Beefcake versus cheesecake in the 1990s: Sexist portrayals of both genders in television commercials

Abstract

After nearly three decades, the issue of gender portrayals in advertising continues to generate debate among scholars and practitioners alike. The literature chronicles a tradition of sex stereotyping, attractive caricatures, and gender‐specific product‐model relations. Amidst concerns that such protrayals fulfill hegemonic functions, the present study investigates the extent to which sexism is used in television advertising, focusing on male as well as female portrayals.

Content analysis of advertising from one week's worth of major network television programming (n = 505) confirms general trends noted in the literature. Both women and men were depicted largely in stereotypical “traditional”; roles, though women were twice as likely to be shown as “cheesecake”; than men were as “beefcake.”; This seems inconsistent with research on prime‐time television since 1980, an era when women were afforded more respect, intelligence, and independence. Yet men were no more likely than women to be presented in stereotypical product‐model relations, as both genders appear equally in a nonfunctional, decorative, or functional role in relation to the product they endorsed. Implications of study findings are discussed.

Key words:

• gender
• sexism
• TV commercials