CONTRASTIVE ANALYSIS OF ADVERTISEMENTS IN

HOMOSEXUAL AND HETEROSEXUAL MAGAZINES FOR MEN

Isabela Vitria de Oliveira dos Santos
Federal University of Rio de Janeiro


ABSTRACT__________________________________________________________________

Discourse is not only language in use (Brown and Yule, 1983, apud Baker 2008), but
also a linguistic instrument that frame[s] people of which they speak for their everyday
experience and act[s] as a form of social control (Burr, 1975 apud Baker, 2008). At the
same time, that concept of discourse is surrounded by social practice rather than by only
structural features. Therefore, taking into consideration these previous
conceptualizations and the power the mass media has to conventionalize gender, this
paper argues that the discourse associated to the genre advertisement reflects distinct
strategies when establishing and consolidating identities for the homosexual and the
heterosexual. This article analyzes four advertisements published in G-Magazine and
four, in Playboy during the course of 2006. The Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA)
approach reveals that although many would certainly regard advertisements as a way of
encouraging and persuading and audience, they could be considered ideological
instruments that shape and prescribe acceptable social identities.
Key-words: gendered discourses, media discourse, homosexual and heterosexual magazines for
men



INTRODUCTION / LITERATURE REVIEW________________________________________


Discourse is a term that has been given several definitions. It is worth that discourse is
language in use (Brown and Yule, 1983, apud Baker 2008:91) but it is also of great
value to take into consideration that language, and consequently, discourse is
surrounded by inter-related yet different traits, such as lexical and grammatical items
social features. Whenever a text is developed, either written or spoken, many aspects are
considered, as the level of formality, the context and the audience. And for the different
environments that these variants may produce, it is possible to apply distinct discourses.
Recipes, articles and lectures no doubt are texts, but each one of them carries a specific
structure. From this perspective, thus, discourse, can be linked to genre, style or text
type (Baker, 2088:92). Furthermore, discourse can be a linguistic instrument to frame
people of which they speak for their everyday experience and act as a form of social
control (Burr, 1975 apud Baker, 2008:92), proscribing types of behavior according to
the values and expectations constructed by social relationships. Therefore, discourses
are framed by structural features and by social practice, also.

When it comes to the idea of discourse constituting a disciplinary instrument, much is
explored regarding the role displayed by the media in society. The media is a device that
influenciates politics, culture, religion and economy, but principally the manner
individuals interact with themselves and the society. Although some people may not be
aware, mediatic institutions act as a system plenty of values and patterns that prescribe
social practices.

Magazines, the media by which this study is framed, go well beyond the simple
provision of information and ideas. By reinforcing the users identity e constructing a
sympathetic context, they constitute a strong medium of control due to the active way
their engage with readers. The powerful and trusting relationship magazines build
allows readers to feel comfortable with the material in a similar way they do with
friends. Therefore, one essential characteristic of magazines is the individuality of each
one of them, since they aim on reflecting different personalities. A strong device used
delivers a reader in the right frame of mind is the advertising.

Although many would certainly regard advertisements as a way of encouraging and
persuading and audience, they could be considered ideological instruments that shape
and prescribe acceptable social identities. And the way people react to consumerism is
related to personal and social input. Regarding the personal factor, each person, for
example, has their own needs. Thus, they may react differently under same stimulations.
In relation to the social one, in order to identify themselves as members of a social
group people must share beliefs, attitudes and values. Consequently, they construct their
personality according to the community they are within.

Since 1970, experts have been conducting systematical researches in order to realize the
differences regarding patterns of specific cultures of consumption. The publicity
devoted to gays, for instance, was notice on the north-american press since 1975.
However, due to the advent to AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) in the
80s, the media interrupted homosexual publicity. Further researches restarted only ten
years forward, in the 90s, when the disease was not related to homosexuality anymore.
Nonetheless, few researches has been developed regarding the differences between
homosexual and heterosexual advertisements (Nunan, 155). The purpose of this
research paper, thus, is to fill this gap and to analyze the magazines different
approaches in order to evidence the ways in which sexual orientation portraits social
identities, in homosexual and heterosexual magazines advertisements, and what the
particular kinds of identity desired for the homosexual and the heterosexual are.


BACKGROUND________________________________________________________

Genre advertisements

Genre theory predicts that (linguistic) texts which are intended to
perform similar functions will contain similar linguistic elements.
Further, related, claims are that identifiable and obligatory features
have to be present in order that a text may belong to a genre. If
such features are not present, then the text must either be assigned to
another genre, or must be considered as incomplete. Bex (1993:2)

Although advertisements may be used in different ways by and be devoted to different
public, they all seem to operate in similar ways. Since individuals do not all respond to
the products and services advertised, they all perform a social function of increase their
consumption and access peoples values, beliefs and behavior.

Ads are usually developed to target certain groups of potential or actual consumers.
Nevertheless, it is not possible to have control over who will read their ads, or how they
may be interpreted because the discursive practices that constitute individuals culture
fulfill different personal needs.

It is of great importance to highlight, though, that despite the difficulty of control the
effective readers and their receptivity, the fact of being printed puts the user in control
as no other media does. Regarding television radio, the broadcaster it the one
responsible for the duration of the exposure of each piece of information or
entertainment. A clear example is a commercial, which lasts no longer that it is
supposed to. On the other hand, when reading a magazine or newspaper, the reader can
spend as much or as little time as desired in looking at an article or an advertisement.
Therefore, a print advertisement can be studied for as long as the reader wants, and
repeatedly too.

Advertisements published on magazines are expected to establish a synergy with the
editorial content and also to be relevant to the readers. The advertisements investigated
here seem to demonstrate subtle shifts in the ways they have constructed their intended
readers. Although their readers have particular and different needs, the publicity
constructs stereotypes construct to homosexuals and heterosexuals.

G Magazine advertisements persuade the audience to value the same aspect as women's
magazines do, such as body care. Interestingly, all the magazines analyzed contain a
very significant quantity of advertisements related to plastic surgeries and to places
where homosexual men can meet others in order to socialize. Among these products,
there were also references to telephone chats, lubricant oils and condoms, jewelry to
exalt the gay pride, and pieces of art. On the other side, Playboy focuses on the readers
self-esteem, which is reflected in their appearance and desirability within their social
group, particularly to women. The advertisements ranged from cars, beer, sneakers and
perfumes, clothes and shavers. In that issue, it is clear that there still exists too much
prejudice and fear by the advertiser who publishes on heterosexual magazines to
associate image of your product or service to the LGBT public. Gays do have cars,
shave, drink beer and wear perfumes and sneakers.
METHODOLOGY________________________________________________________

Sample

My investigation is underpinned by two interests: first, the ideology that underlines the
prescription of homosexuals and heterosexuals behavior in society, that is, the
particular kinds of identity desired for the homosexual and the heterosexual are; second,
the use of language and text structure on the role of accessing peoples behavior and
personality.

The advertisements were extracted from Brazilian and American magazines for men.
There were selected three G-Magazines and three Playboys published in 2006. The
investigation will be framed by the approach by an orientation that approaches
language as a form of social practice (Ostermann & Keller-Cohen, 1998:537).

Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) primary focus is on how the relationship between
language and society functions as an instrument of communication as well as control.
CDA stimulates a critical perspective regarding the manner language may (re)construct
knowledge ideologically. (Ostermann & Keller-Cohen, 1998:538)

The Magazines

G Magazine is a men nude content magazine addressed to the homosexual public,
feature that does not exempt the heterosexual one, specially women, to utilize the
product. It may be explained by the positioning that the Magazine adopt not to exalt the
__________
Gay Magazine
Slogan: A revista para homens com G maisculo e mulheres com V de vanguarda!

photographed models sexual identity. As a result, G Magazine is able to attend both
the reading public more involved with the gay cause, [and the] one who seeks
eroticism (Braga, 20012: 2).

Printed in coated paper (26,5 x 20,5 cm), the magazine published by Fractal Edies
(SP) distributes 25 thousand copies monthly throughout the country, and it is expected
to have 100 thousand readers.

Advertisers portray the homosexual users as being demanding, sophisticated and
faithful to the quality labels, and inclined to cultural and body care services. This
context in potential, thus, boosted experts to invest in this segment.

On the other hand, Playboy is an American magazine of nude women devoted to the
heterosexual readership published worldwide. In Brazil, Playboy is published by Editora
Abril S/A and is considered the second largest Brazilian magazine circulation (600,000
copies). It is expected to be read by 3,600,000 people, directly and indirectly. According
to the table of readers profile published by Abril, 83% of the readership are middle-
class men aged between 25 and 34 years
4
.

Although men are the majority uses of Playboy, statistics show that the number of
feminine audience is raising. They look forward to know what men think and say about
those women and in which way they fell attracted by them. Christine Hefner (daughter
of the founder of Playboy) wants women not to feel ashamed by reading the Magazine,
and intends to release clothes support the logo of the company, the rabbit
5
.
_________
Information provided by Fractal Editions, updated in April/2005
4
EGM Estudos Marplan
5
Storniolo (2005:1) my translation

Despite the fact that both magazines cover many other different topics ranging from
beauty, news, health, advice-giving sections and body care - it is relevant to mention
that this investigation will be focused on the features related to behavior and
personality, which constitutes the most common topics related to the social practices.
On Table 1, there can be found some information about the advertisements, such as the
source and the products, they sell.


TABLE 1 * Magazine advertisements analyzed
______________________________________________________________________
PRODUCT MAGAZINE ISSUE LOCATION
____________________________________________________________________________
Jewelry G Magazine December 2006 4
Body care G Magazine December 2006 63
Condom G Magazine February 2006 16
Gay bathhouse G Magazine September 2006 78
Car Playboy April 2006 40-41
Sneakers Playboy April 2006 23
Clothes Playboy September 2006 41
Perfume Playboy June 2006 7
______________________________________________________________________


ANALYSIS / DISCUSSION______________________________________________________

Stereotypes effectively contribute to the establishment of the values of individuals in
relation to the society. Nonetheless, its subjective aspect and the generalization may be
fallacious and even reveal an essence of prejudice. The process of stereotypy is usually
unconscious and hardly recognized by the individuals carrying it (Amncio, 1994 apud
Freitas, 2011). One might say that these factors may potentialize conservation of
stereotypes, but I argue emphasizing the importance of a critical education. A critical
perspective allow individual to filter the information they receive, and not be controlled
by them.
In this issue, the image of heterosexual men that are exposed by magazines states on a
handsome succeed men, who owns a high purchasing power and that uses products to
be more attractive to the opposite sex. Regarding the homosexual stereotypes, gays are
not only related to the expose to HIV but also to the cult of masculinity and physical
beauty. According to SIGNORILLE (1997:36-38 apud Lima, 2001:113)
num mundo onde nada seguro, onde os gays historicamente nunca
foram aceitos na plenitude e que veem suas vidas jogadas no caos da
clandestinidade, o culto masculinidade a obsesso presente na
comunidade gay urbana de ter uma aparncia masculina
comercialmente aceitvel.

G Magazine Advertisements
o Gay Pride
(1)
Especialmente criada para
voc que sempre teve que
adaptar seu gosto ao que havia
no mercado. Jias folheadas a
ouro e prata, com pedras de
zircnia, qualidade e garantia.
Advertisement (1) values the gay pride as a form to promote their self-affirmation,
dignity forever. The lowercase Greek letter lambda () equality rights, present in the
majority of the jewelries, is one of the many ways to increase their visibility as a social
group. The extract highlighted also functions as a criticism to the market, that has never
supplied the gays needs, and also a way to share assumptions between the
advertisement and the homosexuals. Another important technique used is the exaltation
of the quality of the product, which reinforces the belief that readers are demanding,
sophisticated and faithful to the quality labels.
o Body Care
(2)
Advertisement (2) reflects the relation between homosexuals and body care. Plastic
Surgery, Liposuction, Bioplasty Massotherapy, Carboxitherapy and Increase
of glutes, male pectoral, calf and penis and other parts of the body are the services
offered by the company.
- Preocupados em atender clientes que buscam
qualidade e preo justo.

Oferecemos o que h de melhor para satisfazer
seus desejos.

- Nossa equipe extremamente treinada, as
instalaes s!o modernas, o ambiente
a"rad#el, confort#el e se"uro.$
%&irur"ias Plsticas efetuadas hospital
especializado com toda se"urana e sempre com
a presena de um anestesista e equipe altamente
especializada. 'dico especialista e (itular pela
)ociedade *rasileira de &irur"ia Plstica. +iretor
da )ociedade brasileira de ,sttica 'dica-
-e"ional )!o Paulo.$
Similarly to (1), the body care advertisement also emphasizes the use quality of services
offered. The difference states on the use of accredited sources by (2), such as an expert
doctor and anesthetist and a team highly specialized
6
. This strategic practice gives
credibility to what is being sold.



o Condom

(3)


Condom is associated with the association of certain products to homosexuality. The
AIDS deeply affected the gay community when it first appeared. Nonetheless, despite
the fact that AIDS belongs to all sectors of the society, it is still associated to
homosexuality, and the sentence Evite acidentes, on advertisement (3), reinforces this
stereotype.

The repetition of Use Perserv, only is a prescriptive technique (use of imperatives) to
__________
6
My translation S use Preserv
%,#ite acidentes.
). use Preser#$
convince readers that the product effectively works for their needs.

Interestingly, none of the Playboys analyzed in this investigation published any
advertisement. Although men are usually related to sex practice, advertises fear to have
their product associated to a disease.

o Gay bathhouse
(4)


Advertisement (4) reflects the gay bathhouse characteristic of providing homosexuals an
space where they can share ideas and practices that may be marginalized by the society.
Men Only reflects assertation and preservation of their visibility as a social group,
which could be associated to the discrimination that they are still facing. (Rodrigues &
Filho, 2008:3)
G Magazine Advertisements

o Car



(5)



Advertisement (5) establishes that a good car not only reflects an individuals social
position (people dressed in a formal way near to what seems to be a company), but also
what people expect to be seen by the society. The characters perform feeling such as
envy and surprise.

The strategy used by the ad aims on convincing the readers that the product will change
her/his life, positively, because many would like to be this persons perspective.
Muita gente vai
querer estar no seu
lugar
Novo Renault
Megane.

O carro para mudar
a sua histria.
o Sneakers and Clothes

(6) (7)





Advertisements (6) and (7) deal with a characteristic expect by the society (specially by
women) for that men to have: style. Such as the speech, clothes revel much of the
peoples personality and the social group(s) they belong to.

On (6), the circle that composed the name of the brand and highlights the details of the
sneakers is the same that is reflected in the womans eyes. Therefore, the advertisement
asserts that the men who use this product will be evaluated such as the feminine image
presented.

A diferena est nos
detalhes
Diferentes couros e
cores criam um design
exclusivo e moderno
Advertisement (7) is from a company that assumes to dress both the casual and the social man
with comfort and elegance
7
. The man wearing social clothes and owner of a considered-
beautiful appearance reinforces the belief that a good appearance is essential to life in society.

o Perfume
(8)

Perfume is an accessory used not only by women, but also by men, and Jos Paulo Mesquita,
CEO of Lacqua di Fiori affirms that the masculine public participles actively on the increase in
sales. This interest shows that men worries about their self-esteem, but principally about the
effects that the product may cause in women, such as the portray state by the advertisement
above. The propaganda also portray the men who wears Givenchy perfumes irresistible
very intense, very elegant man.


__________
7 Mr. Kitschs web site Vestimos tanto o homem casual como o social confortvel e elegantemente

%#er/ intense, #er/ ele"ant, #er/ /ou$
%(0, N,1 2-343N&, 2O- ',N$
CONCLUSION_______________________________________________________________

I have tried to demonstrate that advertisements do constitute a disciplinary instrument.
Both G-Magazines and Playboys advertisements conventionalize gender inducing the
audience to a possible success of social relationships they engage in. In order to
convince their readers, the advertisers utilize both linguistic and visual strategies, such
as use of accredited sources or imperatives, or images that portray how the use of
certain product will be received by the society.

Critical readers are the ones who are able to find information that are not explicit and,
mainly, the ones who have curiosity. I hope that what come from my work stimulate
readers to try to understand the historical the implied meaning of the even possible
historical theory surrounding a text of any nature, oral or written. Furthermore,
stimulate other researchers to explore the vast differences regarding homosexual and
heterosexual consumption, few researches has been developed regarding the
differences between homosexual and heterosexual advertisements (Nunan, 2003:155). I
would also like educators and the ones who carry about critical reading to destroy some
bad rooted concepts in our society, such as stereotyping and prejudice. They could use
advertisements in classroom, though the analysis of the genre literature and leading a
critical investigation, to raise the consciousness among students about the role of
language in reproducing stereotyped discourses









REFERENCES________________________________________________________________


Baker, P. Sexed Texts. University of Michigan, 2008, p. 92-182

Campos, Rezende Daniel. Revista G Magazine: do nu dispora turstica. In Congresso
Anual da Intercom Mundial de Comunicao Ibero-Americana, 2011/ Ncleo de
Pesquisa - Comunicao, Turismo e Hospitalidade, 2005, p. 1-7

Eckert, P.; McConnell-Ginet, S. Language and Gender. Cambridge, 2003, p.173-158


Freitas, Simone. Prncipe ou sapo? Os esteretipos masculinos na publicidade
televisiva. Uma comparao entre spots brasileiros e portugueses.In 1 Congresso
Guy Consterdine Associates - How Magazine Adverting Works, 5
th
edition

Nunan, Adriana. Homossexualidade: Do Preconceito aos padres de consumo.
Caravansarai, 2003, p. 154-200


Ostermann, A.C.; Keller-Cohen, D. Good girls go to heaven, bad girls learn to be
good: Quizzes in American and Brazilian Teenage Girls Magazines. Discourse and
Society 1998, 9 (4)

Rodrigues, Jorge Lus Pinto; Filho Aldo Victorio. Os anncios da Imprensa Gay na
Brasil. In IV ENECULT - Encontro de Estudos Multidisciplinares em Cultura,
Faculdade de Comunicao/UFBa, Salvador-Bahia-Brasil, 2008

Storniolo ,L.S.S.. A Publicidade veiculada na revista Playboy nos ltimos dez anos. In:
CONGRESSO BRASILEIRO DE CINCIAS DA COMUNICAOO, 28., 2005. Rio
de Janeiro. Anais... So Paulo: Intercom, 2005.
Magazines Cited

G Magazine (So Paulo: Fractal Edies)
Months February, September and December 2006

Playboy (So Paulo: Editora Abril)
Months April, June and September 2006


Advertisements Analyzed

(01) - GM, DEZEMBRO DE 2006, P. 4
(02) - GM, DEZEMBRO DE 2006, P. 63
(03) - GM, FEVEREIRO 2006, P. 16
(04) - GM, SETEMBRO 2006, P.78
(05) - PB, ABRIL 2006, EDIO, P.40-41
(06) - PB, ABRIL 2006, EDIO, P. 23
(07) - PB, ABRIL 2006, EDIO, P. 41
(08) - PB, JUNHO 2006, EDIO, P. 7