Representation and Men's Health: blog task

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 Read these extracts from the journal article exploring the representation of masculinity in Men's Health magazine

1) Men's Health is defined as a 'lifestyle magazine' because despite its clear orientation towards health and wellbeing, the magazine also includes further topics concerning men. In every issue, they make sure to show readers from the first pages that the publication is not just limited to healthy questions.

2) Advertising is significant in helping to shape masculine identity because  it makes the men aware about their lifestyle and educates them.-"promote consumption as a way of life. It educates the masses into...." Advertising also helps men achieve what it means to be desirable and how they should look and act.

3) The article suggests that the representation of masculinity in Men's Health is not fixed or natural and is subject to constant change. The media theorists that I have studied previously that can be linked to these ideas:
  • David Gauntlett- he suggests that there is a "decline in tradition", he views this a positive thing. "the masculine ideals of absolute toughness, stubborn self-reliance and emotional silence have been shaken by a new emphasis on men's emotions, need for advice, and the problems of masculinity.” There are generational differences- "this has been a reflection of changing attitudes, but also involves the media actively disseminating modern values." Also, “Views of gender and sexuality, masculinity and femininity, identity and selfhood, are all in slow but steady processes of change and transformation. "These things are not stationary. To discuss gender and media is to aim arguments at moving targets - which, again, is just as well.”. The idea of gender fluidity.
  • Gelfer- seismic shift in attitudes to gender/ he talks about the 5 stages.
  • Judith Butler- "gender is a performance".

4) The article suggest Men's Health encourages its readers to invest in public appearance as well as working hard. Stevenson, Jackson and Brooks-"men are encouraged to 'work the body' (in private) in order to be able to succeed in the (public) world of relationships and work". The examples of watch and aftershave helps them to improve and stress. 5.7% from 1997-2005.

5) The representations of the male body that can be found in MH are:
  • Exposure of male anatomy- openly exposed to the readers to be observed, admired and consumed.
  • The body is treated in several ways - different male identities.
  • Represented through the metaphor of bodies.
6) Regarding the objectification of male the article suggests that men are also victims in objectification, there is an increase in 'female gaze', public gaze. The pornography of male and female strippers is common on social media. This links to Rosalind Gill. "For a long time, women have been constructed as sexual objects for the male audience, being the focus of the public gaze in the social context". “the sexual objectification of men has increased in the media, in terms of film, drama and soap-opera sex appeal, where the importance of Hollywood is particularly apparent, and also in the recent phenomenon of male strippers and pornography for women” (1997: 5).

7) “Metrosexuality” is the most often used when talking about the new depictions within men’s magazines since it refers to a man who is extremely aware of his physical appearance and is devoted to it by buying cosmetic and fashion products. Metrosexuality was firstly defined by Mark Simpson in an article called “Here come the mirror men” (1994).Simpson also defines some of his features, such as vanity, narcissism, attention to his appearance and selfcare, which are materialized in the purchase and use of high fashion clothes, accessories and cosmetics. Therefore, it seems that the portrayal of men depicted in MH fits within the idea and that it could be understood as a product oriented to metrosexual readers.

8) The representation of men in Men's Health is discussed in the section 'Homogenous bodies' are:
  • mainstream discourse, MH portrays a dominant representation, emphasis on physique. The representation of men in the magazine can be analysed in three different aspects: his physical appearance, his external look (in terms of style), and his lifestyle (values).
  • his way, it could be said that the images of men depicted in the magazine, which is oriented to a heterosexual target, exclusively represent heterosexual men.
9)  The conclusions drawn by the article with regards to the representation of masculinity in Men's Health are that there are many types of masculine identities. "they offer countless possibilities for contemporary men in questions of identification." MH defines its philosophy, is its orientation towards health and fitness. The magazine performs as a doctor who offers reliable advice, based on scientific and technical support. This way, MH presents an instrumentalised conception of the body, since it’s depicted as a machine that can be improved to perform better, faster and longer.

10) My view on representation in Men's Health is that it portrays many types of masculinities because nowadays gender fluidity has become more common so the pictures could be for the gay men. The representation is also hypermasculine, which could be seen as a positive thing as it encourage men to be fit and look better, however it could be negative as it could rise male insecurities about body image and type of personality, as they won't fit in social expectations. The rise in new/digital media exposes men as they are now judged on the way they look- Instagram filters etc


 

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