Paper #2 Student Sample
“Sex Sells” Grinley/Clapp
Only the Violent
In small block letters on the cover of the May 2009 issue of GQ reads the line, “It’s a man’s world.” The
pages within the issue aim to instruct their male readership on how to inhabit said world, with articles on which
suits are best for versatility, how to throw a “better” bachelor party, stories from the front lines of the conflict in
Afghanistan, and token photo spreads of “naughty,” scantily clad women. A man’s world indeed, and a fabulous
one to boot, but the question remains: what kind of man does one need to be in order to get to this world in the
first place? The answer seems to lie on the first page of the magazine. On first glance the ad seems no more than
a simple celebrity cameo advertising a new line of men’s fragrance from clothing company Diesel. By using Frith’s
methodology of “undressing an ad” through discourse analysis, semiotics and gender theory, however, the
viewer is given a completely different sell: one for idealized masculinity. Though the ad seems sparse in its
composition, the purposeful use of symbols and cultural references reveal that it aims to reinforce the constructs
of masculinity, and does this by presenting violence as a means to attain manliness, social status and wealth.
The surface of the two-page print ad depicts a black and white photo of an African-American man,
popular rapper Common, seated with his legs spread and elbows resting on his knees. His hands are crossed; the
right hand grabs the opposite wrist, and the left hand is clenched into a fist, with three shining lights glowing
from between his fingers. He wears a black leather jacket, dark-washed denim jeans, and a jeweled ring on his
right pointer finger. There is no scene behind him; the background is black, with a white wash emanating from
behind him. The adjacent page of the double space spread is all black; in the center of the page is a grayish-blue
hued fragrance bottle, in the shape of a fist, lying on its side. On the fist is a two-fingered silver ring that reads
“DIESEL.” The copy directly below the bottle, in large capitalized block letters, reads “ONLY THE BRAVE.” Directly
below that, in smaller block letters, it reads, “THE NEW FRAGRANCE.” A white border around the entire two
pages of the ad has text on the top and bottom right corners, the former reading “Diesel” and the latter reading
“Available at Macy’s.”
While the advertiser’s intended meaning is a simple, obvious one: Diesel has a new fragrance, go buy it at
Macy’s -- the underlying ideological meanings are far more complicated. Applying discourse analysis to the ad’s
text reveals the advertiser’s definition of “bravery” as a violent, gendered trait. By calling the fragrance, “only the
brave” and packaging it in a fist shaped bottle, Diesel is reinforcing the idea that to be brave one must be willing
to engage in violence. The bottle is pictured lying on its side; this is not a fist-pumping bravery, meant to connote
revolution, but a fist-throwing bravery, meant to connote violence as means to prove one’s courage.
Furthermore, by using an aggressive symbol as a signifier, bravery is signified as something inherently masculine,
serving to differentiate the product from the connotation of fragrance as a classically feminine commodity. This is
furthered by the use of an aggressive man as the model; a sex-role change in this advertisement would not work,
as the cultural association of bravery is not the same for women. Lastly, the usage of the qualifier “only” carries
importance for the differentiation between brave and cowardly, violent and passive, masculine and feminine.
This is not a product for everybody, but rather only for those who stand on correct sides of those oppositional
groups.
The question of which side the viewer stands is posed through the stance and expression of the man on
the opposite page who silently asks for the reader’s own possession of power. Compositionally, he fills almost the
entire frame, connoting his larger-than-life size. His head is cocked to the side; his face is hard and prideful. He
does not need to show obvious aggression on his face, as his status is made clear by the upward angle from
which he is shot, giving him the impression of looking down at the viewer. His own hand holds his fist back, as
though to communicate both his self-control and his menace; though he willingly holds it back, one slip and his
power will be exerted.
Power is a key idea here. In a society where men, especially black men, are stripped of their power
through money, politics and social status, aggression has become a means to regain control. Jackson Katz writes
of “masculine identity validation,” which argues that though men have been de-powered socially, their bodies
remain an “instrument of power, dominance, and control” (351). This man’s body is clearly meant to signify
power; his dominance and manhood are asserted by the way he leans ever so slightly forward, ready to pounce
at a moment’s notice.
Beyond just presenting idealized standards for violent masculinity, the advertisement more specifically
perpetuates black violent masculinity. Normative masculinity for African-American men is characterized by shows
of aggression and dominance; this is especially true for those living in poor, urban settings. The concept of the
“masculine mystique” illustrates this point. Myriam Miedzian describes the masculine mystique as characterized
by “toughness,” “dominance,” and an eagerness to “seek out danger” (Helgeson 157). Violent characteristics are
not merely tolerated in this society but encouraged, a cultural situation that has far more consequences for
lower-class black males, who all too often lack the avenues for opportunity and economic success (Helgeson 158).
As a result, young black men are taught through the media that success and respect are only garnered through
aggression. Diesel subtly perpetuates this by actually creating two different versions of the “Only the Brave” ad: a
“black” and a “white” version. The latter depicts a white male, standing with his eyes closed and his head turned
to the side. His hand rests lightly on his chest, over his heart, and in between his fingers are the same beams of
light. A stark contrast from the confrontational stance and clenched fist of the “black” version, the comparison
begs the conclusion that bravery comes from within for the white male, but for the black man only comes with a
fight.
The fight and its purported rewards can further be explained through Gender-Role Socialization Theory,
which states that gender-roles are shaped through modeling and reinforcement. From a young age, boys are
motivated to show assertiveness and to only convey emotions that yield power. “Sadness and fear are ‘low-
power’ emotions, whereas anger and pride are ‘high-power’ emotions” (Helgelson 159). The media, a prevalent
model of masculinity for young boys, perpetuates these ideas. Rap videos depict African-American men
committing acts of violence, often using guns, while flashing their wealth through expensive jewelry, luxury cars
and waving hundred dollar bills. Proactive aggression, a form of unprovoked, socially motivated, and often
rewarded aggression is conveyed through media representations of gangs, who show great pride in their
affiliations and their willingness to commit violence against opposing gangs. Violence not only glamorized but
also presented as necessary if one wishes to be a man, to rise to the top of the social hierarchy.
The top of the social hierarchy is often characterized by egregious wealth, something subtly exerted
through this ad. The strongest examples lay in the company itself and the chosen model for the ad. Diesel does
not sell low-end products: a pair of denim pants ranges at $160, and 2.5 ounce bottle of the fragrance itself
retails at $65. The leather jacket, itself an image of toughness, is listed at $700 on the store’s website.
Furthermore, the use of a celebrity, rapper Common, aims to represent a level of respect and riches that the
everyday man does not have, but should wish to attain. How can one do this? The beams of light emanating from
between his knuckles are symbolic signs that connote diamonds, the gem of the rich. The manner by which
attention is brought to the clenched fist sends the message that through engaging in violence, by fighting for it,
one can achieve the represented level of wealth; this the level needed for idealized, powerful masculinity. Why
then was this ad placed on the first page of GQ, a magazine with demographic that holds a median income of
$71,000? Diesel is clearly not seeking out new customers, but presenting its product to current consumers. In
this, Diesel is operating on vocative interpallation, allowing the viewer to feel ideological recognition; they can
look directly in the eyes of the confrontational man on the page and see themselves, knowing that they have
already proven their bravery and risen to the top.
By equating bravery with violence and manhood with aggressive power, a product as simple as fragrance
becomes an assertion of what a man ought to be. While perfume ads for females often emphasize beauty and
softness, Diesel has chosen to veer as far from feminine as possible, instead emphasizing dominance and pride.
Through analysis of the cultural signs laced throughout this simple and yet forceful advertisement, it becomes
clear that masculinity is still idealized physically through one’s body, socially through wealth and affectively
through expressions of power-yielding emotions.