The Budweiser men

 Critically, the reader can raise questions as to what exactly defines a Budweiser drinker’s “friend”.  As seen in other advertisements in this analysis, whenever the word “friend” is used, there is usually multiple men around, smiling and having a few laughs. Rarely will the word “friend” be seen in an advertisement with a woman. While the male bartender serving in this advertisement is happy to serve these two smiling gentlemen, they are the ones being served in the advertisement and therefore they have the power.  Also, we must ask questions about what is not shown in the advertisement typical of many bars.  The text that describes the tavern as “a friendly spot…Always something to talk about” implies that outside of the bar, there is no friends, and nothing to talk about.  Also, if these two men’s diet were really Budweiser and popcorn, they probably wouldn’t look as fit as they do in this advertisement. (http://jamiethomaslong.wordpress.com/writing-2/public-relations/the-budweiser-boys-how-has-budweiser-coded-the-american-male-beer-drinker/)




By using things such as sports, women, and friends, Budweiser has defined to many viewers what the American male has considered desirable. By taking a cultural studies approach to critique the texts of the last fifty years, this study hopes to draw attention to the question: How has Budweiser coded the American Male Beer Drinker in its advertisements?  (http://jamiethomaslong.wordpress.com/writing-2/public-relations/the-budweiser-boys-how-has-budweiser-coded-the-american-male-beer-drinker/)

 One author feels that cultural studies have no pin-pointed exact origins. He discusses about how it is infinitely open-ended, as those who choose to participate are always expanding on the meanings of current cultural views themselves. While never becoming a “master-discourse”, cultural studies always seeks to connect to those who choose to participate in it. However, this author chose to draw connections between cultural studies and Marxism. (Hall 264) (http://jamiethomaslong.wordpress.com/writing-2/public-relations/the-budweiser-boys-how-has-budweiser-coded-the-american-male-beer-drinker/)

            Both cultural studies and Marxism deal with power struggles and issues of class. Cultural studies show a conflict over meaning in many different cultures, including but not limited to gender, race, and class. (Agger 9) (http://jamiethomaslong.wordpress.com/writing-2/public-relations/the-budweiser-boys-how-has-budweiser-coded-the-american-male-beer-drinker/)

Cultural studies and critical theory must be absolutely taken into account when working in the public relations, advertising, or promotional fields. Basic knowledge is that the company releasing the product must make sure not to slander/offend anyone in their advertisements. Advertisers try to appeal to their target audience without offending those not included in the advertisements. This dual role is vital if a company wishes to maintain good public relations (http://jamiethomaslong.wordpress.com/writing-2/public-relations/the-budweiser-boys-how-has-budweiser-coded-the-american-male-beer-drinker/)

Many studies discussed how the use of beer in advertisements gives the age-old idea that “everyone is drinking”. One study said that in the television series Cheers, beer was a “common ideological frame that all recognize and use, even if many are opposed to it”. It states that Cheers “naturalized” beer-drinking in their episodes by using humor, camaraderie, and detoxification as narrative devices. These narrative devices allow the audience to identify with the beer-drinkers, and thus they become the empowered in the text. (Hundley 352) (http://jamiethomaslong.wordpress.com/writing-2/public-relations/the-budweiser-boys-how-has-budweiser-coded-the-american-male-beer-drinker/)

            Beer and liquor themselves are viewed as masculine past-times, while up until more recently women drinkers  were viewed in a negative light. One article writes about how the roles of women are dumbed-down compared to the men in the advertisements. The study says that men remain open to the advertising strategy by only viewing women as either wives who are trying to take away their freedom or random girls they can just have sex with. By viewing women in this light and relating so easily to the advertisements, men are actually making themselves an easier target for advertisers (Messner and Montz de Oca 1892) (http://jamiethomaslong.wordpress.com/writing-2/public-relations/the-budweiser-boys-how-has-budweiser-coded-the-american-male-beer-drinker/)

            The masculine roles men play in beer advertisements affects children’s views as well. By making the beer-drinker male in the advertisements, the advertisements create desireability amongst young boys for the product. One study wrote about how many political and legislative discussions will focus almost exclusively on this idea of attractiveness. (Kelly, Slater, and Karan 296) Children from two different California public schools participated in a study, 89 being from Grades 9-10 and 164 from Grades 5-8. The study consisted of a random sample of students, both male and female, watching beer commercials.  Of the two genders, the male was the most influenced by the advertisements. The study noted that the difference may come from the beer advertisements displaying masculine themes such as “males hanging out or party scenes presented from a male perspective” (Meng-Jinn and Grube 563) (http://jamiethomaslong.wordpress.com/writing-2/public-relations/the-budweiser-boys-how-has-budweiser-coded-the-american-male-beer-drinker/)

The Budweiser beer drinker is a Caucasian male, roughly 30 to 40 years old.  He looks good for his age, smiling and in good shape.  He enjoys beer, food, and having a few laughs.  He also enjoys going out at night, having a few drinks on the beach and not staying at the home.  One again, the Budweiser drinker is being served.  The reader is also introduced to the female in this analysis, whose primary role is to serve beer to the male.  Like the bartender in Advertisement 1, she is happy to serve the beer to her partner  (http://jamiethomaslong.wordpress.com/writing-2/public-relations/the-budweiser-boys-how-has-budweiser-coded-the-american-male-beer-drinker/)