Visualization of a Woman’s Image in Magazine Media for Men

Abstract

The article describes the main media visualization tools and describes typical gender images that are portrayed in the media. The influence of media on the creation, change and dissemination of stereotypes is outlined. The process and consequences of the transformation of gender roles, depending on the socio-historical context and the features of their contemporary identification in the magazine media for men, are examined. Monitoring of periodicals illustrated, on the one hand, the existing system of imagery (illustrations, dies, lines, footnotes, cuts, color, free space, various decorative elements) and components of illumination of a certain media image – on the other. Emphasis is placed on the ratio of visual and textual content in this plane.

It has been found that in the counters of modern men’s magazines there is a considerable number of photographs depicting women, mostly thought leaders in their fields. As a rule, in most of the photos the woman is shown in a certain role: «Barbie-woman», «Cinderella», «glamor maiden», «bitch-woman», «superwoman», «cosmo-woman», «feminist», «caregiver», «a militaristic woman». Among the most common female media images portrayed in the mass media GQ, Esquire and Men’s Health is named «cosmo-woman», «glamor maiden» and «Cinderella», which allowed to state: modern magazines for the general public, in particular for men, aimed at depicting women in the popular nowadays.

As a result of a practical study of magazines, stereotypes that are no longer indicative of the current information world have been identified, as well as factors that influence the emergence or, on the contrary, the disappearance of gender roles in the media environment.

Key words: visualization, gender, image, media, stereotype, mass culture.