Engendered Mass Media Essay

Mass media is a powerful socializing two-way tool wherein one engages in an inter-play: man views the world as reflected by the medium; in the process the medium gazes back with a modified reflection of what has been sent by the viewer. The process of gazing and reflecting creates a reality satiated with meanings ready to be read and given form by both the viewer and the medium. How this process is presented will be analyzed in this paper using one of the online hubs of Regent Entertainment Media Incorporated, Out.com, an ezine that showcases most of the contents of its print counterpart: Out Magazine, a print medium dedicated for articles related to the third sex. This medium has been considered for the analysis for several reasons: 1) the third sex as a topic for magazines is quite touchy and absorbing since more readers would opt to consider looking at other gender-specific and topic-specific magazines; 2) magazines such as Out. com provides a foresight on gay culture presented using a less informal approach (easy to read, short articles); and 3) this serves as an eye-opener on the extent of how mass media has been an effective tool that unavoidably forced society to accept the gay population as a bona-fide member of the society as members of the third sex have progressively come out of their closets. In Out. com’s site, one would see the following sections: home, blogs, video, style, galleries, extras, model citizen, travel and subscription— sections which are commonly seen in other online magazines. The design, however may be considered a full contrast (traditional with its still-old-fashioned though compelling black and white presentation that projects a sense of balance) to the lurid, more show-of-the-skin presentations found in other popular magazines such as Cosmopolitan, GQ, and Maxim. Engendered Media Out. com is just one of the online hubs of Regent Entertainment Media, Inc. (for other sites just hover and click on the links found at the lower end of the homepage) though. This site, however, seems to be more provocative and out-of-the-box (stereotypical) presentation than the rest (perhaps to cater to all the possible reading requirements of its target audience). What is unusual in the presentation of the third sex, however, is how they are dressed up: not as one would suspect them to be seen on the streets or anywhere else. Instead they are pictured being dressed up as how one sees a female or a male in current times are dressed up. What changes is the role that they portray however. Consider for example a feature story titled, â€Å"The Gay Agenda,† which describes an upcoming event titled billed as â€Å"Stripped Stories Teases Chicago† (Out. com, April 2009). A snapshot of Giulia Rozzi and Margot Leitman spending an intimate time in the tub (though both are dressed in lingerie, wearing make-up and nail polish, one may deduce what specific role each character (male or female) is portraying from the posture they are displaying in the photo. Guilia Rozzi is pictured clinging onto Margot Leitman’s legs, giving the latter more authority in terms of the space occupied in the photo, and the accompanying meaning it translates that somewhat points to the masculine role that Leitman is projecting. Most of the photos and articles found in the site depict the third sex being celebrated and focus on the positive reflections concerning this population. Even the digital image of the magazine’s current issue with an outline of the contents of the magazine focuses mainly on the positive hence criticisms and ill treatment that society usually bestows them are kept veiled. Engendered Media A grim reality that the magazine might have kept from the intended readers for them to have some time to consider the brighter side of life even when dark clouds keep looming from above. Reference: Out. com. May 2009 Issue. Retrieved April 27, 2009 from Out. com Website: http://www. out. com/current_issue. asp â€Å"The Gay Agenda. † (May 27, 2009). Retrieved from Out. com Website: http://www. out. com/gay_agenda. asp? id=25145