Gender Display Assignment

To determine how gender identity has evolved in the media, Allan and Coltrane monitor gender representation (Allan and Coltrane). The article's main concern is how gender is portrayed in popular culture as a reflection of how society views gender (Allan and Coltrane 1). The article compares the gender display in infomercials from the period of 1950 to the end of the 1980s. The authors conclude that the male image in popular media has remained relatively stable, while the female image has undergone a noticeable transformation from the 1950s to the 1980s.
The shifting gender displays are analyzed through analysis of television commercials. The choice of television commercials is a strategic choice of the sample to get a representative picture. The theoretical argument for the analysis of TV commercials is that the use of television has become very common in America with an approximate penetrance of up to 80% of all households (Allan and Coltrane 1). The images presented on the television are therefore a representation of the general perception of gender by the rest of society. The television representation is also an adequate sample for popular culture since it is the most commonly viewed popular media. Commercials present a small, analyzable sample of the television production and also an accurate representation for all television since the producers have to make sure that they represent television display of common issues as closely as possible (Allan and Coltrane 1). An analysis of the commercials on televisions will therefore accurately depict the evolution of the gender images over time.

The male and female gender displays are analyzed by considering specific traits that have been accepted by popular media as belonging to one gender. Consequently, a set of male traits and female traits are outlined by the analysts and are used to track the evolution of the gender display. The masculine traits selected by the author were congruent with the macho figure characteristic of a male patriarchy. The males were domineering authoritative figures depicted as judges and dispensers of punishment and approval (Allan and Coltrane 6). Another trait is the elevation of the male figures in the social structure as special, honored and recipients of special treatment (Allan and Coltrane 6). Also, these male figures are independent, self-confident and assertive while at the same time, being aggressive and calculating with little emotional attachment (Allan and Coltrane 6). The feminine traits that were analyzed also construct the female gender in an assistive role, consistent with male patriarchy. The female traits include being a follower, submission and deference, dependence and indecision, passivity and emotional sensitivity (Allan and Coltrane 6).

Infomercials have continued to exist long beyond the period analyzed in the article. A closer look at the current infomercials reveals that some observations are still common today while some aspects have greatly changed. The 2004 super bowl infomercials illustrate the change in gender display.

The sex of the main character is considered an expression of the dominance in gender schemes (Allan and Coltrane 6). The male figures are very common in contemporary infomercials. However, female figures are increasingly common such as in the weather tech advert, although they remain largely under-represented. Female figures are painted in traditionally male roles such as violence and autonomy. The ad for the Wix tool features a lady and a man in cooperation in the violent assertive and dominant role traditionally reserved for men. Lady Gaga is portrayed as the figure of rebellion and autonomy in an infomercial for brand development (Adland).

The passage of time has seen more women immersed in work activities away from the home activities (Allan and Coltrane 17). The main characters are more prominently featured in professional roles. Males are more likely to feature in these professional roles than in home roles. The female character is cast in both home and professional roles. The T-Mobile advertisement features a stay-at-home lady as a sex object meant to serve the pleasures of the male counterpart who is over the phone.

Male narrators are very common representing up to 90% of all voice overs (Allan and Coltrane 12). Male sounding narrators are still very common even in non-human characters such as the elephant advertising pistachios. The male narrator is authoritative and perceived as convincing. Male figures like Justin Bieber are used to advertise the T-Mobile One services and Wix website services (Adland).

The products advertised in the analysis were considered in groups that had similar significance attached to them. These groups include food products, home products, away products, body products and a miscellaneous group of products. The same range of products is still visible in current advertisements. Home products include items such as Tide detergent and the Google home device, food products featured beverages like Coca-Cola. Away products are the majority including objects such as a football for the walking dead, health insurance, mobile communication services, tax services and technology objects such as website creation services and Intel processors. There is a clear bias in the association of the genders and the objects. For instance, home products are mostly cast in association with the female gender, while men are mostly featured in the away objects. Instances, where women are featured with the away products, portray the women in male roles of aggression and firmness. The food products have equal representation of the sexes.

Conspicuous similarities between contemporary gender display and the article analysis include the predominant male representation and the association of products with gender. There is a consistent increase in male characters with a decrease in female ones cast in the main role. Even most of the narrators are male. Although the advertisements for the super bowl from 2004 show an increased female population of participants, the total representation is still far from equaling male representation. There is also a preservation of the occupational distribution of the genders. The male image hardly changes while the females decrease in the workspace and in family roles to become floating consumers. The away products are still associated more with men while the home and body products are considered feminine. The food products remain neutral in their gender casting. However, one major change is that the women are continuously cast in traditionally male occupations. Instead of having the feminine role associated with the away products, more women are cast in masculine roles to advertise the away products. The female gender is therefore redefined, unlike the findings in the article.

Works Cited

Adland. Superbowl Ads. 2004. Web. 8 March 2017.

Allan, Kenneth and Scott Coltrane. "Gender displaying television commercials: A comparative study of television commercials in the 1950s and 1980s." (2015). Print.