Magazines: A Means to Consumerism

 

On the surface, a magazine looks like a women’s best friend: offering inspirational images and friendly advices on how to look, feel their best, and on how to be successful in every aspect of their lives (Nelson IX). People commonly read magazines to inform themselves, relax, and to be inspired. Readers are particularly attracted to magazines by envy for what they offer and by their desire for self-improvement (Nelson XII). Finally, magazines are also a source of distraction from their everyday life (Nelson 39). And for these reasons, readers would like to believe that magazines are created in their interests and in consideration of their “lifestyles and well-being” (Nelson XII). However, a study conducted by the University of Missouri has found that the exposure to magazines diminishes self-esteem (Holmes). Indeed, the physical and lifestyle ideals that magazines expose to the readers are fare from representing the majority of people. Therefore, they trigger a frustration and a need for improvement. However, the reader simultaneously finds solutions for his or her new needs in the products that are advertised by magazines. Indeed, magazines are not merely the source of their low self-esteem; they also hold the apparent solution to this problem. And by this simple process, magazines ultimately lead readers to consumption.

Magazines, like other forms of media, are a means to the process of socialization “by which people learn their culture and gain self-awareness” (Cook, “Socialization”).  And for everyone, socialization is an essential and inevitable step as it teaches the norms and ideas to subscribe to for living in our society. In magazines, the patronizing tone used sets these cultural standards that readers see as the ideas and the norms to conform to. Furthermore, it is impossible to escape their socialization effect. Jennifer Nelson, a former magazine journalist and the author of Airbrushed Nation, a book about the backstage of the magazine industry, explains that “whether we believe we’re being influence or not [by magazines], the messaging is nonetheless subconscious” (Nelson 61). Indeed, many scientific studies have shown that magazines have the capacity to influence their readers on a deep level. For example, being exposed to a word or an image for “few thousandths of a second” can alter the reader’s behaviour (Nelson 61). And because readers approach magazines as a form of relaxation, they are even more easily influenced (Nelson 61).

Regarding the socialization from magazines, a cultural studies approach of this phenomenon highlights that the “texts” (messages, ideas, images, etc.) found in magazines relate to each other to form a greater “discourse” on how we ought to live, to look, etc. Ultimately, these discourses shape reality by influencing their receivers (Cook, “Theories”). In the documentary Killing Us Softly 4, Jean Kilbourne explains this process by saying that the images of women in magazines create a “pattern of what it means to be a woman” and therefore influences women to look and act according to this standard.

However, the norms that are presented by magazine are stereotypical versions of men and women (Killing Us Softly 4). Therefore, men and women are influenced to act, dress, and see themselves as having to become like these stereotypical versions. Furthermore, magazines only show a certain version of concepts, such as love, relationships, sexuality, femininity, masculinity, etc. and ignore the different possibilities to approach these ideas (Killing Us Softly 4). The socialization of magazine will also guide women to be interested and priorities certain things over others. For example, magazines tell women that the most important to them should be their physical appearance, which leads to the consumption of beauty and diet products (Killing Us Softly 4). In fact, magazines mostly prioritize interests that will ultimately lead to purchasable commodities, as opposed to non-materialistic interests (e.g. meditation, walking, gardening, creative writing, etc.).

Magazines send many messages which assume that their readers are imperfect as they are and, therefore, that they need self-improvement (Nelson 38). For example, this message is presumed in an ad for weigh loss or teeth whitening. From the 200 pages of the September Good Housekeeping issue, 51 mention anti-aging techniques: from cosmetics, to fashion, to food, etc., everything is meant to advise the reader on how to look younger. As if all a woman over 30 years old should do, had to do with trying to look younger because her normal state is unacceptable.

Furthermore, there seems to be no way to arriving at stage when one does not need any more improvement. This tendency is notably illustrated through the change of model through time: they have become skinner, younger, are pictured in sexier ways, and with technology, they look prettier (Killing Us Softly 4). Furthermore, because trends are constantly changing, there is no end to what readers need to buy, which perpetuate a constant dissatisfaction unless they conform to this consumerism propaganda.

Another message which comes with self-improvement is that the reader will become a better person if he or she changes physically or if he or she buys the right products. For example, in Men’s Health, an ad for the magazine mentions “BUILD A BETTER YOU! The FAST, EASY way to: Pack on Muscle, Blast Fat, Make Abs Pop, Enjoy More Sex, Hotter Sex” (118). This ad is claiming that you can easily and quickly improve yourself  ̶  not only your body but your entire person  ̶  by building muscles. Furthermore, the message implies that this improvement will lead to having more and sexier sexual partners. Similarly, an ad in Shape called “change your life” tells the story of a woman who lost a lot of weight and claims that it has changed her “into the wife, mother, and woman [she] deserve[s] to be” (151). These ads are very much advocating a superficial way to improving oneself; as if a physical change will transform one’s life for the better.

Indeed, magazines also advocate that readers can buy their way to success. For example, an article in Seventeen magazine entitled “Ace your face!” advocates mostly make-up as “midterm must-haves” (106). As if looking pretty during your midterm will guarantee you to pass. Similarly, the same magazine offers an article called “snack your way to an A” which recommends eating nachos, biscuits, whipped cream, cereals, and chocolate mousse during study session (125). The article mentions “wouldn’t it be great if you could just eat something to feel smarter?!? Your wish is granted with these yummy bites that will get you through any study session” (125). Again, this message suggests that readers can become smart effortlessly and quickly by consuming products, in this case junk food. Furthermore, this article is posted on the opposite page of an article giving advices on how to get “fierce, flat abs” (see below picture) (124). The contradiction between what these two articles offer (junk food and ads) and their proximity supports the idea that magazines are the simultaneous source of frustrations and their solutions.

The most obvious source of frustration from magazine is the physical standard that they impose. For women, this socially constructed image of beauty is particularity alarming. Indeed, women models are too often picturing the same kind of women: tall, white (or with white features), beautiful, young, rich, skinny, and sexy. These idealized images are also often quite extreme. For example, In Vogue, an ad for the magazine “editor’s eye” section pictures a dangerously skinny girl (see below picture on left) (52). A Lancôme ad in Elle shows the face of a model that appears to have absolutely no defect, no pores, no spots, absolutely no imperfection (2). And the model on the front cover of Shape is extremely fit; however, she has big breasts. This scenario is very improbable in terms of body type. Her breast size is more likely to due to a cosmetic surgery. Eva Mendes, in the “Angel” perfume ad, is pictured with a large breasts and a skinny waist, and both haven probably been digitally altered (see below picture on right) (Marie Claire 19). A Study published in the Women’s Psychology Quarterly journal found that “idealized media images translate into body dissatisfaction for many women” (Tiggemann and Polivy). Furthermore, these models represent ideals that are either dangerous for one’s health, impossible to achieve, or requires plastic surgery. Furthermore, even if models show more natural women, their type only represent a tiny percentage of the population in terms of body shape, age, weight, race, class, etc. Therefore, they frustrate most women who will want to achieve this model of beauty  ̶  a frustration that is meant to lead to consumption.

There is also a lot a pressure in men’s magazine to have a fit body. One article of Men’s Health even mentions “if you weren’t born with a mannequin’s body, fake it” (68). The message here is that everyone should look like a mannequin. Furthermore, men are often pictured as being muscular and manly in magazines. However, men have less pressure over their age and face. For example, the latest Chanel ads features an older Brad Pitt with unapologetic of his signs of age (Marie Claire 14). Nonetheless, Men’s magazines also portray a stereotypical model of being a man. It is particularly illustrated with very muscular men, men wearing suits, and men having half-naked girls around them. However, men magazines are especially filled with things that you should have and the pressure to be successful. For instance, suits, cars, watches, motorbikes, etc. Here, the message is clear: buy these things are you will be successful in your career and with girls. And the key seems to be able to have all these things quickly and effortlessly, like wining at the lottery. An image that illustrates this philosophy very well is the ad for the Paco Rabanne perfume “1 million” which displays a young man dressed in a smoking and snapping his fingers (see below picture on left) (123). As if it will make all these things appear. Indeed, on top of the physical pressure, magazine also generally feed a need to quickly get rich. For example, an ad for Express (a website which offers online clothes shopping) shows a young couple in front of an old and romantic building; the men dressed in a tuxedo and the women dressed in an evening gown (see below picture on right) (Mary Claire 75). Because most people do not live in such luxury, it will frustrate the readers and, again lead him or her to consumption to live in illusion of being rich.

The techniques used to make readers want to buy the products pictured in magazines are very thought through. For example, magazines often features perfume ads with samples of perfume that, once opened, will impregnate the whole magazine so that each time you pick it up and flicker through, you will be immerged by this scent. The reason why magazine do it is because “scientific studies show scent can sweeten pleasant feelings […] that entice [the reader] to the products they’re selling” (Nelson 49).

The placement of editorial and advertising content is also one of these techniques to lead the reader to consume (Nelson 55). Indeed, it is even sometimes hard to distinguish an ad from the article. For example, InStyle magazine features a beauty article showing ten make-up trends (147).  On the opposite page of this article, the reader can simultaneously see a Maybelline ad for eye shadow make-up (146). In an even more obvious way, an column about the backstage make-up tricks is placed in between two make-up ads for Revlon (below picture) (InStyle 66-67). By doing so, magazines disregard the official guidelines established by the “American Society of Magazine” which suggest that “editors and publishers should avoid positioning advertisements near editorial pages that discuss or show the same or similar products sold by the advertiser” (qtd. in Nelson 69).

To advertise products without using ads, magazines sometimes pictures products without any explanation of their actual eventual benefits. An obvious example of this tendency is shown on the image below. For this picture, Elle magazine created sort of robots made of beauty products (252). As if a picture of these products in the magazine was enough to legitimize their benefits for the reader/consumer. Furthermore, whole sections of magazines dedicated to recommending products. These sections are not exactly ads but their purpose is also to sell products. However, these products have the advantage of being backed by the recommendation of the magazine. Indeed, these items or presupposed to be in trend or to have attributes that will benefit the reader. For example, a section of InStyle magazine is simply called “Shop It! (194). It features shoes from $79 to $1,250 (with an average of $556 for a pair of shoes) (194-195). However, these prices are clearly more expensive then shoes found in most stores. Therefore, advertising them is not in the advantage of the reader.

Magazines are the second most common medium for product placement deals after television. For example, the magazines used for this research show an average of 41.6% of pages entirely dedicates to ads. By counting pages recommending products, the rate increase up to 77% for Cosmopolitan. Most magazines also featured a “shopping directory” (Marie Claire 246). The reason for this is affluence of advertisements in magazines is notably due to the fact that magazines publishers now need advertisers. Indeed, since the digital era, magazines sales keep dropping and their publishing companies are struggling to remain in business (Matsa, Sasseen, and Mitchell, “Are Hopes”). Furthermore, a survey from The State of the News Media 2013 show that there is a strong correlation between the revenue of publishing companies and the rate of “ad pages” (Matsa, Sasseen, and Mitchell, “By the Numbers”). Therefore, magazines are dependent on advertisers. However, Nelson suggests that, the battle for placement of ads is now also becomes an in-house issue between the advertising sales department who tries to keep the revenues flowing to remain in business, and the magazine’s editorial department who tries “to maintain integrity” (Nelson 70).

There are different ways to remediate to the deceiving role that magazine play nowadays. For example, magazines and brands could offer more transparency about their relationship (Nelson 62). They could also picture models that look more realistic and natural. This solution could even be in the interest of advertisers as “some recent research has found that that […] consumers are less interested in buying products that make them feel insecure” (body Image). This might be the reason why some brands are already making progress in this matter. For example, Calvin Klein published an ad in Vogue showing a curvier model (55). Other brands are choosing to picture unconventional forms of beauty such as the androgen model in a Bottega Veneta ad (see picture below) (Vogue 129). Furthermore, models from different backgrounds are pictured in ads, notably Asian and African-American, but also other race such as an Indian woman for the fashion photo shoot Marie Claire (182-189).

Other than images, magazines could also choose to feature “real stories” that are interesting and empowering for their readers (Stein). An example of these kind of articles would be the one found in Marie Claire entitled “Do you measure up?”. Displaying a picture of Barbie dolls, this article discusses the problem of expectations in our society (144). It explains how women “are inundated with so many cues as to what defines a successful woman today” and how “it’s downright impossible to figure out which attributes are truly attainable” (145). If article such as this one could become more common in magazines, it could empower readers to realize that the models and stereotypes should only be regarded as aspirational models, not as norms. Similarly, Seventeen magazine features an article called “The time bomb boyfriend” discusses the topic of boyfriends abusing their girlfriends (162). Article like this one can make girls understand that it is dangerous to become a sexual object for men, although magazines tend to promote this idea (Killing Us Softly 4).

Another solution that could prevent magazines from having such impact on people would be to educate on how to analysis images. Nelson suggests educating girls about what is implied by magazine pictures so that it is easier for them to withdraw themselves from the unrealistic world (XIII). Indeed, media have shifted from a print to an image bases system of communication and, although students are thought to analyse written text, they are not necessarily taught to analysis images (The Strength to Resist).

Notably because of its socialization effect, magazines are a representation of a society’s culture. Publishing companies used to have power to shaping this representation; however, nowadays, this power has mostly shifted to advertisers as they have so much influence on the content of magazines. Advertisers are now imposing their own ideas, values, and norms, and are consequently trying to turn the reader into a “bigger and better consumers” (qtd. in Nelson 55). The public is no longer a citizen shaping its own culture. It is now a passive receiver, deceived and turned into a mere consumer (The Strength to Resist). A Marxist approach to this phenomenon would hold that magazines are used to propagate ideologies beneficial to the interest of the elite. For example, because the model that is portrayed is impossible to achieve, it maintains the mass into a perpetual struggle. Indeed, consumers are only buying the appearances of success. And by doing so, they contribute to a consumerist and individualist trend in spite of their community and traditional values. The consumerism purpose of magazines prevails over ones expected by their readers. Readers are not benefitting from reading magazines any more. Instead, they are fed with unhealthy influences and unrealistic goals which have damaging effect on how they see themselves. Indeed, the idea behind reinforcing stereotypes, imposing models, and creating needs for self-improvement is that it will make readers want to buy the products that magazines offer. Continuous consumption is then the real message behind magazines’ texts.

Works Cited

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Killing Us Softly 4. Jean Kilbourne. Media Education Foundation, 2010. Film.

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Matsa, Katerina-Eva, Jane Sasseen, and Amy Mitchell. "Are Hopes for Tablets Overdone?" The State of the News Media 2013. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Mar. 2013.

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