Whassup with beer ads: a textual analysis of masculine images in television beer commercials

There is some thought that men learn how to act in society through media portrayals of masculinity.During the past decade,the once dominant form of masculinity has begun to recede while new masculine forms are becoming more prevalent.A perceived "crisis of masculinity" is evidenced by high divorce rates and the refusal of men to be role models for their children.There has been considerable debate about how these new social conceptions of masculinity are causing men to redefine their societal roles.|This qualitative textual analysis shows how men are portrayed in a selection of television beer commercials.This is important because men have traditionally associated alcohol consumption with masculinity.If to drink is to be masculine,then the behavior of men in beer ads provides a key to understanding these new masculine definitions.|These commercials depict traditionally masculine models and those that represent new conceptions of masculinity.Viewed through a neo-Marxian framework,these portrayals subvert working class men by substituting an unattainable form of masculinity with a new one that ennobles and legitimizes the lack of control often felt by the working classes.