Killing Me Loudly
How Advertising Stereotypes Destroy Men
and How We Can Stop Them
Thomas McCloskey
Death in America
4-21-04
Women as a Counter-Point
• Passive
Over-Sexualized
Implications of Women Being Labeled
• Entrenches Gender Roles
• Creates Expectation for Male Behavior
• Demands Male Sexualization
How Men are Labeled:
• Active
--Handsome, Fit
Aggressive
--Sexually --Behaviorally
Implications of Male Stereotypes:
• Unhealthy body images– 25% of all those suffering from eating
disorders are men (Anderson).
• Spousal Abuse—More than half of married women will experience
some form of physical abuse during their marriage (National Coalition
Against Domestic Violence).
• Low Self-Esteem– Because advertising creates expectations for male
behavior, any man who deviates from these norms is made to feel
inadequate.
Efforts to Combat Male
Stereotypes:
• Metrosexual Movement
Metrosexuality:
• ―An urban male with a strong aesthetic sense who
spends a great deal of time and money on his
appearance and lifestyle‖ (WordSpy)
Rejects male stereotypes by:
--Highlighting effeminate men
--Demonstrating alternative male behavior
--Rejecting gender roles
The New Phallocriticism
• Masculine studies are experiencing a boom.
• More studies and papers have been
presented in the last ten years than ever
before (Traister).
• Men are developing a critical eye towards
advertisements which limits their influence.
What YOU can do!!!
• Reject gender roles and expectations
• Include men in sexuality and body image
discussions and movements
• Do not judge men for looking how they
want