Men's health work/hw 2

Men's health heroes

How is David Beckham inspiring to male readers of MH? 

David is seen as inspirational as he is physically fit and they show his muscles by using a sleeveless top.  He is a good example of how men are 'suppose' to be according to MH. He also has a typical boy hair cut which is short and neat. He shows facial hair which makes him more masculine as well as having half his face in the dark, this gives him mystery compared to a woman's magazine who would be fully lit. He stands in a way that you would normally see in a wrestling pose and this is reinforced as he wears bandages around his hands which signifies that he has/is going to fight. The audience can see his abs through his shirt so that the target audience can see this and aspire to look like this. He has a knitted brow which doesn't look as inviting as it would if he had a smile or less harsh eyes. I think they did this because men are suppose to look tough and serious as opposed to women who often have their mouth open as an invitational smile.

What is seen as admirable about them? And representation?

David Beckham is a well known celebrity who married a well known singer, Victoria, and together they have a very big reputation. He used to be a famous footballer which is a typical sport for a man like David to play. He made a respectable career and has not been badly portrayed in the media which shows the men how to behave when being observed by the public. He is also the typical representation of a man who has muscles, short hair and maybe a tattoo. The connotation of the tattoo is that people who have them are considered to be 'rebellious' or 'tough', however this has been outdated as many women have tattoos like David in this image. Tattoos are becoming more accepted so I think that his tattoo could prove he has something valuable that he wanted to remember which could persuade more people to appreciate his way of living and make him more respectable. He is also considered quite handsome by a lot of women because of his conventional male looks and his masculine persona. Beckham has the physical structure that a hegemonic male would want and the considered good looks that make him likeable by both genders, males out of envy and females possible out of lust. This image shows that by 'being a man' you have to be tough, serious and ready to fight. They have got to have some level of tone and muscle as well as a physically fit body. A masculine man will most likely have short cut hair and some facial hair.