Images of femininity and masculinity are always present in every-day-life. Mass-media supports the gender-specific perception and forms the examples with which we are supposed to be conform. This contributes to the maintenance of stereotypic believes about men and women in our society.
When we talk about images of women (or men) we mean all the little things that are connected with the notion “woman” (or “man”). We know what a woman is and how she should look and behave to belong to that category. Society has certain expectations towards the sexes. Often these expectations towards men and women are contrary to each other (e.g. man strong, woman weak). Every human being in the western societies is defined either as male or female. Irene Dölling (1993, pp. 23-24) calls these socially formed images collective and cultural patterns of perception and interpretation.
Several questions are of interest for this analysis of medial representations of women: How are women represented? Do they correspond to the beauty norm? Are woman mostly connoted with sexuality? And, in order to have a comparative object, I will look at men’s representation in the media. I will deal with the following questions: How are men represented in comparison to women? Are gender roles still so stereotypic and rigidly divided, or have they become on both sides more fluent? Supposing now in advance that media still uses traditional stereotypes, I want to find explanation why this is so. Who profits from presenting women according to the cliché? Why is it so difficult to change the medial image of women, and why are women still “in the kitchen” after over two centuries of feminism?
Table of Contents
1 Methods and Procedure
2 Introduction
2.1 What are images
3 Maxim versus Playboy – A comparison of their Gender Construction
3.1 General Differences
3.2 The Construction of Gender
3.2.1 Femininity
3.2.2 Masculinity in Comparison to the Female Representations
3.2.3 A quick look at PETRA
3.3 Summary
4 The Imperative of Beauty
4.1 Getting into the Subject
4.1.1 Men-made Beauty
4.1.2 Beauty and Success
4.2 A bitter Freedom
4.3 The Survey
4.3.1 Hypotheses
4.3.2 Diagrams and Charts
4.3.3 Evaluation of the two Diagrams and the Charts
4.3.4 Problems
4.3.5 Speculations about the Ranking
4.4 Conclusion of the Analysis
5 Visual Media as a Political Means
5.1 The Beauty Tyranny
5.2 The invisible Working Woman
5.3 Outlook and Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This paper examines how gender roles and femininity are constructed within visual media, specifically focusing on men’s and women’s magazines. The central research question explores whether these media outlets perpetuate stereotypical, rigid gender images that limit female potential and reinforce male-dominated beauty norms, or if they offer a more progressive representation of gender identities in the twenty-first century.
- Analysis of gender representation in PLAYBOY, MAXIM, and PETRA.
- The societal and political implications of beauty standards and "the male gaze."
- The influence of media-driven ideals on self-perception and body image.
- A comparative survey on ideal physical characteristics for men and women.
- The impact of visual media as a political tool for maintaining patriarchal structures.
Excerpt from the Book
3.2.1 Femininity
The photographs on the cover of both magazines are without exception female persons who are shown in sexy and erotic poses. Most often they almost wear nothing or are about to take the little they wear off. They are young, slim, have a well-shaped body with no cellulite, their breasts are rather big and their postures are an unmistakable offer for men. The focus of interest is the looks, everything else concerning women is treated marginally.
Women in PLAYBOY are always naked (little exceptions are reports about female celebrities like Hildegard Knef). When they wear clothes, they are rather accessories to point out their womanly characteristics.
Issue No. in 2001 of MAXIM portrays two female boxers. What stands in the foreground is not their sport but their looks. Although it is surprising that a men’s magazine portrays strong women who are moreover very successful, it can’t be read as an improvement. The article’s dominating pictures dismantle the image of a strong woman. They are photographed in underwear and with a little kitten on their shoulders or a teddy-bear in their hands, always looking coy or invitingly up to the camera, almost never being eye to eye with the viewer. If the women look straight to the camera, their eyes are half closed, with a seductive expression on their faces. All pictures of female persons in MAXIM follow the principle of “talking sex”.
Summary of Chapters
1 Methods and Procedure: This chapter outlines the research scope, focusing on the analysis of gender representations in men's and women's magazines (PLAYBOY, MAXIM, and PETRA) and establishes the initial research questions regarding media stereotypes.
2 Introduction: It explores the visual nature of contemporary culture and discusses how media functions as a mirror, simultaneously depicting and creating societal norms, including gender clichés.
3 Maxim versus Playboy – A comparison of their Gender Construction: This chapter provides a detailed analysis of how men's magazines construct gender, contrasting the "active" man with the "passive" and "objectified" woman.
4 The Imperative of Beauty: This section investigates the societal pressure of beauty ideals on women, including the results of a survey regarding perceived physical desirability and the correlation between beauty and professional success.
5 Visual Media as a Political Means: It discusses the political dimensions of visual culture, arguing that the standardization of the female body acts as a mechanism of control and maintains traditional power imbalances.
Keywords
Gender construction, visual media, femininity, masculinity, magazine analysis, beauty standards, male gaze, gender stereotypes, objectification, social construction, survey, media influence, patriarchy, body image, identity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper examines how women are represented in modern media, specifically within men's and women's magazines, to determine if these representations reinforce rigid, stereotypical gender roles.
What are the central thematic fields covered in the study?
The study covers the construction of gender, the societal imperative of beauty, the influence of media on self-perception, and the political power dynamics inherent in visual culture.
What is the primary research goal or question?
The goal is to explore how femininity is constructed in the twenty-first century and whether modern media, despite historical progress in feminism, continues to reduce women to physical decoration and sexualized objects.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The research uses a qualitative analysis of magazine content combined with a quantitative survey that asks men and women to rate the importance of various physical and personal characteristics in a "dream partner."
What topics are discussed in the main body of the paper?
The main body compares specific magazines (PLAYBOY, MAXIM, PETRA), analyzes the "beauty tyranny" imposed by media, and evaluates how media functions as a tool for political control.
Which keywords characterize this work?
Key terms include gender construction, media representation, beauty standards, the male gaze, and societal stereotypes.
How does the author define the "beauty ideal" in these magazines?
The author argues that these magazines promote a homogenized beauty ideal—youthful, slim, and sexualized—that serves male fantasies rather than reflecting real-life, diverse experiences of women.
What is the significance of the "active man" versus "passive woman" stereotype?
This dynamic serves to legitimize male dominance. Men are portrayed as active agents who conquer the world, while women are portrayed as passive objects meant to be looked at, effectively limiting their perceived value to physical appearance.
- Citation du texte
- Tonia Fondermann (Auteur), 2002, The Medial Mirror - Female Representations in Men’s and Women’s Magazines, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/17988
