In this essay I will discuss what gender is and how it is portrayed in media through the magazine Men’s Health and the game cover Tomb Raider. I will talk about the representation of this and how we are positioned to think in a certain way, and the effect it can have on society because it can be damaging if we think about it too deeply and for too long; people nowadays obsess over the smallest of things and the media has a big role to play in this. I will also be talking about stereotypes and how media presents that people should be a certain way even if it’s unrealistic. Specifically, I am going to focus on how Tomb Raider represents females as being sexualised too much, and how Men’s Health implies that males must be a certain way in order to be successful and need to be this big figure in the modern world. In my opinion I think that both CSP’s are radical and reactionary. 

To begin, Men’s Health and Tomb Raider present gender in two very different and conflicting ways, as Men’s Health is purely focused on reaching the target audience, which is men who are highly into fitness or want to get into fitness. The producers believe that the image of a muscular and fit male will intrigue their target audience as it’s showing what a man can become, however this could be considered a bit far-fetched as it’s not always possible to really look that way. This implies the front cover is radical as men in society don’t actually look like that. Although Men’s Health is portraying men as being muscular and strong, the producers aren’t sexualising the subject other than signifying his muscles. I believe this is negatively stereotyping how men should be as it is portraying unnatural/unrealistic standards, and it can potentially be bad for men’s mental health if they can’t look like the image which is ‘fake’. However, some people will see this as reactionary as it in some ways supports the way we think men should be in society, and Men’s Health could potentially encourage healthier eating or encourage people to go the extra mile in order to get where they want and feel satisfied in their own bodies.  

On the other hand, Lara Croft has been over sexualised in order to appeal to the target audience which in this case is generally the male population. This could possibly indicate that females are being portrayed as objects and are only good for their breasts and rear ends. This is a clear negative stereotype that supports the dominant ideology which makes this text reactionary as nowadays society believes that females should be ‘fit’ and ‘attractive’, however we know that this isn’t always the case. This could potentially cause misrepresentation between society and the media itself. The media is putting unhealthy images into our minds and is positioning us to only see what they want us to see, which I consider worrying as it is partly unethical. The producers do this to maximise their profit. Lara Croft is the dominant signifier in Tomb Raider which adds more significance as people will want to ‘enjoy’ or ‘appreciate’ the main character more, and the sexualisation of this will allow for this to happen. Both CSP’s position the audience to behave in a certain way and see things the way media portrays them. This is where Reception theory comes in. 

Furthermore, Reception theory is shown in both CSP’s. People will perceive the texts in different ways with the options being Dominant, Negotiated and Oppositional for reception theory. People will interpret the magazine Men’s Health and game cover Tomb Raider in different ways. Some people will support the dominant ideology and the information given, but some other people may be against what these are portraying and have oppositional views. For example, in Men’s Health a 69-year-old man (Phillip Howells) is shown to still be competing in marathons which connotes that this man is healthy which portrays the magazine positively which may encourage more people to be healthy; however, some people may think this is unethical and that he is too old to be running marathons. Tomb Raider will have some similar views but also many different ones as no one is the same. For example, on the back of the game we can see Lara Croft in action, and we get an overview of what the game is like; she is portrayed as being adventurous which could intrigue people. Some people will like this idea and will support it as they want to get involved, however other people may either see why some people can like this game and why some people don’t, or be completely against the game and not see any other side as they have their opinion and are unwilling to change it. 

In conclusion, I believe that both Men’s Health and Tomb Raider represent gender in contrasting ways, with some positive and some negative elements. Men’s Health portrays that people should become fit and healthy; these ideas are portrayed in mostly positive ways but with some negative elements due to unrealistic goals for most people. Tomb Raider portrays females as sexual objects which connotes a negative stereotype and I believe this isn’t how females should be objectified as they’re more than that and are people just like anyone else. The target audience for Men’s Health have a slightly more realistic image to follow, whereas the target audience for Tomb Raider are just there for the game and the sexualised character rather than the reality of it. 

In this essay, I am going to compare the representation of gender in Tomb Raider to the men’s health magazine. In order to do this, firstly I am going to compare the dominant signifiers and how they have been manipulated to present a certain ideology; secondly, I am going to talk about how the game’s front and back covers and magazine compare against stereotypes / counter-types. 

In both Tomb Raider and the Men’s health magazine, the dominant signifier (iconic signs), on the front covers are the stereotypical image of what the media has manipulated their audience to believe is ‘normal’, which has been accepted as the dominant ideology of how men and women should be represented, and how they should look in real life. These dominant signifiers (Lara croft, and the man), have been manipulated to appeal to a certain audience, for example in Tomb Raider, Lara croft has been overly sexualised by the creators of the game, in order to appeal to the dominant section of the gaming industry, which is male gamers. They did this by making her breasts and butt the focus of the games cover by putting the leading lines (the title) in between these features of the female body, they also made her stand in a twisted position to accentuate these features. This emphasis is also shown in the images of the gameplay on the back cover where Lara’s breasts or butt are the focus of the shot. You could argue that this makes tomb raider a radical text because she has been positioned in a way that looks unnatural. This could be supported by the fact that in video games, women are usually represented as the characters that need saving by the heroic man, whereas in Tomb raider Lara croft is presented as a strong, independent woman who can fight for herself. Furthermore, this point can be supported by the blog about how Lara has evolved which states that Lara knows how to use more guns than most military personnel. However, this could also make it a reactionary text, because if this were to occur repeatedly, then this would become the dominant ideology of what a woman should be like.  

Similarly, the dominant signifier in the men’s health magazine (the man), has been presented as a strong and muscly man who is standing in a confident position, in a way that makes the audience focus on the muscles. This is a radical text because most men don’t look like that in real life, so this is an inaccurate representation of the typical male body This could also make people feel insecure about the way they look due to the manipulation of the media and the effect it has on how people view themselves in terms of identity and gender. The man on this front cover isn’t in a twisted position like Lara croft is in Tomb Raider, instead he’s in a forward stance that shows dominance and strength. 

In terms of stereotypes, gender is represented differently in Tomb Raider and the men’s health magazine. In Tomb Raider Lara croft is presented as a counter-type that challenges the ideology that women aren’t as strong as men and that they need men in order to survive. However, in Tomb Raider this isn’t the case, Lara croft is presented as a strong woman who isn’t afraid to roam the tomb alone, and by looking at the front cover and the T-Rex on the back cover, you can assume that she’s fierce and will confidently pull the trigger to kill. On the other hand, in the men’s health magazine, gender is represented as a stereotypical man, who’s dominant and doesn’t need anyone to tell him what to do. On page 17 of the magazine there’s an arrow which points to the man’s biceps which says, ‘one to aspire to’, this shows the media further manipulating the intended audience to become a stereotypical man, and putting them in a place where they feel insecure about themselves and manipulates them into wanting to look like the cover (audience positioning).       

To conclude, in both Tomb Raider and the men’s health magazine, gender is represented as an ideology of what is the ‘right’ way to look for both males and females. This is presented as a negative stereotype because it places the audience / receivers of the media in a position where they feel insecure about how they look and feel like they need to look a certain way to be accepted by society. This is an example of Constructed Reality. Both show a sense of hegemony because games developers are predominantly male, and in the magazine the males are presented as being strong and confident. 

•  Plan:
• Introduction
• p 1 = men’s health analysis – flour, colours
• p 2 = tomb raider analysis – pointy nose, nails 
• p 3 = comparison, differences = gender, Lara is real  similarities = both have a person as the main focus

The Men’s Health magazine cover and the Tomb Raider game cover both represent gender in a different way. I believe both are mainly radical texts but with a hint of reactionary to help sell the product. Exploring this idea will broaden how the media uses audience theory to almost brainwash the public by either confirming or disagreeing with their opinion. In addition, I’ll be referring to an article which analyses Lara Croft and her evolution to cement my argument.

This cover of ‘Men’s Health’ represents how the male gender can alter their bodies to look more desirable, like Vin Diesel who is the focus point of the cover. He also appears in the contents page, which could show the reader that he has the perfect male form. The contents page features varying signs which are connotations of this being a radical text, the clearest being the words “Flour Power” placed in the right column. It plays on the phrase ‘flower power’ which is ironic due to flowers usually being associated with women and softer objects. Irony is also present as Vin Diesel, again the most prominent aspect, is presented to be the opposite of soft, emphasised by his visible muscles and stern face. Additionally, this could be a pun of the idea of carbohydrates being a healthy source of gaining muscle, once more relating to the celebrity occupying each page. Secondly, the choice of colours can be considered radical as it is quite plain with small accents of pink, yellow and blue. These lighter shades are generally connected with innocence and not a manly nature, therefore challenging the dominant ideology of male colours being dark blue, balck etc. In relation, going back the front cover, a lot of blue is presented which could suggest that this text is reactionary. Blue is typically masculine, often symbolising abstract ideas like trust, confidence and intelligence. It is as if the editors are trying to persuade the reader that if they buy the magazine or follow the advice given inside, they will become more trustworthy, confident and wise. This could be translated to cultivation theory as if someone already believed that all men should look like the male celebrities on the cover of magazines, their opinion will be reenforced as over time more magazines will be published with similar looking people on them.

The Tomb Raider cover can be considered a radical text as the dominant signifier of Lara Croft is the focus of the cover, more specifically, her body is. This is clearly radical due to her unrealistic shape and the fact that her female features are easily visible, catching the attention the the male gaze which sexualises and dehumanises her. Also, Lara is in a stereotypical male position, playing the hero instead of a victim, emphasised by her gun which has connotations of death. Women are not usually perceived to be dangerous, but more delicate, providing more evidence that this is radical. A more subtle way that the creators represented this would be through her pointed nose and sharp nails. The essence of emphasised femininity is apparent, resulting in connotations of this character being piercing and fierce. On the other hand, this could be reactionary as with the rise of the internet, the idea of females bodies being shown is less taboo than before. The Lara Croft article paints a mostly positive view of the character, evidently in the quote “empowering a generation of women”. However, it also states that her creator “avoided hypersexualized… character traits” with the goal to “keep her realistic” which serves a sense of irony. The realism aspect is instantly lost when the audience even glances at the cover. Her abnormally large female features anchor the idea of all women looking, or wanting to look like her which is a myth. This relates to reception theory as the intended message of Lara Croft’s figure being realistic can be opposed, agreed with or negotiated.

The similarities of both texts would be that both the magazine and game cover have a person as the centre. This possibly lures people to buy as they are both visually appealing and not drastically different from another magazine or game box. Simultaneously, it allows familiariality and is regonconisability to regular readers.

The difference of both texts lie in the gender choice. It makes sense that a man is on the front cover of a ‘Men’s Health’ magazine and a women, although horribly altered, is the focal point to a franchise which is based around her. However, the most interesting fact about the choice of CSP’s is that Lara is a video game character – she’s not real. This appeals to the male fantasy as it creates an image of a woman that does not reflect real life whereas Vin Diesel, although he may not be the typical form for all men, does not construct a false ideology.

To conclude, I believe ‘Men’s Health’ magazine and the ‘Tomb Raider’ game box are radical texts although they both have small elements of reactionary. The idea of gender can be a somewhat abstract concept which these publishers seem to not take into account. Instead they presents males and females in which can be considered unrealistic.

In both ‘The Men’s Health’ and ‘Tomb Raider’, representation of the male and female genders are both emphasized; although different techniques have been used in order to translate a representation which would attract that medias specific target audience’s dominant ideology. In order to appeal to their target audience, the producers of Tomb Raider use a negative stereotype of women; implying that things such as their breast defines them and is their most important feature. Whereas in ‘The Men’s Health’ magazine, there is a positive stereotype of men that has been used in order to convey the idea that the main subject is strong and independent, this can be seen through the subjects pose and how it’s sexualisation is very minor, making sure that things such as his behind isn’t at all visible unlike Lara Crofts.

When comparing the front covers of both magazines, The Men’s Health magazine represents the main subject – Vin Diesel as a positive stereotype as they haven’t objectified or sexualised his body. For example, when imagining a men’s health magazine, the dominant ideology would suggest that the main subject wouldn’t be fully clothed, exposing a lot of muscle in order to signify his health or how this magazine has ‘changed’ him and could benefit the audience; promoting them to look like Vin Diesel or some other muscular celebrity creating a constructed reality. However, the main subject of this magazine doesn’t show off a lot of muscle, only his arms whereas other Men’s Health related magazines such as ‘Muscle and Fitness’ repeatedly leave the subjects topless in order to focus directly on appearance and less on health. Therefore, I would consider this magazine as radical as it focuses more on the actual health of men and how to become healthy – “Demolish junk food cravings” – rather than just their appearance. This reflects Harold Lasswell’s ‘Hypodermic Needle’ theory whereby an intended message is directly received and wholly accepted by the reader. In this instance, the phrases surrounding Vin Diesel such as – ‘Shortcut to T-shirt arms’ is taken in by the audience, causing them to buy the magazine with the idea that by buying this magazine they will be advised on how to improve their health as well as their appearance.

On the other hand, The Tomb Raider game cover represents the female gender through a negative stereotype; yet for its time, would still be portrayed as a reactionary text. Lara Croft, the main subject, is over sexualised, symbolising the female gender as objects, emphasising only her breasts and behind. This idea is further reinforced by the positioning of the games title which is strategically placed above her behind but below her breasts; covering one of the only sections of her body which may not be sexualised. As this game was released in 1996, I would say that the sexualisation or objectification of women would have been more common than today, where women have more of a say in how they themselves want to be presented individually. Both the front cover of The Men’s Health magazine and Tomb Raider would be used in order to appeal to a similar demographic – men. Even though the Tomb Raider cover supposedly goes against the dominant ideology by using a female as a main character suggesting that this game maybe targeted at women, this idea is soon neglected when Lara Croft becomes more of an object through over sexualisation’s.

The back cover of the game magazine, Tomb Raider, uses a serif type font which could be viewed as more of a female related font due to the elegancy of it. On the other hand, the pages inside the Men’s Health magazine use more of a sans-serif type of font as it is ‘blockier’ and therefore may be considered more manly through stereotyping. As well as this, due to the genre of the media types, the Men’s Health magazine may have used this font style as it is more factual and serious; advising people of how to improve their health or lifestyle. Whereas Tomb Raider is a game and is therefore more of a form of escapism allowing the serif type font to reinforce this. Although here, I believe that due to the previous over-sexualisation of Lara Croft, the serif font has been used in order to back up the female presence as most action games are predominantly male based; this game was also meant to be dominated by a male character – ‘Gard had initially designed the original Lara as a male character instead because he had imagined “a guy in some tombs”.’

To conclude, I believe that the representation of gender in both magazines are both prevalent however, for contrasting reasons. The men’s Health magazine is very positive, non-objectifying and non-sexualising allowing the target audience to focus on the main point of the magazine rather than an unrealistic example. The magazine achieves this using positive stereotypes which promote the dominant ideology – this magazine can provide insight of how to be come healthier. On the other hand, the Tomb Raider game uses negative stereotypes in order to represent the female gender, highlighting such things by giving the main character unrealistic body proportions – enlarging her breasts. Therefore when comparing the two, the target audience of the Men’s Health magazine don’t necessarily have an unrealistic example to follow yet females who may see or buy the Tomb Raider game does as it is the dominant ideology.