score magazine

• the advertisement reflects what was going on in 1967- when it was made
• power in the ad is largely a power based in traditional forms like patriarchy and colonialism. the advert shows a man with a heightened masculinity sitting on animal skin holding a gun, these signs connote power and strength, this can be seen as feminist judith butler's idea of gender being a performance as the connotations of power and strength were used in adverts around the 1960's to reinforce the dominant ideology of masculinity.
• in 1967 there was a male patriarchal attitude and dominance in society reflected in advertising for men's products like Score and also the most popular films at the time which was James Bond.
• During 1960s, women were often depicted as being subservient to men or objectified as sex objected linked to Laura Mulvey's theory of Male Gaze.
• the headline 'get what you've always wanted' is one of barthe's codes, where one meaning the product itself and the hidden meaning could be referencing to the mass of girls standing round him and worshipping him
• semantic code of get what youve always wanted
• mise en scene- long shot, man is white and middle aged, man is relaxed and smiling, looking in cam with direct mode of address, man has gun resting in groin area (sexual inuendo), man crossing legs and arms- potentially protecting his masculinity
• man is well-groomed- meaning he is perhaps metrosexual
• unrealistic simulated background- hyperreality,
• pop culture references- james bond (film character), tarzan (film character), george best (footballer),
• the score advertisement references the hyper masculinity in the 60s pop culture such as the representation of men and women with intertextual references to the James Bond and Tarzan films popular in the 60s
• the women are objectified in the poster linking to the 60s poster of raquel welch from the movie one million years bc,
• post colonialism- the reference to colonial values in terms of ethnicity, location and costumes can be linked to the social and cultural contexts of the ending of the British empire. the clothing and image is reminiscent of the khaki attire worn during colonial times by the 'great white hunter', with white men being carried through the jungle by their subjects considered inferior eg African or indian people's were servants of colonial masters or as the case of score advert the women. in 1967, the colonies in Africa and India were no longer part of the BE and this links in with post colonialism
• Binary opposites- men and women- represented as unequal- what levi strauss would consider binary opposites, women serving- therefore 'subservient' to the male
• Van Zoonen and Bell hooks- would interpret these images as being the product of a male-dominated patriarchal society.
• The male is placed higher up with the women below him, male making direct mode of address with audience- more importance than females,
• most popular films in 1967- hyper masculine men such as Sean Connery as James Bond, Clint Eastwood in westerns and The Dirty Dozen, featuring an entire gang of hyper masculine men. These films featured stereotypical representations of gender, with strong, fearless violent men and women portrayed in these films as victims or objectified for the male gaze- laura mulvey
• most popular sports celebrity in Britain- George Best- resembles the score model- famous for being hyper-masculine and having several women draped around him.
• the message of the advert is to target men and make them desire the product in order to gain female attraction, 'made by the men' 'famous masculine scent' to further accentuate its appeal to men.
• score brand name- metaphor to perhaps 'score' with women
• Reception theory- preferred reading- stuart hall- using hair cream would give you everything a man would want such as female admiration and good looks.
• possible negotiated reading- targeting heterosexual men who are often feeling insecure or marginalised, due to perceived threats against traditional masculinity posed by the rise in feminism and womens rights and the legalising of gay relationships
• carry on films- the humorous side of the advertisement also references the sexist humour of the Carry On film comedies,
• mike henry- tarzan actor looks like the model on the score ad
• womens rights- this period was termed- the 'swinging 60s'- and was also a significant time for women in terms of changing societal gender roles, women were campaigning for equal rights and pay,
• female independence- the pill- the 60s was a time where women had a new found experience because of the rise in feminism and in particular the free availability for the first time of the contraceptive pill enabling women to take control of their sex lives and gaining a new found freedom and independence.
• legalising homosexual relationships- the legalisation of homosexual relationships was a huge step forward for gay people but was still stigmatised by many in the heterosexual male community. This advertisement could then be intepreted as asserting masculinity in uncertain changing times.
• conscious masculinity- includes those groups which believe masculinity should be a certain way, includes people who think in terms of archetypes, mens rights advocates and so on, it identifies aspects where men do badly such as health and education- applied to score advert
• binary opposites- males vs females, masculine vs feminine stereotypes, clothed vs unclothed, dominant vs dependent, top vs bottom, natural vs un-natural environment, western vs native, post-colonial vs the modern world, hypermasculine vs homosexual
• bricolage of similarity to actor raquel welch poster
• imitation of the carry on films style- pastiche,
• binary opposition- clothed vs unclothed
• the main cover features a man/model who strikes similarities to popular film star of the 60s Gregory Peck, known for his films with audrey hepburn
• the mans shirt is unbuttoned
• features objectified scantily clad women
• popular films in 1967 would feature women starring in roles that would be often sexualised exposing a lot of flesh
• Sexual offences act 1967- an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom, legalised homosexual acts in England and Wales, on the condition that they were consensual, in private and between two men who had attained the age of 21
• hypermasculinity- the psychological term for the exaggeration of male stereotypical behaviour, such as an emphasis on physical strength, aggression and sexuality,
• Gauntlett disagrees with the idea that masculinity is in crisis, 'contemporary masculinity is often said to be in crisis' as women become increasingly assertive and successful... Men are said to be anxious and confused about what their role is today, instead Gauntlett suggests many modern representations of masculinity are 'about men finding a place for themselves in the modern world' he sees this as a positive thing.
• the headline 'get what you've always wanted' is a semantic code (barthes), one meaning could be the actual product, whereas the hidden could be referencing to the masses of women surrounding him