The "Fe"Male Body

Option 2

Rohlinger, Deana A. Eroticizing Men: Cultural Influences on Advertising and Male Objectification. 2002.                  Print.

Deana Rohlinger’s book “Eroticizing Men”, adds to Bordo’s concept of the emerging theme of male objectification evident in advertising. She argues how in today’s society, “women’s bodies, and men’s bodies too these days, are dismembered, packaged, and used to sell everything from chain saws to chewing gum” (Kilbourne, 1999, pp. 26–27). Throughout the century, cosmetic industries have targeted women as its main consumer. However, in the last few decades men have yielded to “getting manicures and facials, dyeing their hair, concealing blemishes, and spending millions on plastic surgery” (Rohlinger 70). Men attempt to mimic the “perfect bodies” that are found in mainstream media. Men have been forced, by society, to appear more masculine. Even homosexuals are targets of this phenomenon. Homosexuals find it necessary to appear masculine in order to fit in to society’s culture. Society has instilled into men the concept of being manly. If masculinity lacks in a man, then there sexual identity is in jeopardy and is questionable. And just like women are into their looks, men are into their masculinity.  Rohnlinger addresses the obsession that men have with achieving these “perfect bodies” that are evident in male advertisements. Objectification of the male body is achieved through the male body and its related parts (Rohnlinger 70). According to Rohnlinger, bodies in advertisements come to represent an ideal that individuals seek to achieve, and hence provide the foundation for a masochistic or punitive relationship with one’s own body (Rohnlinger 70). In doing so, men are now conscious of their physical attractiveness because of exploitation of these advertisements- a point that Bordo uses to frame her argument about male objectivity.