Food for Thought
How many times a week does a person eat meat? Some say it would depend on the gender of the person. In the article, “Having it His Way: The Construction of Masculinity in Fast-Food TV Advertising” by teachers Carrie Freeman and Debra Merskin, the two women describe how today’s society associates masculinity with eating meat and femininity with plant-based foods. There are also those who think men and women eat equal amounts of meat and vegetables. In this article, Freeman and Merskin make justified arguments about television advertising relating to the masculinity of men. I agree with the authors when they talk directly about the anthropological connections with eating meat, construction of masculinity in advertising, and objectification of women.
In the article, Freeman and Merskin, who are teachers at two different universities, start off explaining that advertising is to sell things while sometimes making stereotypes to simplify whatever is being sold. That is why commercials like Burger King’s and Carl’s Jr.’s feature young men that eat meat; nonetheless the commercials for this article were used to show the connection between masculinity and meat. For women, the only time they get into a fast food commercial is when they are being used to seduce the men. Freeman and Merskin address the usage of women in these types of commercials: “When fast-food companies insist on telling men to ‘have it your way’ in the twenty-first century, they might as well be telling them to turn back the clock on social progress” (473). The authors are saying that women worked hard for social equality; when fast food advertisements act as if males are dominant, they are oppressing women. Overall, the article includes details of fast food commercials as well as saying that men are masculine if they eat meat.
Throughout time, humans have killed animals for meat to feed themselves and their families. Freeman and Merskin argue, “... new studies suggest that, for millions of years of evolution, we humans were largely vegetarians” (546). Although that may be true, when people think about who goes out to slaughter the animal, they will most likely think of men. Women most likely innovated plant agriculture, which is why most associate a plant-based diet with them (Freeman and Merskin 456). Another reason to suspect men of eating more meat is because historically, masculinity is linked to war and aggression. At the same time I believe that gender shouldn’t determine if a person wants to go hunting; I believe that gender is definitely a factor, and is somewhat true that men hunt as well as eat meat more than women. Men’s historical role in hunting animals is what gives the identification with meat-eaters.
The advertisements on television today show the connection between meat and masculinity. In Freeman and Merskin’s view, “The following types of codes indicated a male focus: men had the lead parts and did most of the talking, women were used primarily as objects of the male gaze, men hung out with other men and outnumbered women, and/or the narrator mentioned men specifically” (Freeman and Merskin 461). In most meat and beer television advertisements nowadays, directors use men knowing that they are targeting other men. Studies show that men do eat more meat than women (Freeman and Merskin 460). Although the studies and commercials are right some of the time, those stereotypes should not continue. If a man wants to have a salad for dinner, he shouldn’t get judged for it. I agree that the men in the commercials are self-indulgent, but the commercial also sheds light on the issue of labels and even lowering society’s assumptions on men. The ads have made a big difference is the way people see masculinity today.
In the making of some of these commercials, the women in them are stereotyped to seem quiet and used as objects. According to Freeman and Merskin, “But what most commonly unites all these men in fast-food commercials is their gender idenity as hetersexual males who share a desire to communally consume animal meat and symbolically consume ‘flesh’ of sexualized and objectified women” (Freeman and Merskin 470). In making this comment, they urge us to understand that the advertisements symbolically materialize women. Not only these ads, but also magazine articles about dieting make women seem silent and skinny to please the male viewers. After all women have done to receive equal rights as men, these ads might as well be going back in time.
Conclusively, in the article, “Having it His Way: The Construction of Masculinity in Fast-Food TV Advertising” by teachers Carrie Freeman and Debra Merskin, the two women describe how most of today’s population associates masculinity with eating meat and femininity with eating more plant-based foods. The question how much meat a week do you eat would depend on the sex of a person, seeing that in reality, men do eat more meat than women, but they both consume vegetables equally as well. In this article, Freeman and Merskin make rational arguments about the correlation of television advertising to the masculinity of men. As Freeman and Merskin make arguments I agree as they talk about the anthropological connections with eating meat, construction of masculinity in advertising, and objectification of women.
Works Cited
Freeman, Carrie and Debra Merskin. "Having It His Way: The Construction of Masculinity in Fast-Food TV Advertising." They Say I Say With Readings. By Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein. Ed. Russel Durst. 2E ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2012. 454-479. Print
How many times a week does a person eat meat? Some say it would depend on the gender of the person. In the article, “Having it His Way: The Construction of Masculinity in Fast-Food TV Advertising” by teachers Carrie Freeman and Debra Merskin, the two women describe how today’s society associates masculinity with eating meat and femininity with plant-based foods. There are also those who think men and women eat equal amounts of meat and vegetables. In this article, Freeman and Merskin make justified arguments about television advertising relating to the masculinity of men. I agree with the authors when they talk directly about the anthropological connections with eating meat, construction of masculinity in advertising, and objectification of women.
In the article, Freeman and Merskin, who are teachers at two different universities, start off explaining that advertising is to sell things while sometimes making stereotypes to simplify whatever is being sold. That is why commercials like Burger King’s and Carl’s Jr.’s feature young men that eat meat; nonetheless the commercials for this article were used to show the connection between masculinity and meat. For women, the only time they get into a fast food commercial is when they are being used to seduce the men. Freeman and Merskin address the usage of women in these types of commercials: “When fast-food companies insist on telling men to ‘have it your way’ in the twenty-first century, they might as well be telling them to turn back the clock on social progress” (473). The authors are saying that women worked hard for social equality; when fast food advertisements act as if males are dominant, they are oppressing women. Overall, the article includes details of fast food commercials as well as saying that men are masculine if they eat meat.
Throughout time, humans have killed animals for meat to feed themselves and their families. Freeman and Merskin argue, “... new studies suggest that, for millions of years of evolution, we humans were largely vegetarians” (546). Although that may be true, when people think about who goes out to slaughter the animal, they will most likely think of men. Women most likely innovated plant agriculture, which is why most associate a plant-based diet with them (Freeman and Merskin 456). Another reason to suspect men of eating more meat is because historically, masculinity is linked to war and aggression. At the same time I believe that gender shouldn’t determine if a person wants to go hunting; I believe that gender is definitely a factor, and is somewhat true that men hunt as well as eat meat more than women. Men’s historical role in hunting animals is what gives the identification with meat-eaters.
The advertisements on television today show the connection between meat and masculinity. In Freeman and Merskin’s view, “The following types of codes indicated a male focus: men had the lead parts and did most of the talking, women were used primarily as objects of the male gaze, men hung out with other men and outnumbered women, and/or the narrator mentioned men specifically” (Freeman and Merskin 461). In most meat and beer television advertisements nowadays, directors use men knowing that they are targeting other men. Studies show that men do eat more meat than women (Freeman and Merskin 460). Although the studies and commercials are right some of the time, those stereotypes should not continue. If a man wants to have a salad for dinner, he shouldn’t get judged for it. I agree that the men in the commercials are self-indulgent, but the commercial also sheds light on the issue of labels and even lowering society’s assumptions on men. The ads have made a big difference is the way people see masculinity today.
In the making of some of these commercials, the women in them are stereotyped to seem quiet and used as objects. According to Freeman and Merskin, “But what most commonly unites all these men in fast-food commercials is their gender idenity as hetersexual males who share a desire to communally consume animal meat and symbolically consume ‘flesh’ of sexualized and objectified women” (Freeman and Merskin 470). In making this comment, they urge us to understand that the advertisements symbolically materialize women. Not only these ads, but also magazine articles about dieting make women seem silent and skinny to please the male viewers. After all women have done to receive equal rights as men, these ads might as well be going back in time.
Conclusively, in the article, “Having it His Way: The Construction of Masculinity in Fast-Food TV Advertising” by teachers Carrie Freeman and Debra Merskin, the two women describe how most of today’s population associates masculinity with eating meat and femininity with eating more plant-based foods. The question how much meat a week do you eat would depend on the sex of a person, seeing that in reality, men do eat more meat than women, but they both consume vegetables equally as well. In this article, Freeman and Merskin make rational arguments about the correlation of television advertising to the masculinity of men. As Freeman and Merskin make arguments I agree as they talk about the anthropological connections with eating meat, construction of masculinity in advertising, and objectification of women.
Works Cited
Freeman, Carrie and Debra Merskin. "Having It His Way: The Construction of Masculinity in Fast-Food TV Advertising." They Say I Say With Readings. By Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein. Ed. Russel Durst. 2E ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2012. 454-479. Print