"Hotness", extending nipples and Dan Carter

After reading a blog entry (Jess Wong “Hot and Stupid”) I realised that I totally agree in what she was saying - people hardly react on the way that media sexualises men. Although we see it every single day we don't really see it as being that much of a bigger deal. But if there is this much criticism about the way that that women are portrayed - people should really start noticing the men - not that people don't of course. Take a trip

down to Queen Street I recently made. I had to go up to the Sky Tower gift shop to get something for visiting relatives, and on my way back down - what did I see shining down on me? - Dan Carter’s nearly naked body. (Not that I’m complaining or anything...) Carter of course is the poster boy for the new Jockey Performance underwear range for Men. He was also the model for the 2004 campaign but this 2007 campaign will go global seeing Dan grace countries such as the United Kingdom. In this poster only two things are really noticeable – his abs, his “hotness” and his um...jockeys...?

You can also click onto the website http://www.jockeyperformance.co.nz/ and on the introduction page you can watch Dan in his Jockey’s doing sit ups over and over and over and over again, which I did in fact do (purely for research reasons though of course.)


But back to my walk down Queen Street...After stopping in the middle of the pedestrian crossing and having my moment with Dan I continued on walking and what did I happen to see? No, not another poster of Dan, but a huge billboard ad for Mentos Gum. There is also a TV advert for it, I’m sure you would have seen it; man eats Mentos gum, then his nipples extend about 10cm which he then uses to catch a Frisbee. Sound familiar? Well, in Queen Street is the billboard version of this which is close up billboard of a guy’s chest, then there are tube-like pipe-like objects actually extending from his nipples in the poster (much like the TV advert does). I couldn’t find a picture of it, but I’m sure you know the one I mean. But again, with this advert you are supposed to be drawn to his abs, and his sexiness and again - his hottness.

These are just some examples of the way men are portrayed using their sexuality to sell. The same is in music too. Take rapper Snoop Dogg for example – he has brought the whole “pimp” culture into music. He glorifies the pimp culture lifestyle – exploiting themselves with all their “women”, and their “bling” and the what nots that go with it.

But males are sexualised,their bodies being are exploited, they are using their sexuality to sell products, I mean, who would be interested in buying Jockey’s if say an unknown, unfortunate looking male were the spokesperson for it? Who would want to watch a video of a fully clothed male with every single music video? Surely you wouldn't! And that is the whole point - take an attractive male or female; use their sexuality and body as an asset to help sell a product or music video. I’m not saying that it’s JUST men that we should support, because it is both sexes that are part of it (particular in the music video industry where half naked women are constantly shoved in our faces), we just have to realise that we shouldn’t just be going on about how badly sexualises women are being in today’s society – because it is the men too - not that I’m complaining or anything...