and women's magazines follow a similar basic format. Images of
women extensively erotized dominate the content of both men's and women's magazines.
Gender norms and preconceptions were on full show on the cover of vogue magazine in 2008. Males are
shown as dominating and in charge, while females are depicted as submissive, obedient, and depending
on the man. In this case, the guy is LeBron James. This is fascinating to me since I feel that the media
unwittingly promotes certain agendas by portraying idealized images of what a man and woman should
look like in accordance with society's expectations. This societal construct of what the ideal man and
woman look like is not universally accepted. A guy is shown as muscular, powerful and athletic yet this is
not the case with every male, while a woman is depicted as thin with model-like features in the ideal
picture of a woman. Gender roles, gender stereotypes, and hegemony are used by magazine publishers
to promote their publications. Antonio Gramsci is the greatest person to describe hegemony. Because
the dominant classes present their view of reality in such a way that it appears to be the only reasonable
way to view reality, the other classes accept it as common sense. This is something that can be found
repeatedly in mass media and its relationship with issues of gender, such as traditional roles for women,
stereotypes about men, and relationships between men and women.

Men's fitness magazine's May 2012 cover contains a picture of American actress Stacy Keibler making a
seductive posture while wearing a tight training suit. Despite the fact that the magazine's content
focuses on women's health, this sexualization of females is a recurrent subject for the publication.
According to Laura Mulvey's idea, almost all periodicals show women via the male gaze. Men's sexual
objectification of women in the media and how they are portrayed as passive objects of a heterosexual
man's desire are at the heart of the male gaze hypothesis. Regardless of gender or sexual inclination, all
audience members must see the film from this perspective. To show the male dominance in movies,
medium close-up views with enthesis on the female's private body parts, including the breast, over-the-
shoulder shots, and shots that rotate and fixate on the female's body are all typical techniques used.
Films
In recent years, the western cinema industry as a whole has been the focus of intense debate about
gender problems. The Wolf of Wall Street, a Martin Scorsese film, is a recent example. It is based on
Jordan Belfort's life, which is performed by Leonardo DiCaprio in the principal character of the film. In
the beginning of his career, he works as a young broker at a prestigious white-shoe financial institution.
Despite the fact that the film's plot has nothing to do with ladies, there are nonetheless several
sequences depicting females in a disparaging light. Despite the fact that the film only has a few female
characters, they all embody the negative prejudices that the media has about women. There are usually
sexual encounters between the male protagonists and the female characters in this movie. Another
gender stereotype in this film is that women lack brains and are just interested in the superficial. One of
the feminine roles we are exposed to is that of a female co-worker of the male protagonist who is just at
the company to satisfy the sexual demands of the male characters. The female shaves her head to get
money for breast implants, reinforcing the media cliché that women must constantly appear good and
would do everything to achieve this goal. Throughout the film, all of the ladies are seen only through the
lens of a male gaze.
Conclusion:
All in all, I think that subliminal messages and centuries old prejudices are used by the media to
influence our perception of the roles of men and women in society. As a child, we are bombarded with
gender stereotypes in the media, which we are exposed to throughout our lives. In our everyday lives,
we are bombarded with messages that reinforce these preconceptions and convince us that they are the
norm. The media's portrayal of gender norms and stereotypes has also put a strain on male-female
relationships. The tension between the sexes has led to theories such as the male gaze and feminine
gaze.
References:
Agnes, F., 1999. Law and gender inequality. Women and Law in India.
Jacobs, J.A., 1996. Gender inequality and higher education. Annual review of sociology, 22(1), pp.153-
185.
Ridgeway, C.L., 2011. Framed by gender: How gender inequality persists in the modern world. Oxford
University Press.
Seguino, S., 2000. Gender inequality and economic growth: A cross-country analysis. World
Development, 28(7), pp.1211-1230.