Men

• Traditional representations of men reinforce hegemonic masculinity


  Traditional representations of men have ascribed certain attributes to male characters such as strength, power, control, authority, rationality and lack of emotion. In other words, media representations of men have reinforced hegemonic masculinity.

  Gilmore has summarised this even more simply, arguing that the media stereotype men into ‘the provider, the protector and the impregnator’
• Violence as a normal part of masculinity  

  According to Earp and Katz (1999) the media have provided us with a steady stream of images which define violence as an ordinary or normal part of masculinity, or in their own words….

  “The media help construct violent masculinity as a cultural norm. Media discourse reveals the assumption that violence is not so much a deviation but an accepted part of masculinity”.
• Wider representations of men and masculinity


  Children Now (1999) found that there were six common types of representation of men in the media

  The joker – uses laughter to avoid displaying seriousness or emotion

  The jock – shows power and strength to win the approval of other men and women

  The strong silent type – being in charge, controlling emotion and succeeding with women.

  The big shot – power comes from professional status

  The action hero – strong, shows extreme aggression and violence

  The Buffoon – a bungling father figure, well intentioned.
• The Crisis of Masculinity, the New Man and changing representations of masculinity


  As with women, the changing roles of men in society are reflected in changing representations of men in the media.

  Representations of men are moving away from absolute toughness, stubborn self-reliance and emotional silence with more male characters being comfortable with showing emotions and seeking advice about how to deal with the problems of masculinity.

  There are also an increasing amount of images within advertising which encourage men to be concerned with body image and appearance.