Stereotypes in magazines - representing gender - Theo Sweeting

Female lifestyle magazines 

• ''A recent article in Glamour magazine presented the sex lives of a porn star, a plastic surgeon and a gynaecologist. It first summed up the stereotypical assumptions about such professions from the point of view of the interviewees, and then gave the male and female interviewees a chance to present their side.''  Professions in women's magazines are presented with respect and as a job, whereas being a porn star or example, the person would be objectified within a male magazine. 

• ''The article offered a positive construction of the male porn star, who might have otherwise been portrayed stereotypically as a chauvinist or womanizer or even a sex object himself.''  magazine is challenging stereotypes and gender within itself. 

• ''presents stereotypical ideals of female beauty for the readers to aspire to, and provides many pages of advice on how to recreate such looks''  creates the perception that beauty is all that women need and that is all that matter. They dont need intelligence. Magazine doesn't give tips on how to succeed at life or to gain more useful knowledge, just on beauty. 

• ''contents pages in female lifestyle magazines serve to reinforce gendered stereotypes. The colour schemes and fonts are stereotypically associated with femininity, being predominantly reds, pinks and yellows with curvy and unthreatening fonts''  Suggests that even they layout of the page reinforces stereotypes that women like certain colours and men like others. Connotes that women have certain preferences that cant be shared with men and that  women cant be tough and strong-minded/willed ('unthreatening').

• ''The contents page sections are also frequently broken up by advertisements.''  Suggests that women are more likely to take notice due to this perceived stereotype that all women do is shop.