Gender Concepts for Sale
Popular constructions of gender are created and reinforced in our society through the inescapable reach of the mass media. Through agenda-setting, the media creates guidelines and standards as to the issues we should focus on most. Women’s magazines are especially influential in perpetuating concepts of gender norms, and are adept at creating sets of values for their readers to buy into. Jane and Cosmopolitan present two distinct concepts of contemporary women’s lifestyles, aspirations, and identities. I plan to explore the ways in which these different publications present concepts of modern-day womanhood and femininity through discourse. Machin and Thornborrow define discourse as a “particular, contextually specific knowledge about a social practice with a set of social legitimation’s, values, and purposes” (2003). The values and guidelines presented in these two magazines create marketable gender identities for consumption by a female audience.
II. Cosmopolitan
Cosmopolitan produces a clear pattern of discourse that constructs an idealized image of the contemporary young woman. The magazine’s primary values and themes are women’s independence, power, and fun. A regularly featured section of the magazine is entitled “Fun, Fearless, Female” – the epitome of the Cosmo Woman. There is enormous emphasis on women’s independence in terms of sexual liberation and the lifestyle of a “swinging single” in the magazine (Machin & Thornborrow 2003). On the other hand, the traditional ideal of finding the “man of your dreams” and maintaining a monogamous, heterosexual relationship is equally pervasive. Indeed, Cosmopolitan readers are encouraged to wield power using feminine wiles and sexual bravado rather than their intellect. They are instructed, both implicitly and explicitly, to cater to and maintain a male stereotype of femininity in order to succeed in various areas of life.
Cosmopolitan, like other women’s magazines, has a distinct voice which addresses its audience from the stance of an expert on the lives of contemporary young women. Readers of the magazine enter a type of fantasy world in which they are led to absorb, believe, and abide by the Cosmo rules without question. Thus, there a sense is created that readers are naive about most subjects and in need of guidance (Machin & Thornborrow 2003).The magazine’s target audience; women in their 20’s and early 30’s, is expected to buy into the implications and assumptions that the writers and editors make about them. In addition, careful surveys and market research facilitate the task of determining what subjects their audience is interested in. Furthermore, writers’ use of the pronouns “I” and “you” helps to reinforce the sense that the magazine staff is so familiar with their readers that they implicitly know what subjects are relevant to them. For instance, “You have a secret sex cycle” connotes an intimate understanding about crucial information that the reader had no previous knowledge of. Quizzes with titles such as, “Are you a Fab Friend?” appear to present further keys to self-discovery for the average reader. On issues ranging from what to wear on a first date to how to get your supervisor at work to like you, Cosmo dispenses seemingly effortless advice for a readership that is generally viewed as inexperienced.
Nearly half of Cosmopolitan‘s regular repertoire consists of material regarding the maintenance of a certain standard of feminine appearance. Like most women’s magazines, it focuses extensively on the latest beauty and fashion trends. In fact, there are three regular sections that pertain to physical appearance in the magazine, including Shopping, Fashion and Beauty, and Cosmo Look. In addition, there is always at least one cover feature regarding appearance which usually includes how-to tips so that readers can improve their looks. Makeover articles show how readers get “Cosmo-tized”, and are turned into versions of the idealized Cosmo Woman. The Cosmo Cover Look page lists the hair and makeup products used on the cover model, who is either a celebrity or supermodel, as well as where they can go to find a similar-looking outfit at a more affordable price. In a sense, readers are led to believe that with the right hair, clothing, and makeup, they too can be as beautiful and successful as the images of feminine perfection that adorn each cover of the magazine.
There is an underlying assumption of the magazine that young women aspire to reach an exaggerated and unrealistic standard of beauty, and that this desire is natural and central to a woman’s identity. Since women make up the vast majority of consumers in this country, and editors must work with advertisers, Cosmopolitan strives to place a high premium on physical appearance. Talbot refers to this media-influenced preoccupation with women’s looks as “consumer femininity”, which draws on visual images of women fulfilling a stereotypical standard of physical attractiveness (1998). Between the regular sections regarding appearance as well as the countless advertisements featuring impossibly perfect images of women, Cosmo contains a myriad of material promoting the all-importance of consumer femininity for its readers. Another fundamental assumption is that readers’ motivations for maintaining an attractive physical appearance are rooted in the desire to attract and entice men. In the December 2004 issue, for example, women are encouraged to “hold his attention in curve-hugging tops”. In this way, the magazine reinforces a male standard of feminine beauty and sex appeal.
There is a prevailing attitude of female sexual liberation in Cosmopolitan and an emphasis on the importance of women’s sexual power. Female sexuality is central to the magazine’s general discourse, despite an underlying sense of traditional gender roles. In a way, the emphasis on a woman’s right to engage in de-stigmatized sex at her own will presents a progressive stance. Clearly, a magazine which boasts “sex tricks” and a multitude of sexual information and advice on its covers would have been unacceptable in generations past. As McCracken notes, women are allowed to transgress prevailing cultural standards of acceptable sexual behavior through the magazine (1993). Indeed, in the Cosmo world it is perfectly acceptable and commonplace to have one-night stands, to enjoy having sex, and to have sex frequently, with or without a committed partner.
Despite Cosmopolitan‘s encouraging nods toward women’s sexual liberation, there is an overemphasis on women’s sexuality and the ability to seduce men as a central component of identity. In fact, every section of the magazine features articles that carry sexual implications, from “seductive styles that’ll make his jaw drop” to preparing meals that a man would enjoy, to a section entitled “Sexiest Places in the World”. In the magazine’s construction of female identity, there is no facet of life untouched by the desire to enhance one’s sexuality and to please men. Indeed, the vast material on sexual advice in the magazine highlights a central theme of pleasing men sexually. Women’s sexual pleasure is considered important as well, but receives slightly less attention than men’s sexual expectations and satisfaction. The magazine attributes a sense of power to women who are able to satisfy men sexually, making this the overall main goal for engaging in sex. Yet, this reliance on pleasing men to achieve and maintain a positive self-image completely contradicts the image of women as powerful, independent agents (Machin & Thornborrow 2003).
For all its sexual brashness, the discourse in Cosmopolitan emphasizes the centrality of traditional male-female relationships and the need to maintain them. It is therefore assumed that readers either have a man in their life or are actively searching for one. The entire magazine is an amalgam of various means to attract, entice, and please men, establishing this goal as central to a woman’s identity. In each issue, there is a “Man Manual” which features articles written by men, a section for readers’ boyfriends, and pictures depicting men as sex objects. The majority of these features are written in an attempt to help readers better understand men, as well as tips for what to do and what not to do in order “to keep him around”. There are also countless stories devoted to readers’ romantic lives, fictional pieces in which there is always a male love interest involved, and so-called expert relationship advice. Together, these various features of the magazine reinforce the notion of a male romantic partner as central to a woman’s identity, underpinning the societal concept that a woman’s life is incomplete without a man.
III. Jane
Jane markets a much less traditional, perhaps more attainable standard of gender identity for young women to buy into. The magazine has a general feminist undertone that influences its portrayals of women, men, and gender roles. Unlike Cosmopolitan, there is significantly less attention focused on gender divisions and relations with the opposite sex. There is thus a sense of more equal relations between the sexes and less emphasis on the fundamental differences between them that must be better understood in order to maintain relationships with men. Each year Jane publishes a feature on the “Gutsiest and Wimpiest Women”; gustiness being the utmost attribute a woman could possess and “wimpiness” the most reprehensible. In the article, these values are measured in terms of female empowerment and a break from traditional gender expectations. The sub line for the article in the table of contents promises that this roster of women will “define progressive and regressive for you”, implying that all readers should be concerned with pushing the envelope and challenging traditional gender roles.
The overarching persona of Jane is that of the voice of a friend, addressing its audience with familiarity and equality. This type of attitude is presented rather frequently by magazine editors, and is carried out quite effectively in Jane (Talbot 1998). The target audience of the magazine, while basically the same age group as that of Cosmo, is assumed to be more diverse, including a wider variety of ethnicities and sexual orientations. Fashion features on “lesbian chic” as well as “a photographer you’ll fall in love with (who’s not a guy)” create an environment that expects both tolerance and diversity in its readership. In Jane‘s world, readers are treated as intelligent, empowered, and endlessly hip. Furthermore, it is expected that readers’ interests extend far beyond preoccupation with physical appearance and how to attract and keep a man. Treating their audience as intelligent and culturally sophisticated, readers are presented with regular sections on the latest movies, music, travel, food news, and societal and political trends.
Rather than addressing the typical reader as naive and in need of guidance, the magazine’s writers attempt to establish a more equal footing. There is a pervasive sense that readers’ opinions and tastes are valued, and that they, too, possess knowledge and expertise in a variety of areas. In one regular column, the editor-in-chief, Jane herself, seeks advice about her personal dilemmas from readers. A “Dish” page which is the equivalent to a section in Cosmopolitan that displays photographs of celebrities at parties, instead features pictures of readers, admiring their fashion choices. Another regular feature includes pictures of readers who comment on the beauty and fashion trends in their hometowns. In this way, readers are helping to influence the magazine through their own knowledge and tastes, creating a more equal addressor-addressee relationship.
Jane‘s writers and editors employ informal language usage to establish positive politeness (Talbot 1998). Further, each article is peppered with slang words and humor, reinforcing the sense of camaraderie and a simulation of friendship between the magazine staff and its readers. For instance, readers are told to “be the first to bust this outfit” and informed of the benefits of doing crunches, even if “you couldn’t give a crap about getting a sixer”. This incredibly informal, familiar voice simulates a comfortable atmosphere allowing for discussion of topics in the manner that readers might speak with their own friends. The success of the magazine in marketing a concept of female identity relies on its use of a friendly voice to create a relatable rapport with readers.
While there is a great deal of emphasis in the magazine on personal appearance and image, a more attainable, diverse, and eclectic approach to feminine beauty is presented as the standard. Jane seems to operate on the assumption that women should be less preoccupied with the way they look as a barometer of overall self-image. This is evidenced by a regular section entitled, “Makeunder”, in which women with fully done hair and makeup are given a more natural, much less time-consuming look. The implication is that women devote far too much time and effort to their looks in order to maintain a stereotype of feminine beauty when their own natural beauty should be equally appreciated. This implication also extends to body image, with a more relaxed approach to fitness and maintenance of the thin body standard. In a section of the magazine called “Sweat”, readers are told not to deny themselves ice cream and are given exercise tips from leading feminists who remind women to enjoy their bodies. In addition to the Beauty and Sweat sections there is an extensive Fashion section, and a general assumption that Jane readers have substantial interest in the latest trends. An eclectic, urban, uber-trendy look is presented as the fashion ideal here, compared to the more traditionally feminine, lady-like image idealized in Cosmopolitan. Jane promotes more acceptance of women’s natural appearance, is less preoccupied with a particular physical standard, and at the same time indulges women’s interest in fashion and beauty.
Jane is not particularly preoccupied with male-female relations and adopts a much less traditional attitude toward relationships than other women’s magazines. In stark contrast to Cosmopolitan’s focus on attracting men and its plethora of tips as to how to keep them around, Jane makes it clear that a boyfriend is not always necessary or desired. In every issue, at least one article may be found supporting this view. For instance, there is a guide to “Dumping a Guy Made Really, Really Simple”, and the January 2005 issue asks, “What’s a Man Good For Anyway?”. One humorous article describes what moves will scare off a “sensitive guy”, portraying males as something other than mystifying, tough, macho stereotypes. Traditional ideals about gender relations and the opposition between men and women are either downplayed or outright flouted in this magazine. Young women are encouraged to be independent and let go of a societally-influenced obsession with their romantic relationships.
Jane also differs markedly from Cosmo in that there is so little material dealing with sex, at least in an overt sense. There is a regular one-page section about sex, but rarely does the magazine devote much more space on the topic than that. Also, rather than focusing on how to please men in bed, this section includes a variety of sexual issues.
For instance, the October 2004 issue features an article describing men’s body hang-ups, reminding women that they are not alone in this area. On the same page, there is a single sentence about a sexual preference of men, which pales in comparison to the dozen or so pages devoted to the same subject in any issue of Cosmopolitan. Readers are encouraged to date around and enjoy sex, yet there is much less emphasis placed on the role of sex in women’s lives. Thus, women are not led to regard their sexuality as central to their self-concept as a female.
IV. Conclusion
The media, and women’s magazines in particular, are skilled at marketing gender standards to women. Portrayals of women in these publications present packages of values, norms, and guidelines to help mold their identities. In analyzing the distinct discourse of two popular women’s magazines, I gained a better understanding of the ways in which these forms of media create concepts of femininity. Cosmopolitan and Jane express divergent attitudes about women’s appearance, sexual freedom, independence, their relations with men, and more. The different standards for what constitutes femininity and womanhood in our society present two different options for female readers to identify with and buy into. Despite overlapping similarities between the two magazines, Jane clearly presents a more feminist, progressive standard of womanhood than the more traditionally feminine, sexual Cosmo Woman. Both magazines set a particular
agenda and represent to their readers what it means to be a contemporary woman.
