Magazines: Men's Health - Language & Representation

Magazines: Men's Health - Language & Representation

Language

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 Men's Health magazine tends to have quite a professional layout as they are aiming at older, working class men. They use limited colours but the colours they use are bold and eye-catching such as red, black, white etc. The language they use is also very appealing to audiences' as their catch phrases and subheadings have a play on words. They also have the model(s) looking straight; directly at the camera so it's like they're looking at the reader which makes it feel more personal and engaging. 

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: features a model or a celebrity/influencer in the centre of the page; they'll have a feature in one of the first few pages of the magazine. In this case they'd also be quite muscular and built as they promote good health and fitness in the Men's health magazines. 

Editor's Letter and contents page: The contents page helps the reader find the exact topic that they're looking for and visuals are also used to make it look more appealing and help audience get a better understanding. The editors letter is motivational for the readers as they talk about fitness and maintaining your body which would give people tips and a push to make their body fitter and healthier. 

Feature - True Grit - 'The Marathon Man': The main image is of an old man which breaks typical media conventions as they usually tend to use young and 'good-looking' men to make it look attractive so they get more readers but this creates more realism. 

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

Todorov's equilibrium - the disequilibrium is that the reader is unhealthy, out of shape or unfit and reading the magazine would give them tips and motivation to do new things to change their lifestyle and appearance which would then lead to the new equilibrium where they build a healthier and fitter body.

Propp's character type - the reader could be seen as the hero as they're trying to seek something; better health or body. The magazine writers could be seen as the donor as they're providing the readers with special information seen as hints to help them achieve their goal(s). 

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?

Men's Health's cover lines and editor's letter helps cure male insecurities to a certain extent but it also reinforces stereotypes as these topics are specified for men to help them be a 'man'. They also mention 'new year, new you' which is usually something women tend to say or put more effort into but introducing this into a male magazine shows that they're allowed to also follow these things without judgement and make new changes as a fresh start which is also motivational, not just giving them ideas to make changes but also giving them a time to start. 

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

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?

 ''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.” What Gauntlett has said can be applied to our Men's Helth CSP as they've brought in topics that are new to mens magazines such as mental well-being as that is something that is not really spoken about when it comes to males as they were just expected to hide their feelings however they themselves have now been given the right to express themselves.

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

Van Zoonen talks about how the female body is objectified in the media for male pleasure and to grab their attention whereas, in the Men's Health magazine, the male body is being used to spread a positive message and to promote fitness and a healthy well-being. 

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

Bell Hooks argues that gender roles are something that is constructed by society over the years rather than something that is natural. In Men's Health they feature big and built men which is what men have been expected to look like for years which opens up for the 'female gaze' as men are posing shirtless with the built bodies that they're expected to have in order for women to admire them. 

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:

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

As what is being promoted and shown in popular magazines such as Men'sHealth is what is goingto reach out to majority of audiences' resulting in trends being set and popularity increasing for brands. What is being advertised is most likely what is going to get purchased by these men and them using these products would shape an image for them in society showing what sort of person they are. 

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?

This could be linked to Gauntlett who says masculinity isn't in crisis as this means that the magazine isn't putting pressure on men saying they need to be or act in a certain way but rather just going with what is popular in society and what they believe their audience are more likely to read and enjoy.

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?

The global market for male grooming grew by 5.7% between 1997-2005 which shows that men have now started to take more care in grooming and their appearance over the years compared to other centuries. 

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

Men's Health promotes having a built but more importantly a health body and also a healthy mindset as men don't always need to carry themselves out as hard-headed and can express themselves if they feel like it. The male body is also being objectified as you can see shirtless men grabbing female gaze although that isn't the main intention. 

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

The male body is being objectified and exposed to readers of Men's Health. However, as there are is mainly a particular type of body that is being constantly shown in Men's Health, it makes it seem like the average body or any other types of males aren't socially accepted or that's not what people want to see.

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

Metrosexuality is someone who is about grooming himself and his appearance who tends to spend a lot of time and money on shopping for themselves. Men's Health does a lot of promotions and advertisements for different brands which reaches out to these metrosexual men who are looking for more products to invest in and groom themselves with. 

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. They're all very similar with a specific body type and dress quite well and luxuriously. 

9) What are the conclusions drawn by the article with regards to the representation of masculinity in Men's Health?

Men's Health still has some similarities to other magazines especially with the representation of men and the way they use images of the body to attract audience attention and gaze. Although they spread positive messages, they are still carrying out this physical image of how they think men should look adding a lot of pressure onto them. 

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?

I personally believe that Men's Health is in attempt of changing peoples views and expectations of masculinity but reemphasising some of the stereotypes subconsciously during the process as they are slowly building up towards changing the way men are seen and expected to be in society but it is a gradual process and they would face slip ups on the way.