Magazines: Oh Comely - Audience

Magazines: Oh Comely - Audience

Our second Magazine Close-Study Product is the niche women's lifestyle publication Oh Comely - recently rebranded as simply Oh.

The Oh Comely CSP pages we need to study are available here - you'll need to log in to your Greenford Google account to download them. We'll be doing a close-textual analysis of the pages next week.

This week, we need to study both the target audience for Oh Comely and the audience pleasures that readers get from the magazine. First, let's cover the basics about the magazine. 

Notes from the lesson

Oh Comely magazine is a niche women’s lifestyle publication with a strong feminist perspective. It launched in 2010 and publishes six issues a year. It describes itself:

“Oh Comely is a curious, honest and playful independent magazine. It’s a place to meet strangers, hear their stories and look at life a little differently – where our readers are our writers and our models, too.

“Each issue we pick a theme and see where it takes us. We try something old, something new and something that scares us a bit. Then we present our findings in a beautiful, artbook style, putting new writing, photography and illustration talent at the heart of it.”

[Source: Oh Comely magazine website]

Oh Comely audience

Social Media Reach: 100,000 
Readers Per Issue: 25,000 
Average Age of reader: 27 
Sold through independents, WHSmith and international outlets

Oh Comely offers: “Access to a difficult to reach and highly-targeted niche demographic of creative women who spend money on the things they love.”

“Oh Comely is a powerful mix of words and pictures, stylishly presented and much loved by its readers. It provides an alternative to the ‘pile-it-high-sell-it-cheap’ aesthetic of mainstream magazines for young women, and this is why it has carved a loyal niche of fans. It is a breath of fresh air for a creative audience desperate to find something that speaks to them directly in an accessible, intelligent and interesting voice.”

[Source: ohcomely.co.uk/advertise]

Psychographics

Oh Comely magazine's description of itself would suggest targeting the Reformer and Explorer psychographic groups with an emphasis on creativity, self-discovery and a rejection of consumerism and commercialism.

Audience pleasures

There are many potential audience pleasures for Oh Comely readers. Applying Blumler & Katz’s Uses & Gratifications theory, three in particular would be:

Personal identity: Readers enjoy having their quirky, creative lifestyle and feminist viewpoint endorsed and reflected by the magazine.

Personal relationships: Oh Comely is presented in a particularly personal way. It is the creation of three university friends, the magazine offers background on the contributors and readers are encouraged to ‘get to know’ the editorial team.

Surveillance: Oh Comely deliberately looks to inform its readers about niche stories, events and people.

Oh Comely - Audience blog tasks

Read Meet the Editor - Oh Comely in Media Magazine 65 (p26). You can find this in our Media Magazine archive. This gives you a brilliant introduction to the magazine. Answer the following questions:

1) Summarise the ownership and production of Oh Comely - how did it start and who owns it?

Started by 3 friends at Oxford university with the notion that women were negatively portrayed in magazines.
Owned by iceberg press

2) What is the print circulation and how many subscribers do they have?

The print circulation per issue is 10,000 copies
they have 3000 subscribers.

3) How does the editor Alice Snape characterise the typical Oh Comely reader?

18-35-year-old creative, intelligent women who may or may not be settled into careers and are looking for inspiration from other women/interesting characters. Oh Comely readers are educated and politically aware and looking for a unique and thought-provoking look at the kind of lives they aspire to lead.

4) What are the key aspects of the magazine's design aesthetic discussed by the editor? How might this link to audience pleasures?

The magazine’s design reflects the words, it’s thoughtful, beautiful – the clean and minimal layout allows the words and pictures to shine. We work very closely with illustrators who create original works of art for our features - readers could see themselves reflected in the design.

No airbrushing or photoshop - a very honest depiction of women linking to personal identity.

5) How does the magazine represent women in terms of its production team and editorial decisions?

Core team consists of 4 women. They work with freelancers too, both men and women, as she feels that it's important to have a women's magazine worked on by lots of women but also by men too. Currently only wanted to feature interviews with women in the media and arts – as men have enough platforms - however thinks it's important to change and be reflective of the times so can't say they'll stick to the same formula forever.
Editor decided to have covers illustrated, with all of them portraying the female form in some way.


Now read the Oh Comely website page on advertising and audience to get a good idea of the demographics and psychographics for the Oh Comely target audience. Answer the following questions:

1) How does Oh Comely introduce itself ('what it's all about')?

'It is a breath of fresh air for a creative audience desperate to find something that speaks to them directly in an accessible, intelligent and interesting voice.'

2) How do the print circulation/readership statistics for Oh Comely compare to Men's Health?

OC:
Social Media Reach: 100,000
Readers Per Issue: 25,000

MH:

Print circulation: 180,000
Readership: 1 million

Oh Comely has a significantly smaller audience compared to MH, likely due to it's subversive niche and less mainstream appeal.

3) How is Oh Comely distributed to the audience?

Sold through independents, WHSmith and international outlets

4) What do you think the target audience demographics for Oh Comely might be? Some details are provided by the magazine (e.g. average age 27) and you can fill in further gaps using the Media Magazine interview with the editor.

Average Age of reader: 27
Female, left leaning

5) What psychographic groups might be attracted to Oh Comely? If you've forgotten this, revise psychographics here!

Reformers:social awareness, support growth. intolerant of bad taste
and possibly Explorers:challenge, new frontiers, brand choice highlights difference, the first to try new brands

6) What social class classification would you expect most Oh Comely readers to be? Why?

ABC1/AB upper middle class. The editor states a typical reader as having an interest in 'art, culture, music, theatre, clothes, jewellery, experiences, travel, home, craft/creative projects...'

7) What level of education would you expect for most Oh Comely readers? Why?

University level, due to the magazine offering intelligent political discussions as well as the demographic of younger women. However I think many women would engage in the narrative the magazine shares despite their level of education.

8) What audience pleasures are offered by Oh Comely?

Personal identity - A magazine for women to connect and be represented instead of being sexualised and misrepresented in mainstream magazines. Readers would relate to the feminist viewpoint and identity reflected in the magazine, being produced by women.

Surveillance  - It's also a place to learn about other women in different careers ect.

9) It has been suggested Oh Comely is a “magazine about people, their quirks and creativity rather than money and what it can buy”. How does the design and advertising content of Oh Comely support this view?

The design is minimalist but creative. It's about being able to express yourself and highlights the importance of being unique.

10) Why do you think Oh Comely has been able to build a loyal audience of subscribers in the years since it launched? Think about audience demand, rival magazines and the overall media landscape in the digital age.

The magazine presents a feminist and more broad representation of what a woman is that many women would relate to. It has access to a specific niche that isn't overly exploited in any rival magazines, so they've been able to somewhat monopolise that demographic for themselves. A majority of rival magazines either sexualised or had bad representations of women, and so there was an audience of women drawn to a magazine that provokes intelligent discussions on expressing their identity. Oh comely themselves advertises "It provides an alternative to the ‘pile-it-high-sell-it-cheap’ aesthetic of mainstream magazines for young women, and this is why it has carved a loyal niche of fans." The digital landscape allowed for more women to connect a build a demographic for the magazine.

Magazines: Men's Health Industry case study

Magazines: Men's Health Industry case study

To explore the Industries context for Men's Health we need to study Hearst publishing and look at the impact of digital media on the print magazine industry.

This means interrogating why the internet has had such a devastating effect on certain print brands and why some other magazines are continuing to thrive in the digital age. We also need to spend some time on the Men's Health website and consider the similarities and differences to what we've found in the print version of the magazine.

Notes from the lesson

Men's Health UK is published by Hearst Publishing UK, a subsidiary of Hearst Communications.

Hearst Communications is an American media conglomerate based in New York that is over 130 years old and is still owned by the Hearst family.

It owns a range of media and business information brands including American newspapers, magazines (e.g. Cosmopolitan), half of the A&E Network TV channel and 20% of US sports broadcaster ESPN.

It employs 20,000 people and its 2016 revenue was $10.8 billion.

Hearst Publishing UK

Hearst UK publishes over 20 magazine titles including Men’s Health, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Esquire, Good Housekeeping, Inside Soap and more.

Hearst UK brands reach 30% of UK women and 25% of UK men. They sell over 4m magazines a month and have 17m UK digital unique users.

Hearst UK has also diversified into events and other licensed brand extensions (e.g. Esquire Townhouse pop up members club, Country Living sofas and Men’s Health home gym equipment).

The impact of digital media on the magazine industry

Some key questions:

• Why has digital media (the internet) had such a devasting effect on the magazines industry?
• When did YOU last buy a magazine?
• Who IS buying magazines?

Suggestions for SWOT analysis of the impact of digital media on magazines:

• Strengths: Magazine brands are well established to diversify online, audiences already know and like them.
• Weaknesses: Print publishers do not have the expertise or knowledge of digital – it is a very different medium.
• Opportunities: Magazines can find new audiences online.
• Threats: Audiences will stop buying paper products and expect everything online for free. 

Ultimately, it is this threat that has had the most devastating impact on the industry: 

• Print sales fell by 42% from 23.8m to 13.9m between 2010 and 2017. 
• Back in 2000, sales were over 30m – signalling a 55% decline in just 17 years.
• Advertising in consumer magazines has fallen from £512m in 2010 to £250m in 2017. 
• Google and Facebook now dominate online advertising (they account for 65% of the UK digital ad market).

As a result of these changes, many magazines have closed.

Digital media: Hearst and Men’s Health

Hearst UK has posted losses in recent years due to the decline in the magazines market.

Men’s Health has also declined in recent years from a circulation high of 228,000 in 2008 to around 120,000 now. However, it has moved up and down in recent years (dropping to 160,000 in 2016 before going up to 180,000 in 2018) which shows decline is not necessarily inevitable.

Men's Health - Industries case study blog tasks
This is a comprehensive case study covering a range of Industry contexts. It is divided into three sections: Hearst publishing, the impact of digital media and Men's Health online platforms. You will need to allow for at least two hours to work through the following tasks.
Hearst publishing

Research Hearst publishing by looking at the Hearst UK website and the Wikipedia entry for parent company and conglomerate Hearst Communications. Then, answer the following questions:

1) Hearst UK is part of Hearst Communications. What is Hearst Communications and where is it based?

Hearst Communications is an American mass media and business information conglomerate based in the Hearst Tower in Midtown Manhattan, New York City

2) What media industries and brands make up the Hearst Communications conglomerate?

Hearst Television
Hearst Magazines
Hearst Ventures
Hearst Business Media
Hearst Entertainment & Syndication
Hearst Newspapers
Verizon Hearst Media Partners (50%)

3) What was the global revenue for Hearst Communications (in dollars) for the most recent year on record?

US$11.4 billion (2019)

4) Focusing on Hearst UK, what other magazine brands are part of Hearst UK publishing? How many UK people do they reach in print and online?

hey reach a total of 1,880,400 readers a year.

Now read this Campaign interview with Hearst UK CEO James Wildman and answer the following questions:

1) What is James Wildman's plan for Hearst UK?

'His aim is to grow share in print to stem decline, accelerate growth in digital, diversify revenues through events and partnerships, and look at acquisitions'

2) What percentage ad decline are consumer magazines facing?

10%

3) What Wildman think about premium content and paywalls?

That Hearst should charge for premium content but no paywalls are planned.

4) How has Hearst used diversification to grow the business?

They run events, sell merchandise and endorse other products: "Diversification looks the best way to grow. Hearst runs about 100 events a year and he plans to focus on fewer, bigger events such as Esquire Town House. "

Finally, read this Hearst UK press release for their late 2018 ABC figures and answer two simple questions:

1) Is Men's Health increasing or decreasing in circulation?

Increasing

2) What does the press release say about recent successes associated with Men's Health?


'Men’s Health’s #MendTheGap campaign continues to help redress the disparity between attitudes toward mental and physical health, whilst its range of home gym equipment is the best-selling premium gym range in Argos'

The impact of digital media on the print magazines industry

Read this BBC website feature on the print magazine industry and then this Guardian feature on the demise of NME magazine and print magazines in general. Now answer the following questions:

1) Why are traditional print magazines struggling?

The rise of the internet and digital media: content published in magazines can be found online for free.

2) What genre of magazines is currently bucking the trend and increasing sales? Why is this?

News and current affairs magazines due to the nature of them: we rely on the media to give us information of the current political climate and news.

3) In contrast, what magazine genres are struggling? Give examples of magazines that have declined or stopped printing altogether.

Celebrity, gossip and fashion titles: LOOK, NOW, HEAT, GRAZIA

4) Look at the Guardian article in detail. What statistics are provided to demonstrate the decline in the print magazines industry between 2010 and 2017? What about the percentage decline from 2000?

Those that readers buy or subscribe to – fell by 42% from 23.8m to 13.9m between 2010 and 2017. Since the start of the internet era in 2000, the decline is 55% from 30

5) What percentage of ad revenue is taken by Google and Facebook?

Google and Facebook account for 65% of the $6.5bn (£4.7bn) UK digital display ad market. They are also strangling attempts by magazine and newspaper publishers to build their digital ad revenues by taking about 90% of all new spend.

6) What strategies can magazine publishers use to remain in business in the digital age?

Including special and inclusive content, such as content only accessible on your website, can help build a digital consumer base. Advertising is an obvious one, although even massively advertised magazines like Vogue have seen a decline in readership. Marketing to audiences with niche interests can also help maintain readership.

7) Why does the Hearst UK CEO James Wildman suggest that the magazine industry is not dead?

Wildman suggests the magazine industry isn't dead because they are "much more diverse"

8) What examples from the Guardian article are provided to demonstrate how magazines are finding new revenue streams? What is the Men's Health branding used for?

“Endorsement, accreditation and licensing are increasingly lucrative." The Men's Health brand is being used for home-gym equipment on sale at Argos. 

9) What signs for optimism might there be for traditional magazine brands?

There is always going to be a demand for certain magazines like news and current events that niche audiences may feel important to consume and preserve physically.

10) How does Men's Health fit into this picture? Why do you think Men's Health has remained successful in the digital age? Do you think Men's Health will continue to publish for many years to come? Why?

Men's Health will be in production for at least a decade because they can survive a lot off their health products. As society becomes more conscious about body image, they can exploit that market and get a lot of profit.


The Men's Health website and social media

Visit the Men's Health website, Twitter feed and Instagram. Answer the following questions:

1) What similarities do you notice between the website and the print edition of the magazine?

They have very similar cover lines about losing fat, with a focus on the body. While both having hypermasculine images and texts and promote fitness and health, they also shed light on men's mental health and the struggles they endure.

2) What newsletters are offered by Men's Health what do they include? How does this help Hearst UK to make money? There is more information on newsletters here if you need it.

An email subscription which delivers work out, nutrition and health advice. It helps Hearst as customers are also emailed with promotions and offers from the company.

3) Look at the Men's Health website menu bar. What are the menu options? What does this suggest about the representation of men and masculinity associated with Men's Health?

The options are fitness,mental strength,health,nutrition and workouts. These are all conventional aspects of masculinity that links it to strength. However, the addition of mental strength shows the evolution of traditional masculinity

4) Choose one of the menu sections (e.g. Mental Strength) and write a list of the features in that area of the website. What target audience are these features aimed at?

Mental health:How to Deal with Stress
 How to Support Your Friend's Mental Health during Quarantine,
The Prison PT: Lockdown, Just Like Prison, Presents You With an Opportunity
Considering Therapy, but No Idea Where to Start? This Will Help
21 Reasons Why Men Don't Talk About Their Mental Health -And why every single one of them is bollocks...
Fighting Spirit: The Military's Battle for Better Mental Health

5) Do you think the Men's Health website is trying to sell the print version or simply build a digital audience? What are the advantages and disadvantages of a 'digital first' strategy?

The website seems to mainly be focused on building a digital audience instead of selling the print version.

6) How does the Men's Health Twitter feed use 'clickbait' to try and get users to click through to the magazine's website? Give examples of tweets that are designed to get the audience to click through.

This simple switch can make a big difference in how you feel...
“I was a little shocked to see you only had to lift weights 3 days a week,” he said...
Somehow, the CrossFit champ never feels hungry...

7) How does the Twitter feed uses images and video content alongside text and links?

They use videos and images as a visual medium to to entice audience and help frame text and links in an easily digestible way. They use links to promote their digital content.

8) What does the Men's Health Instagram suggest about the Men's Health brand? Is this appealing to a similar audience to the print version of the magazine?


It seems to appeal to a similar audience, posting similar content - workout tips, celebrity endorsements. However the Instagram doesn't link to the print subscription, suggesting a target of a younger and more digitally inclined audience.

9) Is the Men's Health social media designed to sell the print magazine or build a digital audience? Why?

It mainly seems to be building a digital audience, due to digital diversity being key to surviving in the industry.

10) Evaluate the success of the Men's Health brand online. Does it successfully communicate with its target audience? Will the digital platforms eventually replace the print magazine completely?

It is consistently publishing articles relevant to current events with a 21 million readers across it's social and digital platforms, showing to be very successful and communicating with it's target audience. I believe that it's likely it will eventually replace the print magazine, although the magazine market still hasn't died out completely so it will probably be a long time in the future until we see that happen.

Magazines: Men's Health - Language & Representation

Men's Health offers a compelling representation of modern masculinity that will allow us to apply a range of media theories.

However, it is also important that you are able to make specific reference to aspects of the CSP edition of Men's Health when applying these ideas and theories. Normally, we would give you a colour copy of the CSP pages to annotate in class but we will need to do this electronically due to the lockdown: 

Fortunately, you can currently read the whole of Men's Health Jan/Feb 2017 (the CSP issue) on this website. The pages we need are: front cover, contents page (p17) and the True Grit Marathon Man feature (p101). It's definitely worth also reading more of the CSP issue to get a feel for the Men's Health audience, brand and representations contained within it.


Men's Health: close-textual analysis

Representation: notes

These are the notes we would have learned and applied in the lesson if we were in school:

Applying media theories: Gauntlett, van Zoonen and bell hooks

Gauntlett: “Views of gender and sexuality, masculinity and femininity, identity and selfhood, are all in slow but steady processes of change and transformation.”

Raewyn Connell: hegemonic masculinity

Hegemonic masculinity is a concept of proposed practices that promote the dominant social position of men, and the subordinate social position of women. According to Connell, hegemonic masculinity is:

“The configuration of gender practice which embodies the currently accepted answer to the problem of the legitimacy of patriarchy, which guarantees (or is taken to guarantee) the dominant position of men and the subordination of women.”

Question to consider: Does Men’s Health magazine contribute to maintaining the dominant position of men in society?

bell hooks: “normalised traumatisation”

Feminist writer bell hooks has highlighted the corrosive, damaging effect of toxic masculinity on both men and women.

She builds on Judith Butler’s work, agreeing that gender roles are constructed, not ‘natural’. In fact, she suggests that patriarchy (a male dominated society) indoctrinates people from an early age so “gender becomes a set of connotations that have become naturalised”.

This then results in “normalised traumatisation” – meaning the damage caused by these representations is simply accepted as part of society.


Van Zoonen: “sex role stereotypes”

Liesbet van Zoonen suggests that the media reinforces sex role stereotypes, helping to construct gender roles. She gives examples of reinforcing sex-appropriate behaviours and the use of airbrushing to change appearances.

She accepts that the media sexualises both men’s and women’s bodies but highlights key differences. The representation of women’s sexuality is generally submissive and disempowering. In contrast, representations of male sexuality are based on strength and power. This is particularly evident in Men’s Health magazine.

Representation in Men's Health: an academic analysis

‘The Representations Of Men Depicted In Men’s Health Magazine’ is an academic journal article by María del Mar Rubio-Hernández of the University of Sevilla. 

It focuses on the American edition of the magazine but its findings also apply to the UK and other international editions. 

Rubio-Hernández makes several key points in her analysis:

• Advertising and consumerism is critical to masculine identity. The products advertised in Men’s Health say a huge amount about the representation of men – “men as consumers”.
• Masculinity is not fixed or natural but socially constructed and “subject to constant change”. It discusses the idea of the “metrosexual” male comfortable with grooming products, fashion and appearance.
• The magazine focuses on the male body and suggests it is one of the few aspects of masculinity still under men’s control. However, it does say that the representation of the male bodies featured in the magazine is largely fixed: “…young, muscular, healthy, sporty, successful, virile…”

Men's Health Language & Representation: blog tasks

Language
Create a blogpost called 'Men's Health: Language and Representation' and complete the following tasks:

1) Write an analysis of the media language choices on the cover of Men's Health - e.g. colour scheme, typography, language, photographic codes etc.

The colour scheme has a conventional, sleek feel utilising blue, black and grey. The gendered nature of the colour blue, being associated , and popular, with men, is quite conventional. The fonts are sans serif, maximising the modern aesthetic the magazine is going for, with the exception of the title Men's Health. Perhaps it's to give the title authority. Vin Diesel is in the centre of the cover, and has been airbrushed to accentuate his muscles and thus his masculinity. The language focuses on weight and the body, suggesting that you'll be able to get a body like Diesel if you read the magazine.


2) Identify three specific aspects/conventions/important points (e.g. cover lines, colour scheme, use of text, image etc.) from each page of the CSP that you could refer to in a future exam. Explain why that particular aspect of the CSP is important - think about connotations, representations, audience pleasures, reception theory etc.

Front cover: Vin Diesel - reinforces traditional ideas of masculinity and the 'perfect body'. Colour scheme is modern, traditionally masculine. Language focuses on weight and body - "demolish junk food cravings, reboot your xmas liver" suggest average diet of a man consists of drinking, encouraging men to buy magazine for healthier lifestyle.

Editor's Letter and contents page: Use of modern graphic design and page layout of suggested articles catches eye, appealing and easy to follow. "Goals worth the resolve" - the most important aspects of masculinity captured by the editor - lots of endurance, fitness, however other featured articles talk about mental health and fitness in elderhood, suggesting a new and more progressive take on masculinity - new roles for men (Gauntlett).

Vin Diesel appears again, once again enforcing that he is the ideal man men should aspire to. However, the editor discusses that it's his happiness that is the true goal - prosperity isn't just for new year but for life. Editor also discusses the typical cycle of self improvement, framing it as something not to be ashamed of and usual - "what's wrong with the old you?" - however still encourages achieving goals set for yourself in order to be happy.  The magazine is helping you lose your gut, cleanse your liver but it's also telling you to indulge in pleasures like making/eating bread. Overall the message is encouraging for men however also inspiring for them to become fitter, healthier and happier like Vin Diesel.

Feature - True Grit - 'The Marathon Man': New view of masculinity, new representations of men - article focuses on a successful 69 year old marathon runner. The dynamic pose, mid stride, and cool, dark blues create a dramatic and cinematic effect. It's a very inspiring image that encourages older men to keep active, however also appeals to men of all ages. He's framed as a role model sort of character, being powerful and capable. The text supports this new ideal of masculinity with an interview with the marathon man,



3) Apply narrative theories to Men's Health - Todorov's equilibrium, Propp's character types, Barthes' action or enigma codes.

Todorov's theory of equilibrium can be applied, as the front cover suggests disequilibrium with phrases like "Get back in shape", "Wage war on flab", "Reboot your liver", and generally inviting the reader to resolve these issues with the help of Men's Health.

The male reader could be positioned as the hero. The magazine could be a donor figure.

Aggressive language like "Slay, Demolish, Blast, War" can be action codes for the reader. They help create a motif of violence and war that feeds into a hypermasculine agenda, likely pleasing a traditional male reader. The cover lines also create enigma codes as the reader is intrigued into learning how to "lose 8kg fast!" and how to "build a stronger core" and would want to read the mag in order to find out.

4) Read the cover lines and the Editor's Letter. Does Men's Health offer a cure for male insecurities or does it create male insecurity?

I think it does a bit of both. The overall message of the page is positive and encouraging, with modern representations of masculinity (elderhood fitness, mental health, bread), and a focus on happiness as the end goal. However the first part of the editor's text can seem a bit demeaning to men attempting to better themselves but struggling and, overall, the ideal is still framed as an extremely muscular airbrushed celebrity.

5) How does the 'Marathon Man' feature page offer an example of Steve Neale's genre theory concerning 'repetition and difference'?

The article conforms to what is typically expected from a men's magazine, and thus traditional views of masculinity, focusing on fitness. However it creates new representations of masculinity as the marathon man is elderly and framed as someone men should aspire to be. This formula creates guaranteed pleasure from an audience as they get what they are familiar with from the 'genre' of magazine, however it differs in order to bring in new audiences and keeps it fresh and modern, which means success for producers.

Representations

We have already covered many relevant theories in our work on Advertising and Marketing (for example, David Gauntlett's writing on Media, Gender and Identity). We now need to apply these theories and ideas to Men's Health and specifically the three pages from the Jan/Feb 2017 issue identified as our Close-Study Product.

Representations: applying theory

1) How can Gauntlett's ideas on masculinity, gender and identity be applied to the Men's Health CSP we have analysed?

Gauntlett acknowledges that men and women are still constricted within certain gender roles, however discusses that masculinity is not in crisis, and instead men are finding new roles in society. He specifically found new representations of masculinity in men's lifestyle magazines. I think Men's Health magazine has some representations of men that are new and modern, such as the new focus on mental health and happiness as discussed in the editors note and articles focused on the eldery. However it still contorts to the hyper masculine depiction of masculinity and specifically uses it to draw men in with the cover of the magazine.

2) How could van Zoonen's work on feminist and gender theory be applied to Men's Health?

Men's health does establish certain gender stereotypes, with fitness and physical health being framed as the most important aspects of men's health. However it also goes against male stereotypes with the focus of mental health.


3) How could bell hooks's work on 'corrosive masculinity' apply to Men's Health?


The possible self esteem issues and stereotypes of the focus on hyper masculinity and physical fitness could be due normalised traumatisation, where the damage caused by these representations is simply accepted as part of society.




Representations: academic analysis

Read these extracts from the journal article exploring the representation of masculinity in Men's Health magazine and answer the following questions:

1) Why is Men's Health defined as a 'lifestyle magazine'?


It "refers to the magazines which can be included under the ‘general interest-magazines-for-men’". In other words, it allows them to cover a range of topics in their advertising and articles that pertain to day-to-day interests of their male readership.


2) Why is advertising significant in helping to shape masculine identity?


It sells products and consumerism as a "way of life", where "the reader is provided with a variety of goods that help him to perform effectively in society by expressing his identity in physical terms".  Ideas and stereotypes constructed by the media are promoted through advertising and thus audiences would be inclined to shape their identities around heavily promoted ideologies.

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?

David Gauntlett also believes that masculinity in advertising is a 'moving target', and cannot be fixed.


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?


Men's Health "endorses the importance of values linked to external beauty" to its readers. They provide the statistic of men's grooming products:  “the global market for male grooming products grew by an impressive average annual rate of 5.7% between 1997-2005”

5) What representations of the male body can be found in Men's Health?

The male body is, within a consumer culture, increasingly experienced as the responsibility of individuals. 

MH presents an instrumental relationship to the body, which is represented as a

machine that should be refuelled in the least possible time in order to perform in an effective way.

6) What does the article suggest regarding the objectification of men?


"These representations are sometimes closer to feminine poses and attitudes, as
mentioned before, since the models are exposed as objects to be observed."

"MH proposes a notion of masculinity which is
focused on anatomy, stressing male physical features, as to ensure the heterosexuality of its
readers, who, at the same time, are ironically provided with suggestive images of men, sexually
objectified as women."

7) What is 'metrosexuality' and how can it be applied to Men's Health?


it refers to a man who is extremely aware of his physical appearance and is devoted to it by buying cosmetic and fashion products.

8) What representation of men in Men's Health is discussed in the section 'Homogenous bodies'?

"MH seems to belong to the mainstream discourse which portrays the dominant depictions of maleness in physical terms, linked to power, strength, and youth. The representation of men in the magazine can be analyzed in three different aspects: his physical appearance, his external look (in terms of style), and his lifestyle (values)."

“the content of these representations remains
extraordinarily fixed. The men concerned are always young, usually white, particularly muscular,
critically strong-jawed, clean shaven (often all over), healthy, sporty, successful, virile, and ultimately
sexy”

Any man who does not present the socially accepted body, nor the requirements to be a purchaser,
is not allowed to participate in the consumption world proposed by men’s magazines.

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), which is one of reasons for the magazine's popularity. However it also presents a very consumer-based image of masculinity and men's worth based on physical fitness and the body. The magazine performs as a doctor who offers advice based on scientific support for the male body - a place that still remains under male control in society - and so audiences are "encouraged" to go all out physically, aesthetically and financially in order to construct a visual complement to a healthy body and healthy identity.

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?