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  • Essay / Jimmy Draper's article “Gay or Not” - 566

    Jimmy Draper's article (2010) “Gay or not?! magazine industry. This article specifically targeted and analyzed the relationship that homosexuality was used to help construct heterosexual masculinity in the men's lifestyle magazine known as Details. Draper's (2010) research into homosexuality to establish differences between models of heterosexual masculinity in the magazine industry was extensive. He began his research by analyzing issues of Details from September 1990 to September 2008 that concerned references to gay men. He then created a timeline that determined which gay moments occurred and also analyzed how Details editors spoke to and about their audience. These were his data collection methods and he used Butler's theory, "that gender is performative, socially regulated and discursively constructed", and "Carrigan, Connell and Lee's assertion that there are multiple masculinities that are contained and reframed by hegemonic masculinity.” (Draper, 2010, p. 360) Along with these methods, he also analyzed letters from the editors of each issue relating to sexual identity and gender and examined interviews the editors gave to the press and newspapers. In the process, Draper (2010) examined three distinct editorial eras that provided an opportunity to cross-examine how homosexuality helped create three entirely distinct models of heterosexual masculinity throughout Details. The first period of editorial control, "Heterosexuality Not Tense" (1990-1997), "after its redesign, presents the most counterintuitive magazine of heterosexual masculinity through homosexuality." (Draper, 2010, p. 362) The magazine included responses to sex surveys from gay men and alternative rock musicians, CD reviews, as well as fashion features in which members cross-dressed or kissed with other men. (Draper, 2010) All three “could capitalize on the perceived cultural cachet of gay men while reaffirming their reader’s heterosexuality by insisting that they were simply “not uptight.” Ultimately, heterosexual men are not worried when confronted by homosexuals. men. (Draper, 2010, p. 364) Maximized Heterosexuality (1997-2000) constitutes the second era and differs from the first era. Condé Nast believed that the magazine's homosexuality prevented it from having a wider target audience. Caruso and then Golin transformed the music section of the magazine with sports and sexy-dressed women because they wanted a more heterosexual audience. Maxim's magazine was launched and featured sexy cars with photos of sexy, nearly naked women. Golin said that if you want to have a general interest magazine for men, one of the general interest topics for men is women..