Beauty Rediscovers The Male Body Essay Sample

As one reads the Male body through the eyes of Susan Bordo who is a feminist thinker, it is clear that a unique strategy exists of reading the male body. The existence of human beings is embodied historical and biological and this presents the challenge for the phallus. Different from the female body, the male body in terms of nakedness is very much hidden from the public, as there is very little representations, which portray male nudity. More so, very few representations portray male nudity in terms of the male penis. The potential of uncovering the male sexiness grew to popularity in the 90`s as advertisers saw this as an appropriate approach in advertising. As such, modern advertisements are more cautious on the sexuality or gender being targeted as well as the demography, which the ad seeks to reach out to, and thus the application of male sexuality and nudity comes in handy for some market segments.
Coming from a rigid society in a rural background the concept of using the male body for advertisement purposes draws great attention and controversy. The upbringing was strict and led me towards taking a specific line of thought. However, later interactions with individuals in high school and engaging with friends from different cultures opened up my thinking and ideas. However, the essay by Bordo continues to draw an unsurmountable amount of controversy (Bordo 168). According to Bordo, advertising is leading to the concept of male sexiness and thus homosexuality issues arise through the increased display of male nudity. As a shock illustrator, she indicates how advertisers have increased the men on display and this has come with the change in the advertising industry. The controversy on showing male nudity in advertisements and homosexuality continues to take center stage. However, the rise in male sexiness may also be attributed to the changes in generations and the rise in anexpectant generation. With an expectant generation, both consumers and producers are more open to such issues and begin to view homosexuality and male nudity as normal issues thus creating no fuss. However, for Bordo, the generational difference appears as wrongful and one which has allowed the dilution of certain lifestyles and morals.
Clearly, throughout history, different forms of advertising have been considered as taboo and this reflects on the issue of homophobia. However, consumerism trends are slowly opening up the perception held by members of the public and thus increasing the reception to certain approaches in advertising. For example, at the time when male nudity is taking place in advertising, some parts of the society already view the aspect of female nudity as normal. In fact, female nudity is now considered as normal while at the time Bordo considers male nudity as being undressed thus not natural and normal. Clearly, from her perspective, the role of female nudity is to show prettiness and thus make an ad successful in securing sales. However, advertisers have read the male body and understood the role of incorporating masculinity in advertisements. Therefore, the lack of male nudity embracement by members of the society indicates that the society balances on double standards. Female nudity appears as beauty and natural while male nudity only appears as work and masculinity thus reducing the credit for men who are willing and ready to go nude for an advertisement.
The phrase that “sex sells” is commonly used in advertisements to promote the use of nudity by advertisers. However, the mention of this phrase leads an individual to think that sex sells only for women thus promoting the notion of nude women in commercials and magazines(Bosak, and Stahlberg 45). However, the approach by Bordo reflects on the impact of the homosexual community on advertisements by allowing more male models to appear in advertisements thus allowing their nudity to be seen by other individuals. Truly, change has taken place and now male bodies appear in advertisements with little or no questions asked by other individuals. America and other societies have undergone social change owing to the appearance of male bodies being put on display within different advertising setups. Interestingly enough in a support to indicate that sex sells, Bordo (177) indicates that majorities of women who view the Calvin Klein advert sweat and are aroused by the image. Male nudity has taken its role in increasing the sale of products and luring more buyers to take interest in products they see being advertised. In this perspective, the impact of female nudity on male buyers as well as that of male nudity on female buyers is almost equal as individuals relate with their interests on the sight of advertisements. However, the remark that it is in female nature to be on display is interesting as the counter argument is that males are wired to be moving targets. As such, it suggests that males who entertain nudity are weak or different. Nonetheless, the difference may be seen in the choices made on sexuality.
Rediscovering the male body is a process, which requires keen reading on the abilities and strengths that it has over the advertising industry. Bordo (174) represents the male body negatively as one, which has never found discomfort in pornographic representations. However, advertisements do not entirely presents pornography as the do an appeal that urges individuals to engage more with a product than they had earlier. Living in a cultural shadow causes one to fail to appreciate the impact of using nudity whether male or female for business advertising. The purposes of nudity in this perspective are not only to create eye-catching adverts but also to display the elements of the male body thus allowing consumers to study it. Reading the male body indicates the hidden potential and appeal to other individuals and the differences in representation in different societies. In some, male nudity is viewed with the notion of sexiness while in others it is viewed with the perception of work. As such, while men are working and they decide to take off their shirts, it is not read as a show of nudity but as a form of expressing the commitment to a given work project.
Controlling the reaction of individuals towards a specific advertisement is not easy as individuals in modern societies use all form of ideas and concepts that help in propagating the sales of an object further (Ridout, and Michael 78). In this accord, one cannot completely resolve that men who participate as models in advertisements are homosexual or weak. Can one justify that it is feminine nature to be watched or act as the center of attention. As such, reading the male body only serves the function of advertisements as it does that of the female body.

Works Cited

Bordo, Susan. The Male Body: A New Look at Men in Public and in Private. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1999. Print.
Bosak, Janine, and Dagmar Stahlberg. The Impact of Applicant's Sex and Gender Specific Cues in Recruitment Advertisments on Applicants' Perceptions of Job-fit. S.l.: S.n.], 2003. Print.
Ridout, Travis N., and Michael M. Franz. The Persuasive Power of Campaign Advertising. Philadelphia: Temple UP, 2011. Print.