Talk:Masculinity in the US Media

I thought your wiki page was very well organized, easy to follow and a very interesting read. An impossible standard of masculinity set by society is often a topic that goes overlooked, as body image issues are more associated with young girls rather than boys. In the "Masculinity in Popular Magazines" section you may want to add something about the use of photoshop in the magazine's images. Trying to achieve the physique of someone who is genetically gifted and likely taking steroids is an impossible feat for a young man. The photo editing makes the image of what a man's body should look like strays even further from reality.

Your wiki page was very insightful. I especially think it is an interesting topic as the way that the media portrays masculinity and the “ideal man” is often not talked about. I also think that it is interesting how you mentioned that emotional and sensitive characters are often homosexual in the media, rather than hetereosexual. This further perpetuates the idea that a “manly man” or a “real man” does not show vulnerability and emotion. You mentioned that the US media’s promotion of “strong, muscular men as a concept of masculinity may lead to drug usage and various mental health conditions…”My only suggestion would be that it might be interesting to further look into the effects of the media’s portrayal of masculinity on American adolescents.

I loved reading your wiki as it really does a good job of highlighting the issues facing men that we hear so little about. Often it is the seemingly unrealistic body standards that women see in magazines that make headlines, and it seems to me that we leave men to their own accords when it comes to body image. Maybe this is because masculinity teaches us that men are less fragile and thus won't be affected by what they see. Either way, great topic. I think someone might have already mentioned it but for your intersectional analysis, you can look at how often it is only white *straight or seemingly straight* males that are on the cover of these magazines and how other ethnicities that may value a different body type, or place more emphasis on intelligence than on strength are rarely ever portrayed.

Your chosen topic is covers the root of many health disorders of young male adolescents and men. I was astounded reading your page and reflecting on myself and young men in my life. This topic often goes unaddressed in males because of the very type of masculinity that is perpetuated in the media. Your page is extremely well organized and easy to follow.

I suggest adding a subsection tying your topic to intersectionality and how different frames are useful for finding and addressing the various issues you highlight. As a suggestion, how about how men's health magazines in the US refrain from featuring an array of ethnic men despite the US comprising countless different ethnicities. Additionally, I thought your reference to substance abuse can be related to contemporary hip hop music in more detail. This on its own is a huge issue and may wander outside the word limit, however, it may be worth looking into if you require more subtopics.

I thought your Wiki was very interesting and well researched. I especially enjoyed reading your section about Masculinity in Popular Magazines and how it can influence self image and lead men to taking drugs. It seems as you put a lot of time and research into this assignment. Maybe include a section about social media and whether comparing themselves to peers on apps like Instagram influence their self image as well.

Thank you! Yes that is a great suggestion, maybe I will!