Baldwin

=What Would Johnson Say About Gossip Magazines? =

Allan Johnson describes "patriarchy" as a system reliant on four pillars or core values. These values include male identification, male dominance, male centeredness and an obsession with control. The gossip magazine industry, while focused primarily on female celebrities does demonstrate the insidious power of these patriarchal principles and thereby works to perpetuate patriarchy as a system. To begin, let me explain the place of male centeredness in the gossip magazine industry. It is somewhat ironic that these magazines can be classified as male centered, because the subjects of the articles are predominantly female. Yet, these women are depicted as conforming to a heterosexual male perception of beauty. This is to say that the women through their presentation of themselves allow the magazines to center on what appeals to a male audience. This leads to the value of male identification. These magazines are read mainly by a female audience; they discuss beauty tricks, who pregnant with who, weight loss and fashion trends. While these may be the topics of discussion they are not intended to benefit women as women, but instead to make women more appealing to men. To further objectify women. For example, articles about fashion don't focus on what's comfortable, appropriate or sensible. These articles focus on how to make our body shape look better to a straight man, how to please a male audience. With a few exception ("50 Sexiest Men" and so forth), these magazines are not dominated by men, at least not on the pages. I plan to do further research to determine if the industry executives are mainly male or female. The gender distribution of powerful positions within the industry itself would have an obvious effect on the eventual content of the magazines. The next value to be discussed is an obsession with control. These magazines present a clear image of what it is to be a woman in our society. They paint a picture of what is socially acceptable, of what success looks like. the argument can be made that such magazines create a mold, per se, that women feel they need to fit into in order to effective members of society. This is a form of control; it is as if the magazines steer women towards their own objectification by demonstrating that higher heels will lead to a better relationship, that more cleavage equals a higher paying job, that losing the baby weight is some mark of success. In the case of gossip magazines, women are active participants in the patriarchal system. A woman must to choose to read the magazine, choose to buy the products advertised on its glossy pages, choose to comply with the advice it gives. By purchasing these magazines and supporting the advertisers women continue to pour money into an industry that in turn seeks to control them and in so doing perpetuate patriarchy. In short, women could potentially help to lessen the effects of patriarchy by not supporting the industry if they disagree with the images it presents. This is a difficult proposition to make. As Johnson explains with his tree diagram patriarchy begins at the very root of society and permeates every social structure we know. Given that fact that patriarchal ideals shape each individual's paradigm, it is difficult for women to see how their reading and purchasing this type of literature supports patriarchy. I believe that Johnson would view the gossip magazine industry as a prime example of the patriarchy at work. it exhibits the four core values of the system and in the end allows women to be involved in the system and keep alive the male centered ideals presented in the magazines.