Are we coerced into Gender “roles” by Media and Advertising?

Masculinity in the media is portrayed as dominance. Male figures still seem to show authority. Although the roles of male and female are much more balanced than they use to be, images in magazines and in advertisements still seem to portray women as inferior to men. In this particular Dolce and Gabbana Ad, the woman is laying there pinned down by a male figure, with every other male in the image starring at her. This exemplifies old stereotypes of male domination. However, this image is geared towards both males and females, in which the men have a sex appeal that attract women and the woman in the image uses her sex appeal to attract male viewers. Absolutely stereotypes are being reinforced. The issue of males being superior to females goes way back and images being produced in this decade are resembling aspects of superiority versus inferiority. Aside from the superiority issues, the media portrays men and women as “perfect” human beings, in which the models themselves in real life cannot even achieve. They are sending out false messages and standards in today’s society. These standards are so high that some individuals are putting themselves in danger in order to try and reach them. These images hinder an individual’s true qualities to come forth because they are in the shadows of what the media states individuals “ought” to look like.