Looking westwards: Men in transnational men’s magazine advertising in India

Abstract

This study examines advertising content of four top-selling Indian editions of transnational men’s lifestyle magazines ( Men’s Health India, GQ India, FHM India and Maxim India) to understand how it constructs masculinity for upper-class urban Indian men. Through content analysis of advertisements, the study finds greater presence of international brands and Caucasian models than domestic Indian brands and Indian models. Male models often appear alone and in decorative roles as opposed to professional roles. The study discusses the emergence of class-based glocal masculinity that helps assimilate upper-class Indian men into the global consumer base through shared ideals, goals and values.

Men and masculinity in men's magazines: A review

“…Since 2010, the study of men's magazines has flourished, particularly in Asia. There, researchers have used similar methodologies and made corresponding claims to those in earlier Western research, but the focus has been on the representation of Asian men in magazines originating in the Western market (Cortese & Ling, ; Lee & Song, ; Mishra, ; Pugsley, ; Shaw & Tan, ; Shaw, Tan, Ko Kim, & Cheng, ; Song & Lee, ; Tan, Shaw, Cheng, & Ko Kim, ; Tanaka, ; Yuan & Shaw, ). For example, Pugsley () analyses a Singaporean edition of FHM , and argues that, despite Singapore's censorship and cultural beliefs concerning sexually explicit material, few changes have been made to the content of FHM as found in other international editions such as the UK.…”

Evolution of Men’s Image in Fashion Advertising: Breaking Stereotypes and Embracing Diversity

“…There are studies that demonstrate that male models often assume decorative roles rather than professional roles, and there is also the emergence of a new masculinity that is based on global consumer culture and promotes shared ideals, goals, and values among men [22].…”