Man to Man: A Content Analysis of Sole-Male Images in Male-Audience Magazines

Abstract

A content analysis is presented ofsole-male images appearing in advertisements obtained from Business Week, Esquire, GQ, Playboy, Rolling Stone, and Sports Illustrated for the year 1993. Only two previous studies have looked exclusively at male images in magazine advertisements. The specific objective of the study was to describe the physical characteristics of the men appearing alone in advertisements. Body characteristics, hairstyles, facial hair, body and head positionings, dimensions of eye contact, clothing styles, and types of adornment were appraised for each male image. The results indicate some uniformity of sole-male images across magazine titles as well as interesting differences. The study establishes a foundation for future research on the portrayal of men in advertising. Suggestions for future research are offered.Over the past 25 years, researchers in the social sciences have scrutinized role portrayals in magazine advertisements. Content analysts have given particular attention to the depiction of women in magazine advertisements (). This research has provided detailed information about women's images in magazine ads and has documented changes over time in the nature of their portrayals.Another body of content analyses has examined the depictions of men and women together in magazine advertisements (Brosius, Mundorf, and Staab

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