Hunting In American Culture

Dating back to over twenty thousand years ago, for men, hunting was a commonly practiced ritual. At the time, hunting served two purposes. The first purpose was to feed themselves and their families. Those who caught the prey would traditionally pick their favorite piece of meat and eat it first, followed by the older men and then younger boys. All leftovers would be given to the females. Secondly, hunting was used as a ploy to gain social status and power over the community and their families. Anthropologists have observed a historical connection between men and their thirst for power. As a result, one can hypothesize that men would turn their quest for power into the domination of those inferior to them physically. Those subjects under their …show more content…
For example, when we visualize someone eating meat, we may think about these cowboy personas. According to the previously noted article, “More recently, in American culture, cowboys tamed the “Wild West” (and all its inhabitants), reducing millions of acres to a vast cattle grazing area, forever associating red meat with this supposedly brave and tough category of American men”(Freeman and Merskin 279). The media emphasizes that meat is used as fuel for cowboys. In a Burger King commercial, it depicts Darius Rucker from “Hootie and the Blowfish” and others dressed up as cowboys. The commercial relates to the quote, because both have traditional cowboy attire on, such as “cowboy hats”, bandanas, plaid, and leather outerwear. One of the men shown, is even riding a horse. His masculinity is shown in his appearance and in his domestication of a wild horse. One of the lines in the song states “I love the tendercrisp bacon cheddar ranch, no one tells you to behave..”(Burger King Fantasy Commercial). In this western styled country song, the lyrics tell the consumer that by choosing to eat the burger, it will give them freedom in their lives, which could lead to a more masculine …show more content…
Today, fast-food advertising consistently feeds off of the past and appeals to the stereotypical associations with men, such as a need for masculinity and power over others. By promoting a certain product with a cowboy or athlete, for example, consumers try to emulate them so they go out and by that product being marketed. As a result of commercials sensing men need power over others, they objectify women to get their point across in the