Masculinity and Toxic Masculinity
Much like women's magazines, men's magazines perpetuate stereotypes, unrealistic standards, and destructive messages, forcing readers into a box. Men's magazines often push traditionally 'masculine' interests, reinforcing the toxic masculinity that fuels the patriarchal structure of our society. These categories are exclusive, excluding anyone who does not identify with the gender binary as well as many people in the LGBTQ community who are otherwise limited to seeing their own experiences reflected in special interest magazines but not as part of the norm.
Not all masculinity is toxic masculinity. Toxic masculinity a model of masculinity that centers around dominance and control. Toxic masculinity leads one to see women and those of the LGBTQ+ community as inferior. Toxic masculinity is often homophobic and transphobic, emasculating those who do not identify with the hegemonic norm. Traits typically associated with this toxic, hegemonic masculinity are aggression (physical, verbal or sexual). Men's role models and heroes are often presented as strong, straight males who solve problems through violence. In society, men are taught that they are the protectors, the heroes and if they need to be, the villains. This belief links to the way into which toxic masculinity views women and the LGBTQ+ community as more vulnerable, and defenseless.
Toxic masculinity is a result of how our society teaches men to behave through images and messages ingrained in our media as well as a result of masculine ideologies that are still taught to some boys as they are growing up. Parents says 'boys will be boys,' and then television, movies and advertisements do the rest (that is, shows boys what they can get away with).
Toxic Masculinity is ever-present in men's magazines and has been since the first ones were released in the 1920s. Men's adventure magazines were filled with scenes such as scantily clad women being eaten by crocodiles while an Indiana-Jones-type character comes out with a machete aggressively saving her, even though her purpose their is purely object. These magazines later moved on to include men's lifestyle magazines and pornography. More often than not, 'men's lifestyle' indicates interests such as sports, cars, working out, traditionally 'manly' ideals and more naked women.
Men's magazines are a prime example of the ways in which society has created an exclusive men's club, one that only the hegemonic stereotype can partake in. It's difficult to find men's magazines that aren't obviously directed at a straight, traditional masculinity. While special interests for the LGBTQ+ community exist, those people are more or less erased in the world presented by the typical men's magazine. This is because men's magazines, like women's magazines, most frequently operate within the gender binary.
