Representation of New Zealand masculinity in beer advertising Essay

Representation of New Zealand masculinity in beer advertising - Essay Example This "Representation of New Zealand masculinity in beer advertising" essay outlines the connection between traditional New Zealand's sports games, masculinity and how media used this in a beer commercial. During peace times rugby was one of the sporting events in which the Kiwis took pride. Rugby gave a feeling of masculinity and enhanced manhood to the Kiwis in the early years. When Edmund Hillary along with tensing reached the world’s highest peak, it was taken as an expression of New Zealand’s Anglo-Saxon manhood. He depicted colonial honesty. This Kiwi hero had a warm and caring heart who dedicated his life to the concern and welfare of the people of the Himalayas. Peter Snell, a gold medalist at the Rome Olympics, became the personification of Kiwi manhood. He too had immense muscular strength and was extremely modest. These were connected with masculinity but along with these, the culture of beer and alcohol added to the image of manhood. The New Zealand man had an image of being strong, resilient, and modest. He could hold his own drink, yarn with his mates, and eventually settle down as a family man. Hence, beer, alcohol, muscles, murder, adventurous activities, was all associated with masculinity. What added to the image was that after all this, such a man was even a successful family man. These ‘good keen men’ of Barry Crump won secret admiration from the male counterparts. As family bond strengthened in New Zealand, men started identifying themselves with the traditional heroes and the male culture.