“It’s in His Eyes”:

The Negotiation and Interpretation of Masculinity using the

Dolce et Gabbana’s 2005 Print Advertising Campaign

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Submitted to the 4 Workshop on Interpretive Consumer Research
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Marseilles 26 -27 April 2007
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Jonathan Elms , Lancaster University Management School, UK
Claire Dunphy, Lancaster University Management School, UK
Ronan de Kervenoael, Sabanci University, Faculty of Management, Turkey &
Aston Business School, UK
D. Selcen O. Aykac, Sabanci University, Faculty of Management, Turkey

Abstract:

The concept of ‘masculinity’ has over more years received increased attention within
consumer research discourse suggesting the potential of a ‘crisis of masculinity’, symptomatic
of a growing feminisation, or ‘queering’ of visual imagery and consumption (e.g. Patterson &
Elliott, 2002). Although this corpus of research has served to enrich the broader gender
identity debate, it is, arguably, still relatively underdeveloped and therefore warrants further
insight and elaboration. The aim of this paper is, therefore, to explore how masculinity is
represented and interpreted by men using the Dolce et Gabbana men’s 2005 print advertising
campaign. The rationale for using this particular campaign is that it is one of the most
homoerotic, provocative, and well publicised campaigns to cross over from the ‘gay’ media to
more mainstream UK men’s magazines.

Masculinity, and what it means to be ‘masculine’, manifests itself within particular ideological,
moral, cultural and hegemonic discourses. Masculinity is not a homogenous term which can
be simply reduced, and ascribed, to those born as ‘male’ rather than ‘female’. One may
exhibit different degrees of masculinity or femininity, depending on social-cultural situation
regardless of biological sex (Eagly 1987; Putreve, 2001). Fischer and Arnold (1994) suggest,
for example, that masculine and feminine identities are ‘orthogonal’ rather than ‘bi-polar’
concepts, entangled and enmeshed together in a dialectical relationship. Therefore, it is more
appropriate to consider multiple masculinities, which are plural, transient and ephemeral. As
Askegaard (1991) maintains socio-cultural identity concerns’ questions such as “who are we
and who are the others?” and “how are we related to each other?”. Advertising images, and
imagery, attempt to answer some of these questions, through the continual negotiation of
both individually and culturally accepted masculinities. Masculinity is not merely a ‘visual’
concept but advertisers have begun to represent ‘visions of masculinity’ to entice male
consumers (e.g. Schroeder & Borgerson, 1998; Schroeder & Zwick, 2004).

The portrayal of masculinity through the representation of male body has emerged from that
of the muscle bound, rugged, ‘cowboy’, the stereotypical ‘heterosexual masculinity’ of the
1960s, to the ‘New Man’ of the 1980s: a more sensitive man who is in touch with his
‘feminine’ emotional side (Patterson & Elliott, 2002). The ‘New Man’ has been recently
reinvented, taking the form of the ‘metrosexual male’ – the ‘straight’ man who dresses ‘gay’ -
which is increasingly been used as a marketing ploy to target products, particularly clothes
and cosmetics, at younger men (Simpson, 2002). This, in turn, has led to increased men’s
participation in the wider cultural arenas of consumption as well as encouraging visual
consumption where ‘men gaze at men’ (e.g. Patterson & Elliott, 2002).

A convenience sample of sixteen in-depth interviews was conducted with self-identified

‘straight’ men, between the ages of 18 and 24. Within the interview context, each respondent
was asked to construct of collage of their masculine self ideals using images from men’s
magazines. Following the logic of ‘photo-elicitation’ and ‘auto-driving’ (Heisley & Levy, 1991),

1
*Contact Details: Jonathan Elms, Department of Marketing, Lancaster University Management School, Lancaster.
LA1 4YX. UK. T: +44 (0) 1524 594033. F: +44 (0) 1524 593928. E: j.elms@lancaster.ac.uk.
respondents were then given a copy of the Dolce et Gabanna print ads, which they were
asked to describe in detail.

Our findings would suggest that, for these men the visual images contained within the ads
were largely rejected as representative of a singular, hegemonic, notion of ‘masculinity’. The
men voiced varying degree of distaste of the use and representation of the male models
displaying interest and intrigue in each other in various state of undress with little, or no,
reference to women within the ads. These models were not axiomatically considered as not
being ‘masculine’ but were defended as “definitely not being ‘gay’”. A further concurrent
theme was the continuous need for the men to demonstrate and reinforce their own
masculinity by discursively ‘proving’ themselves as heterosexual men. Our tentative
conclusions argue that masculinity manifests itself in not only what is included in the ads, and
what is not, but also, more importantly, in the intangible spirit or character of the visual
imagery. This masculine spirit is expressed visually via physical body image, but more
insightful interpretation of masculinity is embodied within body language and gaze, as
illustrated in Figure 1.

Low Importance High Importance

Tangible Masculinity Intangible Masculinity

• Body Image • Spirit
• Actions • Personality
• Pose • Character
• Attitude

High Importance in
Print Media
Figure 1. ‘The Masculine Identification Loop’

Bibliography:

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Semiotics: Selected papers from the Copenhagen symposium, ed. Hanne Hartvig Larsen,
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