mens health representation
Representation and Men's Health: blog task
1) Why is Men's Health defined as a 'lifestyle magazine'?
It is a popular magazine concerned with lifestyle (fitness). They make sure to show its readers from the first pages that the publication is not just limited to healthy questions, but it includes more topics concerning men.
2) Why is advertising significant in helping to shape masculine identity?
The acquisition of certain products such as cologne, jeans or cars, helps them to improve and stress their anatomy as the embodiment of their commitment to health and fitness– by adding status, sophistication and style.
3) The article suggests that the representation of masculinity in Men's Health is not fixed or natural and is subject to constant change. What media theorists that we have studied previously can be linked to these ideas?
It says it is constantly changing and we can talk about gender fluidity and masculinity in crisis
4) What does the article suggest Men's Health encourages its readers to be? What examples and statistics are provided to develop the idea of men as consumers?
David Gauntlett talks about gender identity becoming more fluent.4) What does the article suggest Men's Health encourages its readers to be? What examples and statistics are provided to develop the idea of men as consumers?ence and objectify their bodies?
5) What representations of the male body can be found in Men's Health?
The representations of the male body found in Men's healthy are mostly fit, for example you have Vin Diesel on the front cover showing his muscles and then you have an older man (aged 69) who is also still fit.
6) What does the article suggest regarding the objectification of men?
The female gaze has definitely increased seeing as men are being more and more objectified and being praised for their body and appearances.
7) What is 'metrosexuality' and how can it be applied to Men's Health?
Metrosexuality is a man who takes care of himself by buying fashion products or cosmetic things and looks after his appearance.
8) What representation of men in Men's Health is discussed in the section 'Homogenous bodies'?
Linked to power, strength, and youth. 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). In general terms, he is profiled as a young white middle-class man, physically well-built, and sexually attractive.
9) What are the conclusions drawn by the article with regards to the representation of masculinity in Men's Health?
On the one hand, it portrays different visions of masculinity (i.e. new man, new lad, metrosexual), as the rest of men’s publications and that is, according to the experts, one of the reasons for the popularity of the magazines since they offer countless possibilities for contemporary men in questions of identification.
10) What is your own view of the representation of masculinity in Men's Health? Is it a positive representation that encourages men to the best they can be or is it a hypermasculine, consumer-driven representation designed to undermine men's confidence and objectify their bodies?
In my opinion Men's Health could possibly make some men look at it and feel a bit insecure and it is being quite stereotypical and traditional with the way a man should, look, dress and do. It is a very hypermasculine magazine however I think that the purpose of Men's Health is to make men look at it and want to look like all the men shown in the magazine so it encourages them.
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