In Richard Dyer’s “The Role of Stereotypes,” he
argues that the word “stereotype” is “almost always a term of
abuse” (11). Ultimately, he concludes that “[t]he role of
stereotypes is to make visible the invisible, so that there is no danger of it
creeping up on us unawares; and to make fast, firm and separate what is in
reality fluid and much closer to the norm than the dominant value system
cares to admit” (16). In addition, in Jackson Katz’s essay, “Advertising and the
Construction of Violent White Masculinity,” he attempts to prove that women are
not alone in feeling pressured by the media to fit a certain gender mold.
He argues that men’s magazines and advertisements often contain images of what
the media defines as “masculine.” From an early age, boys are taught to be tough
and physical. Harry Brod describes the “real man” as being “physically
strong, aggressive, and in control of their work” (415). In other words,
males feel just as much pressure to fit into a specific set of gender roles as
women do.)
