On the representation of masculinity in the current Romanian advertising discourse

Abstract

A central element of economic culture, advertising is a form of communication through which information is conveyed, attracting the recipient's attention, the issuer's intention being to elicit a response or reaction from the consumer. The social dimension of advertising is largely determined by its ability to reflect the needs, aspirations, and desires of the public. In order to achieve its persuasive aim, advertising constructs a spectacle to which stereotypes contribute. These allow for the construction and reception of easily identifiable schemas which, through familiarity, create mental comfort for the target audience (Moraru 2009). This paper focuses on gender stereotypes, specifically on the image of masculinity, as it appears in recent advertisements broadcast on Romanian television channels. It is well known that Romanian society has long been dominated by a patriarchal vision, centred on the image of the secure, authoritarian man, while femininity has been associated with fragility and vulnerability. However, it can be observed that the current advertising discourse increasingly employs the anti-stereotype (Moraru 2009) as a persuasive strategy, undermining through humour and irony the established image of the male hero.