Summary Blog

In my introductory blog I mentioned I wanted to focus on gender and media identity portrayal.  I defined gender and media identity portrayal as “the way an individual is shaped in the mass media in relation to their gender”.  The media primarily focuses on an individual based on their sexuality, appearance, and acceptability.  This can be seen most vividly in entertainment news programs and reality television shows.  I introduced the problem of gender and media identity portrayal as a multidisciplinary one which deserves much attention given today’s societal mechanisms.  

I used my concept application blog to further mold my study.  Initially, I was unsure how I could effectively study gender and media identity portrayal given my little knowledge of and access to resources on the topic.  However, I was able to find an interesting area to study when I chose to focus on the depiction of the male gender/sex instead of the female.  Initially I noticed he gender/sex differences in portrayal on magazine covers based on one’s gender/sex.  I then formulated my research around determining how male identity is created or criticized through depictions on magazine covers.  I did this through reviewing the GQ covers from the year 2010 and the Sports Illustrated ones from the year 2011.  I then printed out the 12 GQ covers and the first issue of each month for Sports Illustrated.  These were the images presented to interviewees who were then asked the following questions for 2 particular covers from each publication (GQ: May 2010, November 2010; SI: February 7, 2011, November 6, 2011):

1. What is your overall impression of this cover?
2. What are any memorable characteristics of this cover?
3. Did the text have an effect on your interpretation of the image? What about font, text and size?
4. Do(es) this individual(s) appear how you would expect given their visual appearance of a specific gender/sex?

It became evident rather early on in my research that no matter their age, all males had a certain perception of a male sexual identity and often connect this perception to a level of alleged masculinity.  One respondent noted, “In GQ, the guys are all done up and wearing sharp, skinny suit outfits.  I don't know any guys who would dress that way".  I have attached audio recording of these interviews in which I had males of ages 16, 20 and 47 answer the provided questions.  After analyzing the results I then turned to the text to better identify the commonalities I found in relation to course concepts.  

In chapter 11 of the text, there is a focus on media and its effects on gender and identity.  The first concept I found relevant to my research findings was the connection between the media and hegemony.  The stances and fame associated with the individuals portrayed on GQ and Sports Illustrated Covers allows them to have power over women in the media.  In relation to media and hegemony the text states, “media, as a central institution of civil society, maintain hegemonic understandings of gender even as they create gaps and fissures in representations of gender. For instance, although a few noteworthy examples of masculine women appear in popular tv shows and feminine men, the vast majority of characters tend to abide by traditional gender/sex expectations” (DeFrancisco & Palczewski, p. 239, 2007).  

The second relevant text concept I found was the construction of masculinity.  The media has been able to display masculinity as destabilized and therefore in crisis.  The text even references the magazine GQ which I used in my research.  Two quotes I found relevant to this phenomena were:

"whether in the United States or United Kingdom, 'the magazines really show men to be insecure and confused in the modern world, and seeking help and reassurance, even if this is (slightly) suppressed by a veneer of irony and heterosexual lust' . As is true of all institutional discourse, 'The discourses of masculinity which the magazines help to circulate can therefore, unsurprisingly, be both enabling and constraining'" (DeFrancisco & Palczewski, p. 255, 2007).

 

"It is only in the modern climate, in which we are all aware of the many choices available to us, and are also aware of the feminist critique of traditional masculinity, and the fact that gender roles can and do change, that men have started to need magazines about how to be a man today" (DeFrancisco & Palczewski, p. 255, 2007). 
After interviewing my 3 participants and compiling data from GQ and Sports Illustrated magazine covers I was able to conclude a few things.  First, I found that all participants identified these publications to be highly masculine in identity.  This was seen in the cover individuals attire, demeanor, and known reputation.  The second is that these men's magazines were indeed used for obtaining information as to how to be a man in today's society. The participants noted that they often turned to men's magazines not only for pop culture updates, but also to learn something new.  Whether that be a fashion tip, recipe, or on-the-go workout tip, these men are using magazines to find information they would not be exposed to on a daily basis through newspapers and television news broadcasts. 

Men today do seem to be aware that gender role lines have become blurred.  Although they haven't yet reached the point where they go out and purchase as Better Homes & Gardens, or Cosmopolitan to read, they do know that this information is becoming more pertinent to them.  This is the reason why men's magazines have been a growing business as of late, and continue to spark interest to more males.  Through the media sending a message that masculinity is in "crisis" they are able to then re-mold masculinity by promoting he-man-ness which is inclusive of a wider realm of activities and news than just sports, girls, and cars.

 

References:
DeFrancisco, V. P., & Palczewski, C. H.  (2007). Communicating gender diversity: A critical approach. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Framing Males

After revisiting my first blog entry it was clear I lacked direction.  I had a general understanding of where I wanted to go with my cultural reporter blog, but wasn’t quite sure how to study it.  Through the comments from Sara as well as revisiting of my post and course materials I was able to refocus my study.

I mentioned several differences in how the media is able to critique one’s appearance or attempt to sell us an alternate identity.  I was able to incorporate magazine covers as a basis for difference in portrayal of genders/sexes in the media.  I would like to further delve into this topic for the remainder of my study.  

It appears that in the media there are very apparent gender/sex differences in how an individual is depicted on the covers of magazines.  In my previous post my research led to the conclusion that males appeared to be criticized on the basis of sexuality including sexual orientation and degree of masculinity; while females were judged on their sexual appeal and fashion choices.  This can be witnessed in a short video of compiled fashion magazine covers with female images seen here.  

Upon searching the internet for bias in magazine covers I found the majority of research focused on females.  A piece of research from the University of Iowa analyzing Seventeen magazine found “teen media depict a manipulated and gratuitous sexuality, based on unrealistic body images, constraining gender stereotypes and, all too frequently, the degradation of women” (Durham, 2007, p. 1).

The almost non-existent research on males intrigued me to further examine how male identity is created or criticized through depictions on magazine covers.  To study this topic, I will examine magazine covers from the past year from 3 different, predominately male-targeted publications.  The 3 I have chosen include GQ, Men’s Fitness and Sports Illustrated.  To supplement this research and allow for further analysis I will then ask males of differing ages for their opinions as to what message these publications relay to them, and to what extent they “buy into” the ideology promoted through the cover image and headings.  

It is important to note that I am aware that the purpose of such a material is to entertain and that “their front covers always have glossy images designed to catch your attention and are different with each issue” (Beazley, 2012, p.1).  These images are confined to a particular space limitation, thus framed.  In the text, DeFrancisco & Palczewski describe framing as “how metaphors influence thinking at a nonconscious level...humans can reframe their understanding of a concept, act, or thing by crediting an alternative conceptual metaphor” (p. 111).  Therefore, one can consider an individual magazine cover a frame.  This frame prompts unconscious thought in the reader in relation to the individual's appearance as well as the larger frame created through the inclusion of headings and subheadings.  It is my understanding that the only way to alter the messages portrayed by a given frame or magazine cover would be to either alter the image for factors such as gender/sex, ethnicity, age, clothing, and general appearance, or change the accompanying texts and visuals which help construct the larger meaning.  I have and will continue to integrate this into my research through interviewing males of differing ages.  

In questioning them I ask for their overall impression from a given cover, prompting them to identify any memorable characteristics of the individual on the cover.  I further ask if the text had a profound effect of their interpretation of the image, as well as any accompanying visuals such as color, font, size, and secondary images.  I have not gotten very far into my research but have already begun to witness that men do believe that the images convey a specific sexual identity relating to masculinity.  One interviewee noted “In GQ, the guys are all done up and wearing sharp, skinny suit outfits.  I don't know any guys who would dress that way.”  In contrast another noted the strong masculine vibes associated with Sports Illustrated, “these guys go hard.  They are sweating on the cover, getting down and dirty”.  I expect to see similar results in my continued research.  

References:
Beazley, M (2012). Women's & Gender Studies Research Guide. Acadia University Library.

Retrieved from http://libguides.acadiau.ca/content.php?pid=1253&sid=819247.  

DeFrancisco, V. P., & Palczewski, C. H.  (2007). Communicating gender diversity: A critical approach. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Durham, M. (2007). Sex and Spectacle in Seventeen Magazine: A Feminist Myth Analysis.

Journalism & Mass Communication Publication. Retrieved from http://ir.uiowa.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1000&context=jmc_pubs.