The readings about men's magazines definitely helped me to gain a better perspective on what the men's magazine is all about (which, is a really good thing because I'll be needing that insight for our upcoming paper!). What I found to be particularly interesting is that there doesn't seem to be that huge of a difference between men's and women's magazines. At first glace it would seem that men's magazines and women's magazines are a world apart. Men like cars, women like make-up. Men prefer being communicated through irony and jokes, women enjoy the how-to's, emotionally charged stories, etc. And, I could be wrong about this (I'll have a better idea after doing some more research...) but I tend to get the sense that in the bigger picture, the realm of men's magazines and women's magazines are not all that far apart. And here's why.

Other than content related to hobbies and lifestyle, most magazine content remains the same among men's and women's magazines: relationships, sex, health, money, and oh yeah, sex. The men's magazines are trying to help men understand women, and the women's magazines are trying to help women understand men. For example, men's health magazines help men get the perfect six-pack abs (because women love them, of course) and women's health magazines teach how to put some bounce in that booty (because men love butts, duh!). Okay, so I'm being sarcastic. But my point is that...in my opinion thus far, at least...men's and women's magazines are interconnected in a way.

On a different note - I just want to point something out about men's magazines like FHM and Maxim. First of all, I can't say for sure whether or not I think that these images of women are sexist. I mean, don't we as women also enjoy looking at half-naked men? Anyway, instead of taking an analytical view on these magazines, I kind of want to integrate my personal beliefs into this one. I feel as though I am all too often trying to view media and gender studies through an academic's eyes, and that often overrides my Christian beliefs and values. Sexism and feminism aside, I think that magazines like FHM and Maxim are toxic to our society. As cheesy as this sounds - what would Christ think about these magazines? He'd be appalled, I'm sure. When God created women he did not intend for our bodies to be flaunted on the covers of millions of magazines...especially not for the sole purpose of exciting and arousing men. Whether she is in "control" of the man reading or not - screaming "sex" on the cover of a magazine is not where we as women should be. I believe that it is conveying the idea that it is okay for men to be obsessed with sex. Sex is meant for the sanctity of marriage, and these magazines have broken those boundaries...in a bad way. And yes, women's magazines are guilty of this as well.

Now, I'm not saying that articles about sex are necessarily wrong. Married people should have access to that information if they please (like there will ever be sex articles specifically for married couples...yeah, right!). And one could argue that it is not the magazines who are to blame for this but our sex-obsessed society. Sure, I get that, but there is no denying that these magazines feed that obsession.