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7/23/2019 'Straight Acting' and the Everyday Gay: An analysis of the represented masculinities of Only Lads users.
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Media & Cultural Studies
Pietermaritzburg Campus
Honours Research Project
2014
Straight !cting" and the #$er%da% a%' !n!nal%sis o( the Represented Masculinities o(
Only Lads)sers*
Student +umber' 211,4-.4/+ame' aric 3ones
ate o( Submission' 561162014
I declare that this research is my own work and that all the sources I
have used to prepare it have been properly acknowledged.
Signed:
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Contents
Introduction:_____________________________________________ 3
Literature Review:________________________________________ 5
Methodology:____________________________________________ 20
Data Analysis:___________________________________________ 25
Findings and Conclusions:_________________________________ 2
Acknowledgements
!t the end o" long# but incredibly rewarding $onours e%perience# it seems appropriate
to give thanks to those who made this "inal research pro&ect possible. 'o (iona# "or
your guidance# patience and support# and "or trimming the unnecessary "rills ) thank
you. 'o my "amily# who have endured more than their "air share and remained
positive ) thank you. 'o the "riends who have certainly seen the e""ects o" sleep
deprivation in action ) thank you. 'o *ed +ull ) "or that late night motivation# thank
you. !nd to ,skom# "or keeping the power on long enough "or me to "inish this "inal
write up ) thank you.
2
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Introduction
'he study o" masculinity is one that has been widely criticised by scholars in
neighbouring "ields# particularly those o" gender and -ueerness +easley# 2005/# "or its
apparent "ocus on white# middleclass heterose%uals. Indeed# comparatively there are
"ew scholars in this "ield# and "ewer still who have "ocussed on the speci"ic sub&ect o"
gay masculinity. 1uestions regarding the speci"ic norms and construction adopting
the assumption that gender is socially constructed# "or purposes o" this study/ o" gay
masculinity and the translation o" this onto particular social media plat"orms remain
somewhat une%plored.
'he very nature o" online dating is one that has "uelled much debate regarding online
identity construction# speci"ically with regards to the way individuals represent
themselves and that "act that anonymity may allow this representation to be non
linear to real world representations/. 4nly ads in particular is a somewhat generic
e%ample o" a site that "uses online dating with social networking. It is one o" the most
popular -ueer dating sites in South !"rica# having been originally developed in the
67 by *ocketware imited# it has spread steadily through much o" South !"rica8s gay
community. Its popularity is particularly due to the "act that# unlike many sites o" its
kind# the ma&ority o" the "eatures it o""ers do not re-uire a paid membership.
4nly ads# like may social networking site on the internet to one degree or another/#
utilises the idea o" an 9identity menu8 asking users to describe themselves in a series
o" dropdown menus. 4n 4nly ads# these menus ask "or in"ormation ranging "rom
the ethnic origins o" users# right through to their se%ual orientation# 9role8 and penis
si;e. It is# however# not a necessity to "ill in all o" these "ields. 6sers may also upload
a pro"ile picture and cover photo# and are given a "air bit o" space to describe
themselves and# in a separate "ield# what they seek in their potential partners.
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upload. 'he combination o" these identity menus# descriptive paragraphs and pro"ile
pictures should provide material that suggests a number o" things about# at the very
least# the way in which each user constructs his own masculinity and identity. 'his
analysis can be "urthered# however# so as to include the analysis o" the values and
societal norms that are present in the construction o" masculinities and identities o"
4nly ads8 users.
'he latter part o" this analysis will re-uire a strong theoretical component# comparing
the "indings o" this research with similar studies# and applying these "indings to
relevant theoretical ideas that would "urther an e%planation o" the data collected. 'he
theoretical backdrop will rely on masculinity studies paying particular attention to
ideas o" hegemonic masculinity# as well as alternative masculinities/# -ueerness#
identity construction and social identity theories all in the conte%t o" new media
theory. 'he nature o" the study itsel" is -ualitative and somewhat e%ploratory# with
little research into the speci"ic niche that is the representation o" masculinities on
-ueer dating sites.
Subse-uently# the research -uestions that came o" these initial investigative
hypothesises "ocussed on the represented masculinities o" Only Lads users. 'hey
highlight the aim o" the pro&ect# and have been provided below:
=. $ow do users o" 4nly ads in the South !"rica represent themselves# visually
and verbally# on 4nly ads>
2.
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Literature Review
In the analysis o" the represented masculinities o" 4nly ads users# a number o"
theories must be considered to o""er a balanced and insight"ul reading. 'his pro&ect
will make particular use o" theories surrounding hegemonic and alternate
masculinities and their construction. It will also# however# utilise theory regarding the
construction o" identity and masculinity on the internet# paying particular attention to
the use o" social media and dating sites and previous studies in this area/# and
conte%tualise these theories within a gay and South !"rican conte%t. (inally# it will
look to the conceptual "ramework laid out by ?astells surrounding identity building to
make in"erences regarding how users o" 4nly ads choose to represent themselves.
'he ,volution o" @asculinity Studies
'he study o" masculinity is certainly one that has attracted its "air share o" criticism
over the years. It has been argued to be rooted in the past# many theorists insisting that
it is vague and insu""iciently concrete +easley# 2005: =AB/ too much so to have
any real resonance among the popular postmodern age o" identity research.
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above others. 'he idea o" universali;ing characteristics o" men was not new to
society psychological and sociological studies had recogni;ed the social nature o"
masculinity ?onnell and @essershmidt# 2005: B3=/ as early as the late 508s. It
wasn8t until the A08s when a "lurry o" writings on the male role emerged# criticising it
as the source o" oppressive behaviour by men ?onnell and @essershmidt# 2005:
B3=/. $egemonic masculinity began to be understood as a the maintenance o"
practices that institutionali;eDdE men8s dominance over women and is constructed in
relation to women and to subordinate DotherE masculinities ?onnell# =CBA: =B5BF/.
@asculinity as a "ield o" research has "lourished considerably in recent years# despite
"acing criticism "or essentiali;ing the characteristics o" men. ?onnell and
@essershmidt 2005/ argue that the study o" masculinity has done so well precisely
because the underlying concept is not rei"ied or essentialist B3F/. 'hey continue#
suggesting that masculinity as a contemporary study# must be recognised not as a
"i%ed entity embedded in the body or personality traits o" individuals but as
con"igurations o" practice that are accomplished in social action B3F/. !s such#
masculinity is not limited to hegemony# nor as recent scholars have argued/ is it a
concept utterly bound to gender ) but rather a set o" varying practices that uphold
social hierarchy.
Gespite its social nature and impact on society# the "ormation o" masculinity among
young boys the transition "rom boy to man has received little attention until very
recently. In her study# which "ocussed primarily on the "ormation o" masculinity
among teenage boys particularly those who partook in 9gang8 activity/# ?hopra
2000/ suggests that learning masculinity is not simply a linear process# but rather one
that constantly changes and adapts as it8s in"luenced by class# age# gender and social
relationships. She suggests that boys are 9shaped8 into men# by other men 2000/.
'o similar e""ect# Sharon +ird =CCF/ suggests that throughout men8s lives hegemonic
masculinity norms are# and always have been# maintained by homosocial
relationships where homosociality is de"ined as the nonse%ual attractions held by
men or women/ "or members o" their own se% +ird# =CCF: =2=/. +ird uses ideas
originally theorised by ipman+lumen =CAF/ that suggest that homosociality
F
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promotes clear distinctions between women and men through segregation in social
situations +ird# =CCF: =2=/.
4ver time# the study o" masculinity has developed signi"icantly. Indeed# traditional
notions o" hegemonic masculinity argue that masculinity itsel" is largely about
dominance. +ut the continued study o" masculinity and gender has led contemporary
scholars to suggest that gender itsel" is a hierarchical relationship that involves men8s
dominance +easley# 2005: =C0/. In recent years this has been re"ined and e%panded
with pro"ound congruence# suggesting instead that masculinity should be understood
as involving oppositional relations to and dominance o"# women and men +easley#
2005 ?hopra# Gasgupta and Hane&a# 2000/. ?hopra# Gasgupta and Hane&a# in their
study o" Indian masculinities# caution against the myth o" a single# unitary#
homogenised masculinity =F0B/# one that is seen only in opposition to "emininity
through a lens o" violence and oppression# and suggest that such ideas should be
rendered obsolete.
'his is not at all to suggest that hegemonic masculinity itsel" is obsolete but rather
that it must be understood as a comple% collection o" social in"luences that are culture#
race and time speci"ic. 'his is to say# with congruence among various international
studies# that there is no one unitary "ramework "or hegemonic masculinities there are
many# and they vary by race# class# culture and generation. ?ases o" particular interest
in ?hile aldJs and 4livarrKa# =CCB/# Hapan Ishii7unt;# 2003/ and @e%ico
Lutmann# =CCF/# countries recognised "or their stringent cultural homogeneity#
convey that homogenised ideas o" masculinity# while not at all dispelled# still vary
across social and economic class.
Lutmann8s ethnographic study o" @e%ican 9machismo8 =CCF/ is particularly uni-ue
in that it studied the varying masculinities at work in a working class settlement its
conclusion went as "ar as to suggest that amid a move towards nationalised @e%ican
identities# the masculinities o" participants were peppered with con"lict between social
divisions# and were renegotiated on a daily basis. Lutmann8s research in particular#
has moved "urthest "rom traditional notions o" essentialised hegemonic masculinity
his results speak to the emerging idea that the construction o" masculinity with
particular re"erence to homogenised ideals/ is "ar more comple% than originally
A
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anticipated. 'his line o" -uestioning re-uires pushing beyond the boundaries o"
normative hegemonic theories# which are argued to be constructed against gay
masculinities +easley# 2005: 2=2/ It is necessary# within the conte%t o" this study
that masculinity be seen as multiple and nonhomogenous# with the construction o"
masculinity viewed as "ar more personalised and identity based ?onnell# 2000/.
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!lternate constructions o" masculinity# although being the newer and more comple%
component within the sphere o" masculinity studies# have received the bulk o"
research in the "ield in recent times.
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particular# that aim to reproduce a social order but# this is not necessarily always to
the de"ence o" patriarchy.
$egemonic masculinity itsel" is "ar more nuanced than most scholars in the past have
acknowledged and# as scholars have begun to suggest# is not always based on real
men. In her study on the psychology o" men# Mancy ?hodorouw =CAB/# "irst hinted at
the idea that masculinity in developing teens was based "ar more on cultural
stereotypes o" the masculine role than their individual but absent "athers Lardiner#
20=3: ==/. ?onnell and @essershmidt# too# talk to the idea that the practice o"
masculinity is a""ected by the circulation o" models o" admired masculine conduct#
which may be e%alted by churches# narrated by mass media# or celebrated by the
state ?onnell and @essershmidt# 2005: B3B/.
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like the South !"rican !ssociation o" @en S!!@/ has included restoring male
authority @orrell# 2005: 2B2/ and restoring the tattered remains o" the male image
@orrell# 2005: 2AA/.
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are "aced with gender an%iety in a nonse%ist environment# as well as a clash o"
developing cultural ideals in the construction o" their masculinities. 6sing the partial
trans"ormation o" Oulu masculinity# or ubudoda# as an illustration# one gets an idea o"
both the adaptive nature# and stubborn resilience o" masculinity# particularly within a
South !"rican conte%t.
'he "irst o" these masculinities and the oldest/ represents the traditional !"rican
gender order $emson# 200=: 5B/ placing value in physical prowess# courage and
endurance $emson# 200=: 5B/# associated with ideas like Ozinyathi Dmen like
bu""aloesE and manliness.
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that 9alternative masculinities8 are o"ten subdued and marginalised by their hegemonic
counterparts. Lay masculinities have# "or a great deal o" time# been considered an
alternative masculinity as a whole. $owever# in recent times# this view has been
altered in a great number o" ways.
$egemonic masculinity was originally theori;ed alongside the idea o" 9emphasised
"emininity8 which "oregrounds utter compliance by women with patriarchal society/#
but has since begun to be understood as multiple and varying.
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South !"rica8s progressive constitution is theori;ed to have actually hampered the
emergence o" a public -ueer community. !lthough there is evidence that this is slowly
changing particularly as gaypride "estivals become more popular/# it is also
suggested that this division is why so many gay# bise%ual and 9curious8 men have
turned to the internet.
?onstructions o" Identity and Lay @asculinity on 'he Internet.
It is important to brie"ly acknowledge -ueer theory# the study o" di""ering se%ualities#
be"ore progressing "urther. !lthough a rather minor and technical matter# it is
bene"icial to understand that an individual identi"ying as gay or straight is not
necessarily use"ul# arguing instead that most people "all somewhere on a continuum
between 9gay8 and 9straight8 not a view 4nly ads8 dropdown 9identity menu8
appears to coincide with/. Se%ually identi"ying one8s sel" is not necessarily a -uestion
o" normalising monose%ual identities !le%ander and Pescavage# 200C: 50/. !s the
authors suggest# many men who identi"y as straight but harbour samese% "antasies
are not considered gay or even bise%ual# and do not identi"y as such# but nonetheless
would "it somewhere on the spectrum between gay and straight. $ere# then# it is
important to categori;e the men that appear into the two categories that 4nly ads
o""ers# gay and bise%ual# but recogni;e that these may not necessarily represent the
actual se%uality o" each user.
@asculinity studies and -ueer theory converge on the idea that particularly with
penetrative se%# but also in terms o" intimate relationships# certain roles are o"ten
adopted by individuals. 'raditional notions o" hegemonic masculinity suggest that
within a heterose%ual conte%t# penetrative se% is associated with the enactment o"
male dominance Stoltenberg# =CC=# in +easley# 2005: 205/. 1ueer theory and
alternative masculinity theory# then# suggests that men and women/ should be able to
choose the role they pre"er "ul"illing# allowing men# too# to be both the penetrator and
the penetrated ) enacting both traditionally male and "emale roles.
Identity theory is di""icult to isolate on its own# in that it is such a blanket term
regarding the way humans socially construct themselves. (or purposes o" this study#
identity is largely covered by ideas such as masculinity# gendered roles and sel"
=
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presentation painting identity as more o" a varying network o" sel" construction#
rather than a "i%ed term. It is argued to be a re"le%ive evaluation Solomon# =CB3:
32=/# that relies &ust as steadily on our understanding o" who and what we are# as it
does on how we anticipate others will view us. 'his understanding o" identity
incorporates to a somewhat lesser degree/ the idea o" social identity theory which
suggests that the core o" an identity is the categori;ation o" the sel" as an occupant o"
a role# and the incorporation# into the sel"# o" the meanings and e%pectations
associated with that role Stets and +urke# 2000: 225/. It suggests that assuming
certain roles in society is intrinsic to the way in which we construct our identities# and
like -ueer theory# suggests that gender and se%uality are perhaps more about the
per"ormance o" roles re-uired to "it within an 9ingroup8. 'his is not only suggestive
o" the per"ormance o" certain roles# but the alteration o" one8s sel"presentation# so as
to be identi"ied as part o" a certain group.
$owever# with regards to the Mew @edia aspect o" this study# identity becomes
somewhat more di""icult to pin down# despite the "act that no aspect o" online social
li"e has received as much attention as identity +aym# 200F: =/.
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be composed o" many di""ering ideas o" who an individual thinks they are @arkus
and Murius# =CBF/ ) these 9possible selves8 are suggested to be no less authentic than
one centralised sel" representation. 'his would re"lect a more disembodied online
identity# "ocussing on multiplicity and "antasy. $owever# many theorists also argue
that anonymity# and its associated lessening o" social risk# may allow people to be
more honest and take greater risks in their sel"disclosures +aym# 200F: =/.
*esearch by 'urkle =CC5/ and $ardey 2002/ go so "ar as to suggest that virtual
reality is itsel" an edited re"lection o" o""line reality# and that o""line and online
identities have the ability to in"luence each other. 'his line o" research re"lects a "ar
more embodied notion o" online identity# "ocussing "ar more on maintaining
authenticity in sel"representations.
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'his particular study "inds great relevance in the conceptual "ramework o" @anuel
?astells with regard to online identity construction# in which he makes a clear
distinction between 9role8 and identity 200C/. ?ertain roles impact identity
construction# but their relative weight in in"luencing people8s behaviour depend upon
negotiations between individualsQ institutions and organisations ?astells# 200C: A/.
$ere# ?astells does not denounce the impact o" roles on identity "ormation# but rather
suggests that their in"luence is "ar less direct and immediate. 'he highlight o" his
argument however and a central concept in this pro&ect/ is ?astells8 induction o" three
di""ering "orms o" identity building: legitimi;ing identity# resistance identity and
pro&ect identity.
egitimi;ing identity acts to con"irm one8s place in society# legitimising cultural and
societal norms# where resistance identity is essentially an identity constructed in
opposition to these norms essentially# as ?astells describes it# 9trench war"are8/.
Nro&ect identity# though# is when this resistance moves out o" the trenches# so to speak
it is the mobili;ation o" an identity aimed at promoting social change.
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heterose%ual and homose%ual men# but instead raises a number o" -uestions about gay
masculinity ?larkson# 200F/.
Studies o" the personal advertisings o" gay men have repeatedly shown them to stress
their own masculinity above the associated "emininity that saddles notions o"
homose%uality Sanche; et al# 20=0: =05/. Narticularly in online dating# there is a
recogni;ed tendency "or gay men to emphasise interests# characteristics and interests
that are traditionally deemed masculine.
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have a tendency to reenact hegemonic masculine ideals that men and boys cling to as
protection against gender an%iety and "eelings o" powerlessness ?onnell and
@essershmidt# 2005: B2/.
'o ?onclude
In the analysis o" relevant literature# this study has seen an argument "orm "rom the
use o" theories surrounding hegemonic and alternate masculinities# and their
construction particularly within a South !"rican conte%t/. It has also looked to theory
surrounding online identity construction within the "rame o" social media and dating
sites# using previous studies within these "ields to suggests how participants choose to
represent themselves o"ten making in"erence to why/. 'he progression o" this
argument centres on the research -uestions that this pro&ect aims to answer those
regarding users visual and verbal representation# and the values and norms that may
be in"erred "rom this analysis.
=C
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Methodology Chapter
In an attempt to analyse the presented constructions o" -ueer masculinities on 4nly
ads# this pro&ect "ocuses primarily on issues surrounding hegemonic ideals o"
masculinity# alternative ideas o" masculinity and online identity construction. It is
important "or a psychosocial study# to clearly address the conte%t in which this
research pro&ect is situated.
?onsidering the interpretive nature o" this pro&ect# the methods used can be
considered -ualitative research.
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analysisQ cannot make sel" assertions about the intentions o" a te%t8s producer# nor
can it validly in"er the impact o" the te%t on readers# viewers or listeners. Geacon#
200A# =BC/
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menus8 regarding orientation# role# relationship status# age# height# race# body type#
and even penis si;e. 6sers may also decide to "ill out the adult section detailing
what they seek in a se%ual partner/# as well as sections that allow users to select what
they seek in potential partners and describe themselves in their own words. 4nly ads
is entirely uni-ue as a case study# in that it is the only popular gay dating site that
makes use o" a dropdown menu "or users to select distinct characteristics to describe
themselves ) o""ering an insight# perhaps# into the valued character traits among gay
and bise%ual men in South !"rica. 6sers can# however# choose to leave all the
in"ormation menus blanks# as well as the descriptive "ields even uploading a pro"ile
picture is optional. 4nly ads# though# di""ers distinctly "rom (acebook in that it is
aimed speci"ically at gay and bise%ual men# and "unctions as a dating site.
6n"ortunately# upon closer inspection# =5 o" the original B0 pro"iles contained too
little in"ormation to be use"ul ) having "illed in neither descriptive "ield and uploaded
no pro"ile picture a trend among some users seems to be to leave almost every
in"ormation "ield blank/. It is important that such pro"iles be discarded "rom the "inal
analysis signi"icantly lowering the number o" pro"iles to be e%amined to a "ar more
manageable number. 'he basic in"ormation o" these pro"iles# however# was still
recorded# and in"erences may still be drawn "rom this data. !nalysis o" the remaining
pro"iles will begin at a conte%tual level# regarding the in"ormation they provide in the
dropdown menus available. $ere# pro"iles were separated and categori;ed based on
commonalities in their selected role and orientation# be"ore a content analysis o"
all the in"ormation provided in the dropdown menus# and a brie" te%tual analysis o"
the accompanying photos was per"ormed. 'hen# this pro&ect speci"ically analysed the
words 4nly ads members used to describe themselves in the descriptive "ields on
their pro"iles in relation to the in"ormation they provided via dropdown menus#
regarding orientation and 9role8/# and the pictures that accompany them# utilising the
di""ering "orms o" discourse analysis detailed below. In this case# the combination o"
content# te%tual and discourse analyses should highlight the norms and values
implicated in the construction o" the masculinities o" each user.
4" the methods o" te%tual analysis# this pro&ect has relied on discourse analysis# "or its
ability to deconstruct and highlight sometimes comple% structures and connotations
within a te%t. Giscourse analysis# though# is incredibly comple% in itsel"# relying on
22
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more than one aspect in dissecting a te%t this particular pro&ect "ocussed more on the
idea o" per"orming an ideological analysis which# as +rennen 20=2/ suggests# should
have identi"ied the dominant ideologies o" individuals# groups or communities. In this
case# an indication o" the norms and values implicated in the construction o" the
masculinities o" each user should be a""orded# as well as a suggestive spectrum o" the
di""erent norms and values at work in the construction o" masculinities on 4nly ads.
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'he second o" these concerns the 9digital divide8 the impact o" socioeconomic
"actors in limiting access to technology# which is o" prevalent concern# especially in
!"rican countries and suggests that the ma&ority o" workingclass South !"ricans do
not have internet access due to a lack o" resources# government in"rastructure and
educational discrepancy/ and are perhaps not as e%posed to notion o" a -ueer
community# online or o""line.
Lraeme *eid suggests that despite South !"rica8s progressive constitution# ideas o"
homose%uality are seen to threaten traditional values# ideals and practices. 'he idea o"
being 9out and proud8 is not a lu%ury a""orded to many -ueer !"rican men in small
town communities *eid# 20=3/.
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Data Analysis
Nrevious chapters have looked to establish a theoretical "ramework "rom which to
base analysis# one that has outlined the comple% and multi"aceted nature o"
masculinity and identity construction. 'his chapter will "ocus primarily on previous
studies that have analysed the rerepresentation o" gay identities on online dating
sites# *aewyn ?onnell8s reevaluation o" masculinity and ?astell8s theoretical
"ramework "or identity building# and applying these to the data collected. 'o do this#
the data has been split into di""ering categories: a rough statistical overview# the
9looking "or8 descriptive "ield# the 9about me8 descriptive "ield# the pre"erred 9type8 o"
each participant and the pro"iles pictures that accompany pro"iles.
Gemographics
able !"! addresses the racial demographic o" all B0 o" the 4nly ads pro"iles
collected# the blank pro"iles are represented by the red additions.
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this ma&ority is only 53T. In addition to this# 2C T o" the pro"iles collected are
attributed to black South !"rican men# despite un"avourable preconditions. !sian men
make up a "urther C T# and those o" mi%ed race the "inal C T.
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participants o" mi%ed race# the proportion o" men who consider themselves to be gay
is "ar greater than those who selected bise%uality. Interestingly enough# o" the pro"iles
o" mi%ed race men# si% listed themselves as bise%ual and only one described himsel"
to be gay. 'his may well be a misrepresentation in the sampling group# as there is no
discernable cultural phenomenon that speaks to the cause o" such a statistic.
*egardless# "urther research would be needed to reassess this data# and i" the anomaly
persists ) perhaps to investigate it "urther.
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#ra$h !"% illustrates a summative view o" the general desires o" each age group
while this does not isolate speci"ic instances# it gives a general "eel "or the di""ering
aims o" each age group. !mong bise%ual men# these trends are rather distinct.
"asic In#ormation! and the Multiplicity o# Chat$
'he ma&ority o" 4nly ads8 bise%ual users seem to seek "riendship and chat with
other men who "eel samese% attraction. ?hat# can be broken down into three
subcategories: when paired with "riends# one assumes it centralises on the idea o"
"riendly communication# the e%change o" banter with the possibility "or "riendship
and perhaps more# as many users stipulate/ when alone# it suggests the maintenance
o" distance# taking on discreet or covert connotations ) perhaps to sate a vague
curiosity# or a se%ual one and when used in con&unction with == !ction# however#
the implications o" chat become "ar more se%ual# as the possibility o" physical
interaction emerges. 'he combination o" all three chat# "riendship and == action/
opens up a myriad o" possibilities "or the user# suggesting an openness to whatever
may pi-ue their interest whether they choose to "ollow through on this interest is
another matter.
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'he ma&ority o" these pro"iles# however# those that select 9== !ction8 or 9Lroup
!ction8# e%ist within the realm o" the hypermasculine# where social and se%ual
dominance oo;e "rom the 9ooking (or8 descriptive "ields. Gemands are curt# and a
seemingly palpable need "or physicality is somewhat evident ) certain "ields
consisting o" only monosyllabic desires: MS! Giscreet=# 32/# or twinks ?odi#
25/. Some needs are so urgent that they perhaps bypass those negative traits# like
racism# associated with traditional notions o" South !"rican hegemonic masculinity
Swart# 200=# ?ocks# 200=# @orrell 200=# *eid# 20=3/: any race# but good looking
please Mtoka# 2F/. In total# o" the participants who listed == and Lroup !ction as
their desired activities whether alone or in other combinations/# eighty percent
e%hibited one or more characteristics associated with hegemonic South !"rican
masculinity in the 9ooking (or8 descriptive "ield speci"ically: racism# anti
e""eminacy# overt se%ual desire# se%ual prowess# homophobia# rein"orcing social
superiority through status# diminutive language and opposition# and "inally the
repression o" "eeling and homose%ual desire/.
'here is# however# the odd propensity "or a""ection# "or tenderness amid such raw
physicality.
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It is possible to detect# here# between the presented hypermasculinity and the brie"
"lirtation withfeeling# a "ear among Only Lads users. It is almost certainly the "ear o"
identi"ication# o" social e%posure# and perhaps something more ) the "ear o" lost
privilege. ,ight o" the total 2 bise%ual pro"iles use pictures that include their own
"aces ) only "our o" these are unobscured. 'he concept o" discretion# o" being
9straight acting8 is incredibly common here# =B pro"iles re"erencing it in one "orm or
another. 'his is in line with ?onnell and @essershmidt8s 2005/ suggestion o" the
continuation o" homose%ual guilt# the sel"reproach o" se%ual abnormality that drives
men to adopt traits synonymous with hegemonic masculinity. Straightacting is the
term most o"ten used by gay# bise%ual and curious men "or this normality# and it is
certainly one that will be "urther discussed. 'he overcompensation o" men with
samese% desires is consistent with suggestions that the establishment o" the sel" as
hypermasculine is a de"ence mechanism to ward o"" gender an%iety and "eelings o"
powerlessness ?onnell and @essershmidt# 2005/.
#ra$h!" the desired activities o" gay men# paints a very di""erent picture. !mong all the
options o""ered# the most desired activity is the establishing o" a relationship# across
all ages "riendship is a close second# and chat is third.
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degree. ,ither# these pro"iles e%hibit a strong desire only "or the immediate# to "ul"il
the meantime# or they turn their ga;e to the hori;on in short# the divide here is
between the search "or immediate se%ual "ul"ilment and the desire "or long term
a""ection.
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Gue to the sheer volume o" material# it is impossible to o""er an in depth analysis o"
each individual pro"ile.
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relies on cultural and societal hegemony to determine e%actly what straight men act
like and as we8ve already seen# masculinity# what it is to be a 9manly# is incredibly
di""icult to isolate and de"ine.
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!s ?astells 200C/ suggests# legitimi;ing identities are constructed around e%isting
cultural and societal norms# o"ten actually lending support to whatever systemic
practices or belie"s may e%ist there. In line with this# the straight acting identities
presented have a tendency to portray racism as utterly acceptable# so long as people
are reasonably polite about it: regretQ 4MP
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!"rica. It is no surprise# then# that a great deal o" the pro"ile pictures on Only Ladsare
o" muscled# bare torsos. Neacocking# is a term that seems ideally suited to this
phenomenon: 9look at how strong I am8# 9look at how much work I put into my body8#
9look at my raw se%uality8. It seems &ust as much about advertising about instilling
desire in the onlooker ) the purpose o" appearing on Only Ladsis# a"ter all# to attract
and meet other men# "or whatever desired outcome. 'here is# however# a certain
degree o" vulnerability to these users. 4" the shirtless photographs# two members
show their "aces# the rest make sure to maintain their anonymity and all o" these
photos# without e%ception# are 9sel"ies8. 'here8s a degree o" isolation to the 9sel"ie8#
especially when it is within the enclosed walls o" the toilet stall. 'his could possibly
speak more to the tension and otherness gay and bise%ual men and certainly their
displays o" a""ection or desire/ e%perience at the hands o" their heterose%ual
counterparts# more than a pure e%pression o" physicality and se%uality. @ost likely#
these photos represent a comple% interaction between all o" these "actors an area that
would re-uire "urther in depth study to better understand.
(lippy# 22/ Nlesierspier# 23/
Slightly aside "rom this tendency# but no less popular# is that o" the discreet pro"ile
picture. ! "ew o" these are merely 3rdparty photographs pictures o" cars# landscapes#
"ootball teams or something humorous. 'he aim o" these photographs is -uite
obviously the maintenance o" discretion# something their descriptions mention# and
perhaps stem "rom a lack o" con"idence in their appearance# or a combination o" the
two.
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pro"iles must rely on their descriptive "ields ) and sometimes o""er up more
in"ormation to compensate# as we have already seen "rom these two:
!ustin# =C/ Stegman# 20/
'he third and "inal category o" pro"ile pictures# is that o" the "acial picture. 'hese are
not always# however# as e%posing as this category may suggest. @any users add
partial "acial pictures the top o" their heads# an ultra closeup o" their mouth# a slight
"acial pro"ile "rom behind or perhaps simply obscuring their "eatures with props and
"ilters. Nartially obscured "acial photographs are most common among participants
re-uesting discretion. 6nobscured "acial photographs# are not uncommon among gay
pro"iles less so among bise%ual men/# and are most common among those who
display resistance and pro&ect identities.
4ra# 22/ ?upraboy25# 2F/
Nro&ect
Identities and
the ,veryday
Lay.
3B
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'he di""iculty with socially constructing an identity is that there are always binaries to
consider# subconscious relationships between how people act and who they are. 'o be
9normal8 is to situate onesel" within the 9in group8# established by detecting how 9they8
operate. 'o be original is to be new# une%perienced by the world# undoubtedly aside
"rom both 9we8 and 9they8. 'he problem here is that originality is practically
impossible ) it8s not how humans "unction ) to choose to be distinct within the in
group is to risk e%isting without the in group. 'his is the line that the largest
proportion o" Only Ladsusers tread with e%treme caution.
'hey do not describe themselves as straight acting# but aim instead to be nothing
e%ceptional ) to embrace normality and "ly under the veritable radar. 'he most
common sel"attribution is the idea o" normalcy# o" commonality. Gown to earth#
simple oke# normal guy and countless variations on theme e%ist across both gay
and bise%ual men. !s ?larkson 2005/ and Nayne 200A/ suggest# and as previously
discussed# there is a tendency among gay and bise%ual men to shield themselves "rom
the an%iety# tension and otherness they e%perience at the hands o" heterose%ual men
by adopting 9straight acting8 personas. ?larkson and Nayne also recognise that being
straight acting seems to go hand in hand with the complete normali;ation o" one8s
persona. 'his is a normali;ation in the sense that the image o" normality# o" the
everyday man# is evoked as a shield o" sorts ) protection "rom the critical ga;e o"
society.
'his study did not so much "ind that the two went hand in hand# but rather that the
overwhelming ma&ority o" pro"iles e%hibited this evocation o" the everyday man.
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?astells8 theory surrounding resistance identity building is probably what resonated
most with this kind o" masculine construction.
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bitch 4ra# 22/# also stipulating his noncon"ormity# the other approaches the entire
process o" creating a pro"ile on Only Ladswith a sense o" humorous criticism:
/0iggs rimming tight+ firm buttock holes""" here seems to be a ton load of
11real+ honest+ straight acting+ etc11 guys around here+ these are bo2es we
confine oursel-es in+ all in the name of finding someone to fuck""""busy
im$ressing one another with lies"""" 3when in 4ome"""""""""""""""""""5
'he e%tract provided# while certainly containing a sense o" humour# conveys a -uiet
sense o" resignation ) the opinion o" the veritable 9they8# looking in on the 9we8. $e#
although rather crudely# accurately points to the "laws he spots in the use o" Only
Lads# and o" contemporary constructions o" gay and bise%ual masculinity in general.
'he only choice he can spy# is to &oin the "lock# to engage in the pretence.
=
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Findings and Conclusions
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cannot 9be8 the part. 'his is not to suggest that participants who identi"y as straight
acting necessarily want to be straight# but rather that i" they cannot repress their
homose%uality# they can smother themselves in masculinity.
Straightacting# when identi"ied in this particular pro&ect# seems to be an ode to
hegemony# to the dominance o" heterose%ual notions o" masculinity. (or the men who
use it to describe themselves# it seems to be to rea""irm their own masculinity# and
their power within society. 4"ten# it is paired with words that rein"orce the dominance
o" the author# over both men and women# cementing his place within the realm o"
hegemonic masculinity. Nerhaps# as Nayne and ?onnell and @essershmidt suggest# it
is an attempt to reclaim the privilege that comes with being a heterose%ual man
particularly in the conte%t o" white South !"ricans/# perhaps it is simply the desire to
"it in. *egardless# the term seems to "unction as a de"ence mechanism# distancing the
author "rom the e""eminate gay stereotype# and aligning him with a masculinity that is
"ar more com"ortable within the "rame o" hegemonic notions o" male identity.
Surprisingly# it is not the most popular term among the sel"descriptions o"
participants though it is the most popular trait that is sought a"ter by users. 'his can
perhaps be posited to a slightly di""erent understanding o" the term ) in the description
o" 9others8# where straightacting is selected "rom a dropdown menu. 4ne could
instead suggest that it is understood here as a blanket term "or being 9normal8 and
"itting in especially where among the alternative suggestions there is nothing that
implies the 9ordinary8/# instead o" within the sel" descriptions ) where it is active# and
o"ten en"orced with traces o" the "orce"ulness and overt physicality o" hyper
masculinity.
!t the opposite end o" the spectrum are those who openly disregard the conventions
o" orthodo% masculinity# or at least show an understanding o" how they aren8t letting it
in"luence them. 'hese aren8t necessarily users who display traditionally "eminine
-ualities# as a "ew e%amples show# although the ma&ority o" these pro"iles e%hibit such
behaviour. 4"ten# these pro"iles are -uestioning o" the behaviour o" their peers#
-uestioning o" society at large ) con"used as to what is e%pected o" them. Some ask
rhetorical -uestions# or openly oppose themselves to the cultural conventions o" being
a man the uniting trait o" these pro"iles# however# is their acknowledgement that they
3
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do not "it the mould. 'hey have no desire to 9act8 as heterose%ual men do# and they
have no desire to be 9normal8.
Surprisingly# and somewhat opposed to the studies that have gone be"ore it# the
overwhelming tendency among South !"rican users o" Only Ladsis to represent
themselves as entirely une%ceptional. 'he con&uration o" the ordinary# o" the
9everyday man8# is evident in close to seventy percent o" the pro"iles collected. (or the
sake o" convenience# within the established spectrum o" masculinities# these pro"iles
are placed between straightacting participants and those who show disregard "or the
conventions o" hegemonic masculinity.
'he adoption o" the ordinary "unctions much like the use o" 9straightacting8: as a
shield against the critical ga;e o" heterose%ual peers# as a barrier between the author
and the e""eminate stereotype. 'his social camou"lage does not go so "ar as to
legitimi;e hegemonic notions o" masculinity in that it is not active in its support
rather# it is a silent resistance ) trench war"are# as @anuel ?astells puts it when
describing this "orm o" resistant identity building.
'he implications o" the 9everyday8 pro"iles# o" the keywords in their sel" descriptions
down to earth# normal# average guy/# is that there is still great di""iculty in
e%pressing gay identity in South !"rica.
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within the process o" this study to re"rain wherever possible "rom instances o" weak
analysis# sweeping generalisation and researcher bias. !side "rom this# the relatively
small sample group is a limitation ) and "uture research could certainly bene"it "rom a
larger data pool.
In terms o" ascertaining an understanding o" how users represent themselves and their
masculinity# the actual plat"orm on which this study was conducted# Only Lads# could
be considered a limitation. 'he site itsel" is limited in its drop down menu selection#
not allowing "or the selection o" orientations other than gay or bise%ual.
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@any participants are not hesitant to show their "aces in their pro"ile pictures# and the
pictures used by the 9everyday8 men# while never too "lamboyant or consistently
unobscured# are indicative o" a desire "or both openness and anonymity. It is perhaps a
con"used narrative# but one that speaks to the personali;ation o" authentic identity and
the pro&ection o" e%actly what is re-uired by societal convention. Nro"iles on Only
Ladsare no doubt about advertising the sel" "or whatever aim/# and so these pro"ile
pictures o""er enough to be o" interest# but not enough to stand outside o" the norm o"
masculine behaviour.
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