The Drink of a Real Man Essay Example for Free

The Drink of a Real Man Essay What makes a man? Is it ruggedness and toughness? Is it dominance and patriotism? Does a man drink only the hardest liquor to prove his manhood? Jim Beam thinks so. In the depths of this Jim Bean Bourbon advertisement lies a stereotype in American society that is inaccurate. Through the language of colors, font, and actual text, men get an idea of what a real man should be. A â€Å"real man† should have the qualities of bravery and toughness. Men are constantly pressured by society to act tough for people to respect them. A real man would drink Jim Beam Bourbon rather than a flavorful drink that tastes good. The real definition of a man, in Jim Beam’s case, is a dominant, strong human being. The message the advertisement promotes constrict men by denying the variety of qualities any man might possess and further advocates the stereotype of how men have to be tough in order to be considered a real man. At first glance, you notice the massive, bold, white font in the middle of the compelling advertisement. It is near impossible to avoid this writing because the letters pop out at you. On the left side of the advertisement, the bold lettering reads â€Å"President Truman Drinks a Glass of Bourbon Every Day, and on the right side of the ad continues, â€Å"Then He Kicked The Commies Out of South Korea. These words imply several different meanings in the text itself. The advertisement refers to President Truman as a symbol of patriotism and independence. The ad condones â€Å"kicking the commies out of South Korea† because Jim Beam is patriotic and wants independence. The text illustrates a cause and effect chart; President Truman drinks bourbon every day, the effect is he gained manhood and patriotism, and kicked the communists out of South Korea. This advertisement purposely chooses to promote the â€Å"good† qualities of manhood, which include masculinity, sturdiness, and toughness. The colors in the advertisement display masculinity as the background has an aged wood look mixed with some colors of brown, white, black, copper, and sea green. These colors are dull and attract the male eye because of its manly color scheme. On the left half of the advertisement there is a picture of an eagle carved into a wooden slab. The wood is very uneven and rugged, to symbolize how a man is also rugged and emotionally rough. The eagle is America’s national bird; it represents a symbol of freedom and patriotism. Through this eagle alone, the advertisement promotes patriotism and the idea that real men who drink Jim Beam Bourbon are patriotic, just as President Truman did. The eagle is also a symbol for strength and courage, two characteristics that a â€Å"real man† must possess. The right side of the page displays a Jim Beam bottle of bourbon with a wall of old, antique pictures hanging up slightly faded in the background. The picture that most stands out is the one of the owl on the far right, which symbolizes perfect wisdom, in this case, the wisdom for a man to pick Jim Beam Bourbon over any other alcohol brand. The picture of the actual bourbon bottle is slightly hidden behind the text that reads â€Å"Then He Kicked The Commies Out of South Korea†, and is placed in the middle of a wooden table. The placement of the bourbon bottle could represent stability and strength, which is what America was built on. This advertisement is very pleasing to men because it makes them feel strong and patriotic and Jim Beam bourbon can define them as â€Å"real men†. This advertisement appeals to almost every American man old enough to drink, specifically the men who love this country and the idea that American men can conquer any situation. The subtext under the bottle on the right half of the advertisement reads, â€Å"Bourbon is America’s official native spirit. Jim Beam is the number one bourbon in the world. Maybe that’s because since 1975 we’ve been about the stuff inside. TheStuffInside.com†. The text comforts you because it claims bourbon is the official native spirit of America and Jim Beam is the number one bourbon in the world providing a sense of security. This allows Americans to drink Jim Beam and know that their country made this and allows them to appreciate the patriotism that comes with it. For this reason, the words â€Å"We’ve been about the stuff inside,† are significant as well because they have a double meaning. They can mean the actual bourbon contained in the glass bottle itself, or the strength and the characteristics of what makes a man on the inside. Jim Beam will help men feel strong because they are drinking the bourbon that President Truman drank to beat the communists. Men who see this advertisement will think that drinking Jim Beam bourbon will make them feel more important, more patriotic, and more masculine. What these men will not see is the advertisement is not only selling the item for consumption, but also selling ideas about American culture. Underneath the colors, underneath the font, underneath the pictures, this advertisement is essentially selling the idea that the perfect man must be strong, patriotic, aggressive, and dominate. This ad reinforces this stereotype of men, insisting that there is only one kind of man that can actually be called a real man. This real man is forcibly strong, patriotic, and tough. Overall, the advertisement conveyed it’s message about how strong, patriotic American men drink Jim Beam Bourbon, but it does not take into consideration the remaining population of American men who are not strong or patriotic.