The Reception of Moderate Male Stereotypes in Androcentric Advertising: A Study on the Decoding of Subtle Representations of Masculinity

Abstract

Commercial advertising often employs stereotyping in order to connect with the intended audience and appeal to the widest possible demographic. The gender binary of male and female is one of the most popular audience segmentations, therefore gender provides an excellent example for the study of stereotypes. This study focuses on the portrayal of male stereotypes in advertising, and seeks to explore how stereotypes of masculinity are represented in androcentric advertising, and understand how these stereotypes are perceived by men. It uses a reception study and Stuart Hall’s (1996) theory of encoding/decoding to discuss the use of stereotypes with male University of Ottawa students, aged 18-25. Participants in the study suggest that the stereotypes portrayed in commercial advertising influence their masculinity in numerous ways, including, but not limited to, the way they dress and the way they act.