Images and representations of masculinity in brazilian soap operas

Abstract

Initially thought as a product for women, soap operas have changed over the years and have achieved men as a consumer public. One aspect of this change can be seen in merchandising (visual and social). Thus, the electronic serials contribute to the visualization, construction, maintenance and redefinition of the "being a man" and the masculinities in contemporary, playing an important role as source of knowledge for the majority of the population, triggering images and experiences. To discuss the relationship between masculinity and Brazilian soap opera, was conducted interviews with five women and eleven men, whose ages were between 18 and 30 years old. The objective of the research was to understand the relationship that men and women from Belém, Pará, have with electronic serials, as well as what representations of masculinity they identify in Brazilian soap operas today. It will be possible to see a change in the male types that are aired currently. However, the profile recurrently identified is still the heterosexual one, marked by virility, despite new characters related to the metrosexual mode of being and homosexuality that occupy more and more spaces and are remembered by the interlocutors. Keywords: Masculinities; Brazilian soap operas; Representation