Goffman’s Gender Analysis
Erving Goffman describes about the existing biased in the society as the prominent reason when it comes to portray men and women differently in the advertisements in the western media. He analyzed more than 550 different advertisements and analysed the different way in which men and women were portrayed. He found dark contrast as how the gender is portrayed. Be it the poses or the way they carry their body women were always shown soft, seductive, weak and vulnerable.
Goffman mainly focuses on femininity in ads but he also analyses how males are portrayed, as both of them are shown relative to each other. In contrast with how females are depicted, males are usually shown confident, aware of surroundings, intimidating, comfortable and ready for anything that may come in their path. Goffman yielded that this has nothing to do with biology or natural traits, but…show more content… He also does not speak that there are no examples of men being shown as soft or subordinate but this is very less frequent, given that there are no ‘natural’ or biological reasons that this should be the case. Among the various observations that Goffman makes, I have focused on 5 different frames in which women are portrayed in ads:
1. “The Feminine Touch”
Goffman observed that women are generally posing by using their hands and fingers to trace the outlines of object or to caress its surface or to cradle it. Thus the pose can be understood as seductive and thus portraying women as sexually available and accessible.
2. Lying Down
Females and children are generally depicted as lying down, on the ground or on a bed, in contrast to males, who are predominately shown standing tall and upright. Goffman says that this shows that women are more vulnerable and in contrast men are aware of surroundings and ready to act.
3. The “bashful knee