•  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.