Selection of Magazines and Target Audiences
The two magazines I decided to explore were Men’s Health and Teen Vogue. Their names show that their primary target audiences are males and young adults. I selected these magazines because it is especially important to make men and children more tolerant and stereotype-free. Therefore, I was interested in whether images and articles in Men’s Health and Teen Vogue contained discriminatory elements or were inclusive.
Analysis of Racial and Ethnic Representation
Overall, one might notice that both magazines are perfectly integrated and do not promote racism or cultural stereotypes. For example, Teen Vogue (2023) has a section devoted to identity, and teenagers can read articles on pregnancy, sexual relationships, abortion, and other matters. Pictures in the articles illustrate African Americans, representatives of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community, persons with different body shapes, and other elements that promote diversity and inclusion. Since Tatum (2003) highlights the need for adolescents to have strong self-identification, this magazine may help its audience.
Further, in Men’s Health (2023), numerous images and articles promote equality and diversity. The magazine shows males of all ages, body types, races, and sexual orientations. For instance, when previewing the MVP Exclusives section, one might see four males of different ethnicities (Men’s Health, 2023). Caliendo (2020) indicates that implicit and explicit messages can be received from entertaining sources of information. Therefore, when reading the magazine, males are reminded of diversity and the need to respect each person, regardless of their characteristics.
Integration vs. Segregation in Magazines
Referring to the question regarding the need for magazines to be segregated or integrated, I believe the latter is more moral and correct. According to Burke (2012), “many whites may participate in socially acceptable discourse around race in public, but maintain overt racism or discrimination when out of the public view” (p. 2). It seems that separate magazines for different ethnic and racial groups might contribute to some people’s stereotyping, intolerance, and discriminatory views. On the contrary, entertaining sources of information that cover issues and topics for all racial groups are yet another step to uniting people and promoting diversity.
References
Burke, M. A. (2012). Consuming diversity. In Racial ambivalence in diverse communities: Whiteness and the power of color-blind ideologies. Lexington Books/Fortress Academic.
Caliendo, S. M. (2020). Race, media and popular culture. In S. M. Caliendo & C. D. McIlwain (Eds.), The Routledge companion to race and ethnicity (pp. 73-81). Routledge.
Men’s Health. (2023). Web.
Tatum, B. (2003). The complexity of identity: “Who am I?” In Why are all the black kids sitting together in the cafeteria? Basic Books.
Teen Vogue. (2023). Web.