Situation:

The Unstereotype Alliance has made notable strides in how women and girls are portrayed, but the representation of men and masculinity has largely stagnated or regressed over the past 75 years.

This outdated portrayal in the media contributes to a distressing decline in the mental health of young men and boys. Research indicates that 66% of millennial men feel that advertising negatively affects their sense of success, highlighting a significant disparity between men’s perception of success and its portrayal in the media.

Brief:

Redefine these entrenched narratives and present a more diverse, contemporary, mentally healthy understanding of success for men.

Objectives:

Evolve masculine depictions.

Inspire positive change.

Counter harmful influences.

Support mental health.

Shouldn't the ideal male look happy?

To draw attention to the harmful impacts of the male/masculine stereotype perpetuated by the media, we used the very imagery that perpetuates this belief: images of men in suits with serious, sad, angry and stern faces – a common sight on almost every men’s advertisement and social media post. Then simply pointed out the similarity they all share: none of these men are smiling, laughing or content. None of them look happy.

The imagery chosen is treated in circular frames to reflect the arenas in which young men are judged daily: social media profiles and online dating services. Then patterned en masse to metaphorically represent the accumulated impact of this pressure on the community of men everywhere.

Creating a singular expression—both literally and metaphorically—of the idealised masculine stereotype and the danger it poses to young men’s mental health.

Throughout the timeline of traditional media—advertising, film, television and beyond—the ideal man has typically been portrayed in much the same way: a handsome, wealthy man who is humourless, stern and values their own net worth above all else. This stereotype teaches young men that in order to be successful, they need to forgo their personal beliefs, ambitions, desires and happiness in order to climb the corporate ladder, earn more money and attract more women. Driving home the message that only once they achieve these superficial successes will they be considered worthy.

This belief system has only gained momentum with the proliferation of social media. Now it’s possible to not only see “perfect” men in the media, but interact with them. Young men can now watch how these men live and breathe this stereotype every day, hear about the sacrifices they have made and learn what parts of themselves they need to shave away to fit into this harmful standard. Couple this with the hyper-radicalization of algorithmic content delivery and we end up in a culture where young men are being told they’re not good enough every time they open their phones.

In order to help young men understand that there are different ways to be a man and express your personal version of masculinity, we first need to point a finger at the true cost of becoming a “perfect” man: happiness.