Advertising has begun to focus on what we call the "new man". Although stereotypes of masculinity and the perfect man have always been there, it continues to be focused on more and more. In today's day and age it seems we have seperated our men into two different categories. On the one hand we have the Edward Cullen's of the bunch, and on the other we have the Jacob Black's. So, what does this mean? Edward Cullen and Jacob Black are the "babes" of the award winning series The Twilight Saga. Edward is the smart sensitive type that is quite shy and hidden in his feelings. Physically he is tiny and fairly eccentric. Jacob on the other hand is very open with his feelings. He fits the stereotype of "sexy" to a tee. He is bronzed, muscular and has a smile that melts the hearts of millions of young girls all around the world. To me this portrays the idea of "geek chic" vs "business casual".
It seems as though Edward is love more for his personality and his love for Bella (female lead) where as jacob is love for not being hard on the eyes. This version of masculinity is ever growing. Boys are being pressured more that the public would like to think. It is not always females that are pressured to conform to the media's idea of perfection. Commercial ads show men with muscles, and men who have fir the description of so called "beautiful". Also, plastic surgery and beauty treatments were never socially accepted for men back in the day. Today, waxing, shaving, manicures and pedicure are accepted in the world of men. Men in these movies and ads become more and more flawless each day.
The media is the main reason for stereotypes of all kinds, and men are no exception. As long as the media is ever growing, people are going to be pressured to look and act a certain way. Men are going to be told to be sensitive like Edward, or be tough like Jacob. Appearance stereotype is a cycle that will most likely never be broken. Men who are "sexy" will be taken seriously. Men who may be overweight or who do not fit under the category of the media's "beautiful" will be seen as comical. As long as technology is growing, and men beautifying themselves are socially acceptable, it will be hard to break away from such a stereotype. The important thing to know is that not every man is an Edward Cullen or a Jacob Black. It takes us as consumers to be able to break that cycle.
- Sarah Worthington
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