Masculinity In Sports

Words: 3113
Pages: 13

Multimillion-dollar companies have linked the historical development of modern men’s sport with the consumption of products through financial promotion and sponsorship. The alcohol industries play a major role when it comes to sport events across the world. Advertisements by the alcohol industry set the expectations of masculinity. They influence the images of masculinity and tend to teach more about creating a stylish, attractive and desirable life rather than qualities of the product itself. The advertisements are made in such a way that makes the viewer believe that buying the product will help achieve these things. The advertisements invoke feelings, leaving the viewer with a sense of longing for more.
This led me to my research question;
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The Budweiser FIFA World Cup Commercial begins with a view of the stadium. The football announcer in the background says, “It all comes down to this penalty kick” which is an awaiting moment for everyone watching the commercial as well as those in the commercial. The player is Brazilian, with a hostile face. As soon as the Brazilian player prepares to kick, the audience in the stadium raises pieces of images that altogether create an image of a girl wearing a Hawaiian beach costume. The announcer then says this is the “old distracted goalie trick.”11 The commercial makes the assumption that men are heterosexual and women are keys to distraction. This is an aspect of masculinity that is defined in all cultures. Men are meant to be attracted to women and the inability to do so results in humiliation by the public.
With the Argentinean goalie distracted by the image of the Hawaiian model the Argentinean fans begin to look worried. They on the other hand also begin to raise images that add up to show a bottle and glass of beer. This makes the Brazilian player surprised and causes him to miss the penalty kick allowing Argentina to win the tournament. The purpose of the advertisement is to show that beer can be more powerful than women. It shows what men should value and also their expectations.
This commercial not only helps convey the importance of beer in the lives of men but also brings forth the idea of “winning unfair.” The expectation of masculinity is to win no matter what, whether it is violence, cheating or