What does it mean to be masculine? Can such a concept be defined by just one set of criteria? And how does the idea of masculinity change and evolve over time? All these questions and more have come to my mind as a result of the latest advertising campaign from Brut, for their ‘Brutally Male’ deodorant. What gives this company the right to decide what is defined as ‘masculine’ or ‘male’, and what kind of image are they trying to portray? They are certainly tapping into one particular male stereotype, and hopefully I will come to some explanation as to why.
Firstly, let us consider the context of this ad. The ad depicts a robot of some kind assembling a collection of objects, presumably ones that are desired by males. The collection includes a Holden ute, a surfboard, a motorbike, a keg of beer, and finally a non-specific scarcely clad blonde woman, after she has been modified from a conservative Barbie doll. I’m sure if you surveyed a diverse group of males, the majority would not complain. However these items represent more than just something you wouldn’t mind in the driveway/bedroom; they reinforce a stereotype that a number of males have tried to break. I am of course talking about the stereotype of the “Aussie Bloke”, someone who certainly still exists today but is by no means an accurate representation of the majority of the Australian male population. We all know the Aussie Bloke as he is portrayed; a tough exterior, a beer-filled interior, all the while chasing the most blonde and least clothed girls around. Like I said, there are of course men in Australia who fit that description to varying extents, but there are so many who do not. Breaking it down, it can be assumed that to be an Australian man, you must simply identify as Australian, and possess an X and a Y chromosome. There are no other requirements, period. However, let’s take another step and look at gender identity and stereotypes.
To identify as ‘male’ and to identify as ‘masculine’ are clearly two very different things. As previously explained, being ‘male’ is purely biological, but being ‘masculine’ is such a complex social construct, it is hard to come up with one definition to fit all. Social constructs are formed and changed through influences such as the media, our experiences, our friendships and relationships with others, and of course our own opinions. Media plays a huge role in our self identity and helps us shape our opinions, and such campaigns as the ‘Brutally Male’ Brut ad are clear examples of the messages we are consuming each day. Breaking apart the ad itself, we have seen that the objects in the ad are aimed at a stereotypical Australian male, but what about the tag-line? What does it mean to be brutally male? Brutality is not really an admired quality in our society, so why would they be promoting it? The main reason for advertising is to sell something, that’s a given. The main reason for the content of an advertisement is who the target audience is. It seems that Brut are aiming their product at males who feel as though they want to get back to those stereotypical male roots, the bare bones of it, and be brutal. However this Neanderthal-derived desire ignores the fact that in getting to the ‘bare bones’ of it, you don’t need a Holden or a bimbo to be male, you need a penis. Whilst they are trying to identify with one target market, they may have benefited more from being a little more general, and capturing the very diverse male mind as a whole. Shall we take a look at who they are neglecting? If they are only aiming for the Aussie Bloke, they are missing such groups as metrosexuals, homosexuals, and more simply the group of men known as “SNAGs”, sensitive new-age guys who are proud to be men but don’t feel the need to act like a bogan.
The term ‘metrosexual’ has been around since the 1980s, but in its current definition it has mostly been used in the last ten years. A metrosexual is defined as a young male who takes pride in his physical appearance, is fashion-conscious and in terms of himself and his self presentation he exhibits behaviour which is usually stereotypical of homosexual men, but he is straight (this brings in to question the stereotype of the gay man, but at this point, this is irrelevant). In the last decade, several high-status males have been labelled as metrosexual, including swimmer Ian Thorpe and soccer star David Beckham. These influential people have been portrayed as good role-models, and as such there has been little backlash directed at them and their choices of lifestyle. To have such highly regarded celebrities being portrayed as metrosexual means that it isn’t really seen as something to be ashamed of, and thus the term has been increasingly used as more and more young men choose to take on such a lifestyle. It could be argued that a sensitive new-age guy (or a SNAG) is quite similar, but I would counter that by saying many of my male friends (and many males in general, I’m sure) are neither appearance-conscious nor good at shopping, but at the same time they are not at the stereotypical “bloke” end of the continuum either.
Looking back through history, it’s hard to imagine where the stereotype we know as “bloke” even came from. Sure, in ancient civilisations we had the likes of gladiators, warriors and the rest, but they were still not comparable to our “blokes”. Moreover, we had such highly regarded figures as Shakespeare, an author, not a barbaric footy player. Moving forward even to the last few decades, our Australian blokes seem to be in a class of their own compared to the rest of the world. Perhaps the closest group are the American rednecks, who tend to hold guns instead of stubbies. So maybe it’s just us here in Australia that have such a view of masculinity. But if that is so, the question still remains as to where it came from. As to where it is going, it makes sense that today there is less of an emphasis than there used to be on this stereotype, as much of our media influences today are from overseas, particularly America. Could it be that Brut are merely trying to hold on to the last bit of our token Aussie male, before he is quashed by our American-flooded media? Is it wise for them to do so? It shows they have pride in their national ‘identity’, yes, but it also shows they aren’t keeping up with the trends, and they aren’t adapting themselves for a changing marketplace.
Masculinity, like all social constructs, must evolve over time as society and its inhabitants also evolve. Brut’s use of the male stereotype shows that while these changes happen, there is still room for a possibly outdated version to show itself, and if it’s out there, surely there is an available niche for it to fill. Social constructs are individual, and whilst I may not identify with their stereotype completely, I certainly won’t suggest we take what rightfully belongs to everyone; autonomy.
