Constructing Masculinity and Femininity through
Advertisements
Content Analysis - Revised
27 April 2011
Blake Pierce
CMC 100 – Spring 2011
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Abstract
By performing a content analysis of the advertisements in the February 2011 edition of
Men’s Health and the April 2011 edition of Women’s Health, I have analyzed how the
advertisements construct image and lifestyle of masculinity and femininity, respectively. Men’s
Health suggests a type of masculinity that requires excessive strength and an outdoors lifestyle.
These advertisements use a negative rhetoric that suggests to the male reader that his masculinity
is insufficient and that he must change it. Women’s Health, by contrast, constructs femininity by
suggesting it is necessary to have a slim, fit body (not muscular or bulky), and to maintain a
healthy diet that focuses on cutting calories. These advertisements use rhetoric that suggests to
the female reader that she can unveil a better version of femininity that is already present within
her. However, both magazines suggest that “successful” masculinity and femininity require
continual maintenance to retain an attractive and clean appearance.
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Advertisements and the media construct images of masculinity and femininity. By
performing a content analysis of these advertisements, one can criticize and better understand
what type of masculinity or femininity the industry on a broader scale is constructing. I coded
every advertisement in the February 2011 edition of Men’s Health and the April 2011 edition of
Women’s Health for attributes such as the number of men and women that appeared in the ad (if
any), whether it appeared as outdoors or indoors, and the type of product being sold. I argue that
in Men’s Health masculinity is constructed through signifiers of strength, being in the outdoors,
and the lack of emotions. Its advertisements use negative rhetoric that suggests to the male reader
that his masculinity is lacking and he must “remodel” himself. Femininity in Women’s Health,
by contrast, despite its publication by the same corporation, is constructed through signifiers of
being fit (not muscular) and having a healthy diet. Its advertisements use positive rhetoric that
suggests women can reveal a better version of femininity that already exists within her.
However, both masculinity and femininity are constructed to suggest it is necessary to constantly
maintain a clean and attractive appearance to be physically successful as one gender or the other.
The advertisements in Men’s Health construct a type of masculinity that suggests it is
necessary to be excessively strong and live an outdoor lifestyle. 24% of its advertisements
feature a fitness product that creates a sense of lack in the male viewer. These advertisements
emphasize the connection between the muscular physique and the product as if the product is
necessary to obtain that physique. In particular, the ad for Bodybuilding.com (Figure 1) shows an
overly strong bodybuilder glistening in the sun. The tagline of the ad reads “ROLE REMODEL”.
This tagline suggests that the male reader’s strength is never adequate and he must continually
remodel himself in order to perform his masculinity sufficiently. Also take note of the model’s
emotionless expression as he looks down and away from the viewer towards the bottom right of
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the ad. This ad is comparable to the GNC ad (Figure 3) where another extremely strong model is
showcasing his body to the male viewer as he looks down and away from the viewer toward the
bottom right of the ad. The tagline reads “BUILD your BEST BODY” along with another,
smaller tagline that reads “Want a lean, athletic body? Here’s how YOU CAN GET IT!” The
taglines in both of these ads put emphasis on the necessity to “remodel” the body and obtain one
which the reader does not already have. The GNC ad deemphasizes “your” in the advertisement
to suggest the viewer does not have the type of body he needs. The model in each ad has an
emotionless, negative expression that suggests that, although they have an extremely fit
physique, they are not happy. The tagline of the Men’s Health cover perpetuates negative
rhetoric as it reads “GET BACK IN SHAPE”. The negativity in these ads, especially in the
taglines, portrays the process of “remodeling” oneself as painful, difficult, and dull.
Men’s Health also features many advertisements that are clearly in the outdoors to
suggest an outdoor, rugged lifestyle. 42% of its advertisements were clearly outdoors while
many others were obscure about their setting. The ads that were obscure about their setting place
more emphasis on the product being sold instead of the setting it should be used in. In a Jeep ad
(Figure 4), the Jeep is shown driving off-road through a green forest with a shining appearance.
This ad suggests that the viewer must own a vehicle that can handle the ruggedness of the
outdoors in order to be masculine. Upon further research, www.Jeep.com advertises this Jeep as
“At first sight you know it's a Grand Cherokee, but it looks like it's been to the gym. The
sculpted muscular appearance of the All-New 2011 Jeep® Grand Cherokee is a masterful...”
("Jeep Grand Cherokee 2011 Exterior Tour") The website is advertising the vehicle as if it itself
has been to the gym and has obtained a muscular appearance. In another ad, for True Religion
fragrances (Figure 8), we see a man riding a motorcycle with one hand through the blurred image
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of a forest in the background. His face is emotionless and his hair remains styled—apparently
unaffected by the wind. Although the ad is selling fragrances, it is constructing a type of
masculinity in the form of a hard-ass lifestyle where one doesn’t need two hands to drive a
motorcycle. These advertisements in Men’s Health collectively construct a type of masculinity in
the form of a strong, outdoor male.
The advertisements in Women’s Health construct a type of femininity characterized by
having a slim, fit (not muscular) body, and a healthy diet that focuses on cutting calories. Its ads
also have a theme of positively encouraging the female reader to uncover the inner beauty that is
hidden within her. The models in its advertisements do not have overly strong bodies or bulging
muscles. They are also often smiling or appear to be having fun. The taglines on the cover
advertise “Sleek arms, flat belly, firm butt.” and “Easy Ways to Cut 400 CALORIES A DAY!” I
found that 27% of its ads featured fitness products that suggest it is necessary to obtain the ideal
female image through fitness. This ideal image of the female with sleek arms, a flat belly, and a
firm butt is reintroduced many times. 32% of the women (including the girl on the cover) were
showing their (flat) bellies. In an ad for Powerbar (Figure 17), a faceless model is showcasing
her perfect stomach. This ad sells Powerbar as a fitness product and nutrition product. The
tagline reads “Feed your muscles right, and they’ll come back for more.” This tagline positively
encourages the female reader by emphasizing the idea of unveiling the muscles that she already
has. In another ad for SlimCalmSexyYoga.com (Figure 19), we see a model with the ideal image
of the slim body. The tagline encourages the female reader to “Reinvent your body and find your
bliss.” The phrase “reinvent your body” suggests the need to change but “find your bliss”
suggests that the female reader has a happiness within herself that is waiting to be unleashed
through fitness and yoga. Furthermore, the copy reads “Just 15 minutes of yoga a day can bring
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out a slimmer, calmer, sexier, you.” These types of taglines are positively encouraging the
reader.
The nutrition products in Women’s Health continually suggest the necessity to cut
calories and maintain a healthy diet. I found that 19% of its ads were for food products. In a
Crystal Light ad (Figure 9), we see a model drenching herself in water from the fountain. The
tagline reads that Crystal Light is a “better way to … water your body”. Again, the ad
emphasizes that the body belongs to the female reader and that she should unveil the goddess
within her. In another ad for WeightWatchers (Figure 20), the ad is selling a dessert which
suggests that the female reader can still lose weight by indulging on special low-calorie desserts
because it only contains 3 “WeightWatcher points.” Femininity is constructed by portraying the
image of the female with a slim, firm (not muscular) body and a healthy diet that focuses on
cutting calories.
Both masculinity and femininity are constructed by suggesting it is necessary to maintain
a clean and attractive appearance—even during exercise. Out of 7 advertisements in Men’s
Health featuring a male working out, only 1 was sweating. Likewise in Women’s Health, 0 out of
6 were sweating. This theme of exercising in beauty and style is unrealistic. In a Men’s Health ad
for the Powerstrip (Figure 6), the model is emotionlessly performing an exercise without
sweating while maintaining styled hair and a clean appearance. Similarly in an ad for Macy’s
(Figure 5), a model is performing an exercise in what appears to be jeans and a jacket without
sweating or showing signs of struggle. In Women’s Health, a Saucony (Figure 21) ad shows a
woman running in full stride while maintaining a clean appearance and the styling of her hair.
The tagline of this ad also reads “FIND YOUR STRONG” which further suggests that feminine
fitness is constructed through positive encouragement.
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Each magazine accompanies fitness with beauty products as well. In Men’s Health,
Schick (Figure 7) advertises a razor in front of a vibrantly blue, cresting wave that suggests
men’s appearances should be clean like the perfect wave in the background. There are also
multiple ads for cologne, a theme which suggests male fitness should be associated with smelling
good. In Women’s Health, I found that 25% of its ads were for beauty products. In addition, this
particular issue featured a “Special Beauty Bonus” section that was attached, upside down, to the
back of the magazine. Furthermore, I found online, although outdated, the advertising category
breakdown of Women’s Health from January to June of 2010. In that media kit, 26% of the ads
were for “Beauty and Grooming” and “Fitness for Beauty”—separate from 10% for “Health”.
This breakdown of advertising categories is ironic because in a health magazine, there are nearly
3 times as many ads for beauty products instead of health products. Such beauty products in the
current edition of Women’s Health include Maybelline makeup (Figures 11&12). These nearly
identical ads were published one after the other. The first shows a white model and second is a
black model—each selling the same product but to different races. Masculinity and femininity
are both constructed by suggesting it is necessary to continuously maintain a clean and attractive
appearance whether one is exercising or not.
By performing a content analysis on these magazines, one is able to understand how
advertisements construct types of masculinity and femininity. Men’s Health suggests that
masculinity is characterized by overly strong, emotionless males in the outdoors. Women’s
Health suggests that femininity is characterized by having a slim, fit (not muscular) body,
healthy diet, and positive attitude. However, these advertisements suggest that both masculinity
and femininity require a constant maintenance of a clean and attractive appearance in daily life
and while exercising.
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Works Cited
"Jeep Grand Cherokee 2011 Exterior Tour." Jeep. Web. 1 Apr. 2011.
<http://www.jeep.com/en/2011/grand_cherokee/exterior/exterior_tour/>.
"Media Kit | Women's Health Magazine." Women's Health: Health, Fitness, Weight Loss,
Healthy Recipes & Beauty. Web. 01 Apr. 2011.
<http://www.womenshealthmag.com/mediakit>.
"Men's Health :: Media Kit : Online." Men's Health Magazine : Men's Guide to Fitness, Health,
Weight Loss, Nutrition, Sex, Style and Guy Wisdom. Web. 01 Apr. 2011.
<http://www.menshealth.com/mediakit/online/audience.htm>.