| Instructor: Dr Kenneth
Chan |
Student Essay
Masculinity and the Father Figure
by
Toh Xing Yu
“You
never actually own a Patek Philippe. You merely take
care of it for the next generation.” This is the tagline
featured in Patek Philippe advertisements. Patek Philippe
watches are exquisite handcrafted timepieces boasting
of excellent artistry and utmost skill. The focal point
in this particular Patek Philippe print advertisement
is the photograph of a child being cradled by his father
who is reclining on an ergonomically designed arm chair.
Such a poignant image definitely tugs at the heart strings
of the reader but beneath this lies a very sophisticated
deployment of three notions of masculinity. The most
prominent image of masculinity constructed here is its
connection to fatherhood. Upon closer examination, the
‘father’ is presented as a heterosexual and married
white male. The ad also points to economic stability
or wealth, for to acquire such an esteemed watch would
set one back by an amount ranging from US$8850 to US$3.2
million. There is even an ingenious fusion of both the
traditional and contemporary notions of masculinity.
While drawing on the traditional and patriarchal prescriptions
of masculinity, the designers of this advertisement
have also attempted to present the contemporary aspect,
especially of fatherhood. So, in a time of shifting
economic, legal, moral and social conditions, have traditional
and patriarchal masculine gender roles also shifted
with time or are they becoming undermined?
The
watch, like the idea of masculinity being portrayed
here, is represented as being able to keep up with the
times. The tagline in the ad cleverly plays both towards
the traditional and the contemporary notions of masculinity.
It implies that the watch, owned by one, serves as a
statement of excellence, but the key is when it is passed
down to the next generation, the watch would still be
au courant. This idea is reinforced visually with the
aid of the watch in the ad. The featured watch, “Annual
Calendar,” boasts of classic stylishness and yet still
has a modern feel about it. The chain, the shape of
the watch face and the roman numerals give the watch
a very classic appearance while the design of the details
on the watch face provides the modern appeal. The photograph
in sepia enhances the stylishness of the ad, adding
a refined touch to the overall effect.
The
loving father-and-son bond is conveyed very effectively
in the photograph, which depicts a boy in pajamas, probably
of age seven or eight, lying upon his father’s torso
as he falls asleep. The father holds on to the boy reassuringly
and is also in a state of repose. The physical closeness
is a representation of the boy’s reliance on his father
for emotional comfort and security. Still the photograph
conveys a lot more, as we tend to automatically assume
that the boy will also rely on his father as a disciplinarian,
financial provider, breadwinner and a nurturing mentor.
After all, the watch will be passed down from his father
to him, as the tagline indicates, to embrace and continue
the excellence as their own tradition. But what is it
that so naturally leads us to assume the reliance of
the child on his father? It is the influence of the
system of patriarchy which we can all identify with.
In
a bid to keep up with the times, the designers of this
ad attempt to put across the fact that fatherhood is
now fashionable. Traditionally, the mother and child
are the ones widely depicted in photographs and paintings,
like the many paintings of Madonna and Child. In patriarchal
families, fathers are distant figures, often too busy
with breadwinning responsibilities to be involved with
their children. But today, bonding with his child is
an essential element in a father’s parental duty, as
it is acknowledged that fathers too play a crucial role
in the emotional nurturing of a child, a responsibility
that was previously attributed to the mother alone.
However,
there is a rapid rise today in the number of single
mothers by choice who “head” their families. About one
quarter of the households in the United States are now
“female-headed,” and more than 50 percent of African-American
households. Concurrently, there has been a very rapid
drop in the number of “traditional” families composed
of a male breadwinner plus a full-time female homemaker
(Ehrenreich 285). The biological experiences of pregnancy
and lactation generate a strong, instinctual drive in
women to nurture. It is argued that in the absence of
these experiences, men do not have an instinctual drive
to nurture infants and children. With economic independence,
women no longer have to wait for the men to bring home
the bacon. So it is plausible that the female can function
both as a head of the house and at the same time nurture
her children. This leaves the household dominance of
the father hanging precariously.
The
ring on the fourth finger of the “father” primarily
signifies his heterosexuality and also declares his
marital status. The people behind this ad have been
meticulous in the details. Fathers are understood as
having a unique and essential role to play in child
development, especially for boys who need a male role
model in order to establish a psychologically healthy
masculine gender identity. The traditional perspective
assumes too that responsible fathering is most likely
to occur within the context of heterosexual marriage.
The
photograph establishes a middle-to-high income family
setting with skillful use of props in the photo such
as the expensive-looking ergonomically designed arm
chair. With the newspapers laid open on his lap and
one hand securing it, the well-groomed father seems
to have been reading the papers before he was abruptly
called to perform his paternal duty. This portrays the
father as an educated person, who is keeping abreast
with the latest information. The role of a man in the
labour market ties in with his duty as an economic provider
to his family.
Yet,
as mentioned earlier, women are no longer dependent
on men for their financial needs. With dual income families
becoming the norm rather than the anomaly nowadays,
men have relinquished their position of economic importance.
Men find it hard to affirm their position of worth as
a financial provider. Interestingly, about 50 percent
of divorced fathers are defaulting on their child-support
payments (Ehrenreich 285). This seems to be an indication
that men are increasingly shirking their economic responsibility
to their offspring. That does point to a decline of
patriarchy.
Hegemonic
masculinity is slowly being eroded, to the delight of
feminists. While there has been some attempt to redefine
the traditional gender role norms to make them pertinent
to the contemporary society, the heterosexual father
figure as the head of the house, the role model to his
children and as the economic provider is still being
challenged by women. Although I believe the father figure
is still a rather crucial element in families, especially
in the East, there is no point in stubbornly adhering
to patriarchal gender roles. Men need to constantly
reconstruct masculinity and hopefully strike a harmonious
balance with the increasingly potent force- feminism.
Works Cited
Silverstein. Louise. “Deconstructing the Essential
Father.” Editorial. American Psychologist.
June 1999.
Ehrenreich, Barbara. “The Decline of Patriarchy.” Constructing
Masculinity. Eds. Maurice
Berger, et al. New York: Routledge, 1995. 284-290.
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