Masculinity, Manliness, and Magazines: Conflicting Roles of Masculinity

By: Maura Imel

Topic: Masculinity Focus: Conflicting ideas of Manliness

Methods: In-depth Interviews, Survey, & Content Analysis

Target of Analysis: ESPN the Magazine, GQ Magazine, & Men’s Health Magazine

Goals/Themes: The general public is presented with conflicting images of gender roles, which construct our realities and cultural language whether or not we agree with them. The new consumer-males- are manipulated into accepting these conflicting ideas of manliness.

Method 1: Content Analysis

- GQ and Men’s Health magazines- Comparison of advertisements, spreads, and topic

of articles

Top 3 most frequent Advertisements:- Cologne 20 % (MH) vs. Clothing 29% (GQ)- Clothing 18 % (MH) vs. Watches 16% (GQ) - Watches 15 % (MH) vs. Cologne 15 % (GQ)

Men’s Health October ‘12 Cover

Method 2: Survey

- Print survey asking 4 different questions- Ages ranged from 18-22 years old- 64% of the respondents were males - 36% of the respondents were females

Images on Survey