Who’s stealing Maxim’s audience? According to the Atlantic, we are.
Alexander Nazaryan of The Atlantic reports that perennially problematic men’s magazine Maxim is seeing a steady slide in sales, and the “Sex Sports Beer Gadgets Clothes Fitness” publication is currently going begging for a buyer at a tenth of its expected value.
The reasons why, according to Nazaryan? Internet access, changing styles and mores, and this:
And a deeper change was afoot, too: Men actually began to think more deeply about what it meant to be men. Part of that was due to a decreased social tolerance for sexual aggression, combined with a growing recognition for how popular culture fosters the very same. Social tropes like the metrosexual – remember that? – were a tacit approval of homosexual style and a rejection of the beefcake machismo proffered by Maxim and its ilk. Meanwhile, sites like The Good Men Project, founded in 2009, have offered a rejoinder to Maxim, with men now writing about male issues beyond whether Bar Rafaeli is hotter than Irina Shayk.
What I’ve been saying ever since I became editor-in-chief of the Good Men Project is this: If you’re a woman who wants to stay mired in outdated gender roles and old nonsense, there are plenty of magazines willing to sell you the latest face cream. Similarly, if you’re a man and you feel you’re best represented by a bunch of square, sexist clichés, you can totally read the “Lad Mags”. But if you’re a man and you believe that your life is about more than beer, boobs, and bros… well, that’s what we’re here for.
Photo from Maxim, presented under fair use.
Congrats to all who contribute.
A change is definitely afoot and I am super excited to be connected to it.
Here is a thought…
“If we’re not willing to stand firm in our resolve, to see a job and do that job, to build up rather than tear down how are we supposed to model to a generation of men…those sons who watch our every move”.
Looking forward to the ride.
Cheers,
Alan
This is a great acknowledgment of what your readers and contributors (and I’m proud to count myself among both) have long known — congratulations!
One other thing, I don’t know if I was missing something, but I didn’t see the original article linked here, so here it is:
http://www.theatlanticwire.com/entertainment/2013/07/nobody-wants-buy-maxim-how-lad-mags-met-their-end/67003/
This is terrific! Congratulations GMP! I am glad I found you in a google search when I was having a tough time in my relationship in January. You have provided countless positive perspectives on issues I’m interested in – and not just masculinity.