Mens Magazine and How Is Gender Represented in This Industry - Essay Example

of the Visual Arts and Film Studies of the Concerned 11 September Men’s Magazine and how is Gender Represented in This Industry Abstract There is no denying the fact that Magazines, irrespective of the gender they intend to cater to, do happen to carry the force of the Bible for a generation for which fashion, consumption and lifestyle tend to be the foundations on which they intend to built the world of their ambition and aspirations. Magazines serve a twin purpose. On one side they project popular perceptions, and on the other side they reinforce perceptions. Men’s magazines in this context do tend to be important in the sense that in case of the men, material aspects of success happen to be very important and men’s magazines to a great extent offer a ready insight to their subscribers as to opt for which brands, styles, trends and mannerisms, which project and reflect material success. Besides, men’s magazines do tend to have a pan-gender appeal. While doing so men’s magazines are required to try a tight rope walking in the sense that while aspiring to be the repertoire of international trends in today’s flat world, they are also required to bring in the local flavor and cater to local twists and peculiarities. For what is happening in one culture, may require certain customization and adjustments to be considered acceptable in other culture. So the main objective of this paper is to elaborate on a personal insight into the portrayal of gender in men’s magazines, while retaining a professional balance, backed by relevant academic inputs. Summary Considering the fact that my three years extensive studies at the Whitehouse Institute, which nearly doubles the time spent by most of the University students is nearing culmination, my final project in a way represents the eventual maturing and mellowing of my creative and professional faculties. Since long, I aspired to work for . So, the essential objective of this project is to come out with an exquisite portfolio with a special issue style magazine. The crux of this project is to highlight my creativity, talent, originality and passion. One other salient motivation stimulating this project is to evince the sincerity and perseverance that I have adhered to over the years to my mum and my family. I want this project to make them feel proud of me and their approval and support are of paramount importance for me. The special issue I have mentioned above is named , which will comprise of a portrait shoot featuring four men affiliated to different professions and nationalities and an upcoming local girl of the month. This feature intends to share the actual experiences of the chosen four male subjects, in Australia. Though, with the ubiquity of the internet and the global reach of national media’s, the lifestyles are in a way getting homogenized the world over, still, it is a fact that the individuals’ professional adult lives are to a great extent the functions of their respective cultures, immersed in which they were brought up and raised. Hence, it goes without saying that the four male subjects chosen by me do evince noticeable aspects traceable to their culture and professions. The purpose of this feature is to bring out and celebrate these contrasts. The portrait shoot planned by me will resort to apt positioning and will apply multiple lighting techniques to emboss and accentuate these contrasts, thereby showcasing the depth and versatility of my creative vision. Hence, though at a superficial level, all these four men could pass out as an average Australian male, yet, the overall purpose of this feature is to mark out the subtle peculiarities and differences that describe them. The other thing is that, being a female, I believe that I tend to perceive and visualize these men from a different vantage point, which will certainly add to the pan-gender appeal of this portrait shoot. Background Over the years, the assorted activists and varied sections of the intelligentsia have been decrying the fact that the men’s magazines tend to be stereotypical in their approach, as far as the portrayal of gender is concerned. To some extent and in case of some magazines, perhaps it may be true. However, if any professional tries to generalize this aspersion, I will definitely doubt one’s sense of discretion and technical astuteness. As already mentioned that magazine’s and especially the gender specific magazines happen to be both the projectors of the salient contemporary trends and at the same time do play the role of trend setters. Thereby, it will be quiet logical to conclude that in a limited context, the men’s magazines do happen to be somewhat standardized in their portrayal of gender as they cater to a specific consumer pool and target a specific audience. However, characterizing this standardization of gender portrayal as being abjectly stereotypical will be misplaced in the sense that if taken from a sociological perspective, these standardized gender portrayals to a great extent present the dominant, contemporary social perspectives and views. A gender specific magazine does not import ideas from Mars. Hence, if a men’s magazine presents women in a particular way or a women’s magazine portrays men in a specific way, it certainly would not be too farfetched to conclude that perhaps the contemporary men or women do tend to perceive the opposite gender that way or aspire to see it that way. For the function of a gender specific magazine also happens to be to catalogue the trends and concerns that define social acceptance and success specific to the targeted gender in the times in which it is placed. Yet, it is also a fact that gender specific magazines also construct and facilitate trends. However, when it comes to this aspect of publication, a men’s magazine could not risk being too ambitious and off limits, and can only play with the varied permutations and combinations laying within the scope of the contemporary standards, of course owing to commercial considerations. Perhaps, one thing that is today drastically challenging the standardization of gender portrayals in men’s magazines is the expansion of possible markets beyond the limits of the countries in which they get published. Hence, affiliating to the gender portrayal criteria of a specific locale will not only dilute the global appeal of a successful men’s magazine, but will also make it unpalatable to the ethnicities residing within the same locale. This brings in the scope for variance and diversity in gender portrayal. The men’s magazines today are not only required to project the trends and standards ruling the Western spheres, but are also required to facilitate an insight into the possible variations contrived while keeping an eye on the specific geographical locations and cultural aspirations. The intended photo shoot aptly exemplifies how a successful feature could bring in versatility and variation, while affiliating to set styles and trends. Literature Review While delving on the representation of gender in men’s magazines, one do needs to take into cognizance the fact that in the current times, the popular ideas pertaining to both the genders have immensely changed and the concept of gender identity in the present times tends to be more transformable and fluid. About a couple of decades, the representation of gender in the men’s magazines seemed to be backward looking in the sense that it seemed to be attempting to resist change. In that context, things have changed significantly in the sense that though the contemporary men’s magazines do give space to patriarchal notions, yet they also aspire to include within their ambit the changing trends. As per Monden, it is a fact that an aspiration to accrue female appreciation does play an important role in the experimentation with the heterosexual fashion, amongst young men in Japan (Monden 2012). Monden does acknowledge the fact that the portrayal of male fashion in the Japanese men’s publications is to a great extent approved by Japanese women, yet, he also highlights the fact that female appreciation and approval is not the sole criteria favoring a particular type of male portrayal in the Japanese men’s magazines (Monden 2012). The portrayal of the male identity in the Japanese Men’s magazines has also to do much with the aspiration to appear confident and smart (Monden 2012). In that context it would not be wrong to say that though being appreciated by the opposite gender is important, the portrayal of men in the men’s publications is also influenced by the career needs and other dimensions of the male identity. Song and Lee happen to extend this debate further by pointing to the tendency of the Chinese and Western men’s lifestyle magazines to predominantly cater to the male aspirationalism and consumerist inclinations (Song & Lee 2012). While delving on this aspect of the male portrayal in the Chinese men’s magazines, Song and Lee conclude that this male representation in a way intends to legitimize consumption as a socially acceptable trend and a poignant symbol of success in the contemporary Chinese society (Song & Lee 2012). Yet this analysis tends to soar above the superficial aspersions to unravel the fact that in a relatively recently opening up Chinese economy and society, the male portrayal in the men’s magazines is not merely representative, but also indicative of deep seated aspirations amongst they Chinese men to be a part of a larger world, while asserting their local identity and affiliations. No doubt, region specific aspirations are a new avenue in the international men’s magazines desirous of catering to a global readership. Yet, it is also true that to some extent at least men’s magazines happen to be stereotypical in their gender portrayal, which may prove to be unhealthy and may have drastic effects. One study led to the conclusion that within the domain of physicality, the peculiar lean and muscular representation of males in the men’s magazines has been noted to give way to much psychological conflict and low self esteem in men who do not satisfy such physical criteria (Tager, Glenn & Morrison 2006). Such males do sometimes develop a negative body image and end up becoming victims of much distress and frustration (Tager, Glenn & Morrison 2006). However, this indication also points towards the fact that perhaps men’s magazines may expand their customer base by catering to the aspirations of men who lie outside of what one may call the ‘regular’ male representation in these magazines. Typically speaking, in the contemporary men’s magazines, the gender portrayal is not as standardized a task as it used to be a few decades ago. Significance/Innovation Being a female, I indeed find it amazing that when it comes to gender specific fashion and publications, some of the most successful gender brands tend to have chief editors and founders affiliated to opposing gender. I believe that the perspective from the opposite vantage point extends a peculiar X Factor to a gender publication. Personally speaking, I am inspired a lot by men’s magazines and lifestyle publications. I oft visit Kinokuniya bookstore (my local international outlet) to buy the most recent men’s magazines from Japan, Taiwan and China. So, when it comes to men’s magazines, I do command an in depth insight into the influences and trends governing gender portrayal and the layouts and formats subscribed to, to project them. My proposed portrait shoot does intend to adhere to this specific perspective to bring out, highlight and celebrate the nuances and subtleties that differentiate the four selected subjects. Not to mention, this way of approaching and perceiving male trends, though old, is still vouchsafed for in the world of men’s magazines trying hard to bring in innovation that may help them diversify their scope, to be able to cater to a global readership. Also, it does not need to be mentioned that men’s magazines are not purchased by men only. Most of the successful men’s magazines do also command a significant female clientele. My approach towards gender portrayal is primarily about cashing on contrast and calculated clashes. Hence, my project happens to be innovative in the sense that by bringing in a female perspective into one of my cherished men’s magazine, I do intend to possibly augment both the male and the female readership. It is my unique blend of a feminine insight with a sleek content, which will be the hallmark of this project. Reference List Monden, Masafumi 2012, ‘The Importance of Looking Pleasant: Reading Japanese Men’s Fashion Magazines’, Fashion Theory, Vol. 16, no. 3, pp. 297-316. Song, Geng & Lee Tracy K 2012, ‘”New Man” and “New Lad” with Chinese Characteristics? Cosmopolitanism, Cultural Hybridity and Men’s Lifestyle Magazines In China’, Asian Studies Review, Vol. 36, pp. 345-367. Tager, David, Good, Glenn E & Morrison, Julie Bauer 2006, ‘Our Bodies, Ourselves Revisited: Male Body Image and Psychological Well Being’, International Journal of Men’s Health, Vol. 5, no. 3, pp. 228-232. Read More