DKNY Jeans advertises their products in urban settings with edgy models. As fashionable as these models are, they strongly depict stereotypical gender differences in femininity and masculinity. Male models exude masculinity, while female models give off a feminine vibe. Many of these differences in stereotypical notions of gender can be identified in many ways in DKNY Jeans’ ads, many of Devor talks about in his writing, “Gender Role Behaviors and Attitudes”.
Throughout time, females have been viewed as weaker and more dependent than males. Much of this is through appearance; body language, dress, facial expression and many other things. The females in this ad reflect feminine qualities mostly in their body language. As Devor points out, women tend to stand with their arms closer to their sides. Both women in this ad have their hands in their pockets and their arms close to their sides in the exact same manner. With their arms so close to their sides they appear smaller, taking up less space and seem weaker. Also, another thing Devor points out, the women have little space between their legs, again taking up less room and appearing smaller. Both girls’ faces are pointed either straightforward or lower. This is yet another trait of femininity expressed in this advertisement. Not looking others in the face or above them is a huge stereotypical feminine quality. It shows the vulnerability and weakness that the stereotype that women often depict. It allows other to look down upon you and to seem more superior.
One of the girls’ facial expressions seems to have a slight smile to it. Women are often seen as happy, polite and sociable in their actions and facial expressions. Femininity would never be seen as harsh or dominant, therefore the one model in this ad is grinning slightly and the other has a questioning look on her face. Neither are intimidating in any way. Females are viewed as wanting to avoid conflict and send “a message of ‘no threat.’”
Devor points out many of these characteristics in his writing and he also talks about movement and clothing. Stereotypical women are supposed to move in a smooth manner, opposite of the rigid movements of men. Also the clothing stereotypical feminine identify with are restrictive and that accentuate sexual feminine qualities. The women in this add seem to be walking in a smooth manner. Their jeans seem tight, accentuating their curves and long legs. Devor also talks about women showing bare skin as a stereotypical way of dressing, but these women are fully clothed. DKNY can’t show women in the city, in seemingly cold weather, wearing reveling clothing. It goes against normal logic; therefore the company uses tight jeans and feminine shoes and tops to accentuate this quality of stereotypical femininity.
The females in this ad possess many qualities that Devor deems as stereotypical gender roles, behaviors and attitudes. But just as much as the women reflect stereotypical femininity, the man in the ad reflects stereotypical masculine qualities. The women showed these qualities through appearance and so does the man.
One of the ways Devor talks about showing masculinity is through facial expression. The male model in this ad has a serious and stern look on his face. His eyes are looking ahead and his mouth is in a serious pout. He’s also not looking at the other models but looking ahead. Devor points out the serious look on males’ faces let others know they can’t be swayed by others’ influences.
He looks dominant in this picture, not only from his facial expression, but also from his body language. First off, his legs are farther apart than the women in this ad, taking up more space and showing his dominance. His arms are much farther from his body than the women in the ad, which is another point Devor makes in his writing. The stereotypical masculine body language take up more space by having their legs farther apart and arms farther from the body. It gives off an aggressive vibe to others. While the girls in this ad seem to move smoothly in this ad, the man seems to moving in a jerky manor, much less smooth than the women. Devor points out that these movements are seen as masculine because they are “communicating force and threat rather than flexibility and cooperation.”
Clothing that portrays “strength and readiness to action,” is what is deemed masculine. The masculine leather jacket compliments the other characteristics of masculinity of the model in this ad. His jeans also seem looser and his boots seem much more suitable for movement, which Devor points out is what masculine clothing is viewed as.
Even the motorcycle the male model is pushing is seen as a symbol of masculinity. The model is basically void of any feminine traits, which Devor says is exactly what stereotypical masculinity wants to avoid. He looks confident and tough, especially next to the female models in this advertisement.
The stereotypical gender roles are clearly evident in this advertisement for DKNY Jeans. The male model is clearly more dominant and aggressive than the two female models, therefore exuding masculinity according to Devor. And by having many opposite qualities of the male, the two female models take on their roles as the feminine stereotype. These traits of femininity and masculinity are identified through things like dress, body language, facial expressions and many others. There are also other ways of identifying stereotypical gender roles such as speech and movement that may be hard to pick up on in a paper advertisement. Overall, the media exposes us to these feminine and masculine stereotypes in all sorts of ways including ads, movies, TV shows and much more. They show us the way our gender is “supposed to” act and look according to the society we live in. And while many of these things are played upon to entice consumers, the stereotype is still there and many of which are not always completely true and may not apply every individual.
