Like many ads on this blog, this Australian commercial threatens men with a loss of masculinity if they don’t obey the rules. But this time, instead of punishing men if they are not stereotypically masculine (i.e, men should not know about ballet, hug or sit improperly, drink the wrong drink, go to the bathroom together, smell like flowers, or eat tofu), this ad punishes men when they are stereotypically masculine. But, at the same time that the ad attempts to redefine masculinity, it maintains the stringency of the rules and the consequences of breaking them. (Also see here for a postsecret about the pressures of following masculinity rules.)
Thanks to Alicia T. for the submission!
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[...] Unlike men, who are supposed to reject all things feminine, women are encouraged to balance masculine and feminine characteristics. In this commercial for a birth control pill on which you have only four periods a year, a woman’s masculine and feminine side are personified by her “logical” and her “emotional” self respectively. After the video are two commentaries: one by me and one by Gwen. [...]
[...] we might be teaching boys a form of subtle misogyny as well. As Sociological Images notes, “unlike men, who are supposed to reject all things feminine, women are encouraged to balance masculine and [...]
[...] we might be teaching boys a form of subtle misogyny as well. As Sociological Images notes, “unlike men, who are supposed to reject all things feminine, women are encouraged to balance masculine and [...]