Status symbols

 


Module 3: After talking about how the male body is objectified in Western society I starting doing research on male status symbols and what it takes to become a status symbol. Surprisingly many articles popped up claiming to explain just how a man can become a status symbol. http://projectbebest.com/status-symbols-for-men/ is a link to an article that claims a man should think about how apes treat each other in the wild. By channeling that animal behavior one can become “superior” to the other people around them. The author claims that there a 7 status symbols one must have in order to be successful: Custom made clothing, a quality watch, a high performance vehicle, muscular physique, a good group of “friends” you can call on for favors, and “alpha male” body language. I will add that the author includes a lot of disclaimers, basically saying that you shouldn’t spend money on high priced items if you really can’t afford them and that you really just need to imagine yourself with those things to be successful. Reading between the lines I believe he was saying that you need those things to be a successful “man,” which we have learned in this class that that is not the case.