While comparing the Men’s Health magazine front cover and the Tomb Raider anniversary game front cover, we can identify various representations in which gender is shown in a reactionary or radical way. By analyzing the use of semiotics, print language, representations and audience theory I will draw conclusions on how these products effect their consumers and audiences.  

Within the gaming front cover for Tomb Raider Anniversary the female gender is shown in a radical way in terms of reality, due to Lara Croft’s physique being very sexualized. For example, the female characters breasts have been scaled up by 150% and the gaming front cover denotes Lara Croft wearing very short and revealing legwear along with a top that fits tightly around her body in order to emphasize her unnatural curvature in the hips. I believe that this representation of women has a negative effect on the representation of gender within our society as it makes other women compare themselves to these unrealistic depictions of women which can have a negative effect on their mental health. However, to counter this argument, the game front cover for Tomb Raider Anniversary is also a reactionary representation of women within the gaming  world due to the fact that the male fantasy highlights these features in a woman and this is exploited by the game creators in order to make their target audience (young adult males) more likely to purchase their product. I also don’t believe to an extent that this product has big negative impact on society because this specific representation of gender has been projected by the game developers to entertain their fanbase, not to negatively affect women’s confidence. 

In terms of the Men’s Health magazine front cover the gender of men is yet again portrayed in a very ambitious and unrealistic way compared to the men in the real world. This more due to the fact that gender doesn’t have a set image and it doesn’t have set features and its more fluid when it comes to defining it. The magazine front cover denotes a man with a muscular, V shaped physique, which connotes that he is strong and capable of defending himself and capable of undertaking difficult physical activities. This could have a negative effect on the representation of the male gender within our society as some consumers can interpret the message incorrectly. For example, members of the male audience may begin to believe that all men should be muscly and have a V shaped physique, resulting in an unrealistic construction and ideology of a man. However, we can also say that this representation of men can be seen in a positive light as the magazine is targeted at men who aspire to look like the model denoted on the main front cover. This means that the representation of the male gender within the magazine front cover can also be seen as reactionary due to the fact that the magazine company is advertising their product in an effective way to make more sales by appealing to their target audience (men who work out).    

To conclude I believe that the two products aren’t having any significant negative effects on society and that the companies behind them are smartly and strategically using these representations of different genders purely to benefit their financial status. I am aware that some consumers may not take the preferred reading of the message that the companies are trying to give off however I don’t believe that these misinterpretations will have a big enough of a negative effect in order to make the companies represent their products in alternative ways.