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Released in January of 1998,
this advertisement entitled
Tarzan was done by Bates Camp advertising agency for the Oslo Gay And
Lesbian Festival in Norway. The illustration, which was meant to
support and sponsor a “gay-friendly” event, still flaunted
hetero-normative representations of heterosexuals. Parodying the
well-known story of ‘Tarzan and Jane’, the creators of this
advertisement recast their advertisement with two men playing the roles
of Tarzan and Jane. The name, Jane, is conveniently changed to John,
but Tarzan still retains his savage masculinity while
“John” is portrayed as his more subdued, feminine partner. The two men are depicted swinging on a vine through a jungle canopy together. The more masculine figure, Tarzan, is shown in a cheetah print loincloth holding the vine with one hand. His other hand is not visible, but the reader can infer that he is using his free arm to protectively grasp his partner, John. Tarzan’s upper body and abdominal muscles protrude from his body, giving him the quintessential masculine V-shaped torso. His leg muscles are also noticeably bigger than his partners, with emphatic shading around the knee and calf areas, indicating strong, hulky muscles as opposed to slender feminine ones. He looks downward at his partner, and his face and body language suggest power, control, dominance, and action---all celebrated features of archetypical masculinity. His partner, John, while also wearing nothing more than a loincloth, places his head affectionately on Tarzan’s shoulder, assuming the typical docile female position beneath the male. Both his arms are tightly wrapped around Tarzan in a full body hug. His tender gaze upward at his boyfriend and his meek smile suggest that he is thoroughly enjoying his partner’s power and dominance while trapezing through the jungle ravine. Unlike his masculine partner, John’s body is viewed at an angle, and his muscles are lean and relaxed, signifying a more effeminate body type. His legs fall gracefully behind him, and his left leg protrudes in a manner that is culturally recognized as girlish and dainty. Overall, the John character seems to embody the feminine, with a body that is more delicate and therefore in need of the masculine Tarzan’s protecting. |