The Representations of Masculinities in GM Magazine Advertisements in Thailand
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Abstract
This research article study the representation of masculinities in GM magazine advertisement in Thailand aimed to explore the cultural power dynamics that articulated the formulation of Thai masculinities and to investigate the themes of Thai masculine representations represented in Thai society. Based on constructivism epistemology, this study employed a qualitative content analysis as the key research tool for the exploration. 60 GM magazines from 2013-2017 (5 year-period) were collected. As such, 732 advertisements of male portrayals were found. As a result, the transnational/capitalist masculinities found as the global hegemonic form of masculinities that articulated the local forms of Thai masculinities found in the GM advertisement magazines during the period. By which, due to the global cultural flow of Neoliberalism that influenced the local Thai consumer culture, has shaped the Thai ideal masculine forms to appeal consumers to make a purchasing decision. As it can be seen from the prevalence of the stereotypes of men portrayed in the advertisements. Alongside this, there were 8 themes of masculinities found in this study. These were (1) hedonistic man, (2) the successful capitalist professional/working man, (3) domestic patriarchy, (4) self-care/ anxiety man, (5) loyal man, (6) ageing man, (7) social responsible man, and (8) unreliable man. The implication of this research found that the forms of the ideal masculine representations in the advertisements significantly reflected the high individuality of men, men who learnt to love themselves, men with positive vibes, and men who loved freedom rather than worrying about their figures or appearances.
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