Malakas at Maganda: the Story behind the Cover

2006-07-04T14:23:00.000+08:00

The most attractive and maybe most persuasive part of the magazine is the cover. A sneak peek at the contents a whole issue can be read in the bold head lines written all over the colorful details of a magazine cover. It says all yet says nothing to you. What is it really that this beautiful women, handsome men and Mona Lisa smiles that urge you to buy an issue?
We will take a look at the hidden messages relayed to us by certain magazine covers and how this interacts with our own urge to buy or not to buy. We will compare the covers of FHM (For Him Magazine) and Men's Health Magzine for the masculinity that they portray for would be buyers. For the female side, we will analyze Cosmopolitan and Preview magazines and how they show “what women should be”
Only two types of cover exist in the business of male magazine covers intended to attract a certain readership. That would be the picture of a popular male personality or the bikini clad bodies of even not so popular females. A certain extremity of differences can be seen in this kind of portrayal of what men are. To attract men to buy an issue you either bombard them with all the feminine skin you are legal enough to show or to show off the buffed up body of a male icon.

FHM the country's number one magazine in terms of sales owes it to the over popular photographs of women in their sexiest poses and clothes, or what they call “clothes”. FHM graces its covers with the most popular faces (and bodies) of famous female celebrities, the ever cliché “sex sells” method of persuasion. Sex has always been the popular motif for any men's publication here or in other countries. Liberty, in speech and philosophy, could be the main point why they continue to flaunt these women in covers.
So why buy an issue? It is privilege of ownership. They say that the women that come out in covers of magazine are the ultimate fantasy of every cold-blooded man on the country. The purchase of a magazine is the ultimate key to have their fantasies come true in paper. The women pose in naughty positions looking straight into the eyes of the would-be buyer urging him even more to get the magazine. The sexier, the more alluring and popular the women are, the more possible it is that a man will buy. Ownership of the impossible fantasy becomes a reality for 120 pesos. Who wouldn't be proud to have Angel Locsin wearing bikinis in the comfort of your home?
Men's Health on the other hand portrays the other side of “manliness'', muscles. Every cover of men's health would be cluttered with the picture of six pack abdominal muscles or the latest gym equipment out in the market that would give you your real “confidence”. These covers give readers the one step nearer to have the body they desire and well get all the ladies they want. The always perfect biceps, six pack, and broad shoulders are the image of the ultimate Adonis.
According to semiotic theorists another message is shown in these covers. A homosexual context or a “gay window” exists in this kind of covers. Men in the covers always look straight at the lookers of his cover. Almost seductively luring buyers to either be like me or have me.

Women's magazines on the other hand make more sophisticated details of the perfect woman. Cosmopolitan magazine offers you the urban, fashionable and more liberal women of today. Covers shout out that women have the right to talk about sex, fashion and career like no other magazine has before. The modern women, according to Cosmo covers, are those are smart enough to talk about taboo women issues and of course smart enough to buy the magazine. If you would look closely at every cover, the model always stand in the middle of the issue smiling and wearing the most fashionable of clothing. It symbolizes the concept always putting women in the middle of things around her. Always up to date, moving with the flow of her hair. Putting women in their right places, surrounded by everything important, or so what they say is important.
Preview on the other hand puts a bit of elegance into the “woman” perspective. Taking the pictures of the most famous of women and having them smile in bust shots. Closer shots compared with Cosmo, Preview wants to bring readers nearer to the ideal image of their monthly covers. Strutting the most expensive of jewelry and clothing, the women of Preview shows a woman of class and sophistication. And of course to have that unattainable status you have to know what is behind that cover. To become us you have to buy of course us.
Magazine covers offer an array of images for readers. Each issue showing who they say we should be and what they want us to be. But under every cover, every issue, every Malakas at Maganda they showcase is the overwhelming demand to earn. From you and your dreams to become perfect.

Chocolate Sundae

2006-06-26T11:59:00.000+08:00

to start off a dinner there's always an appetizer. But we're not having dinner were going to start a discourse so why don't we start with dessert.

rather than looking at the beginning of things to understand how things come to be as they are now, we take a different turn and start at the end. According to the law of entropy everything is composed of a certain cycle. every single entity in this physical world starts at singularity, point zero as we all know it. creation of some sort happens and thus matter is turned into physical objects. then it goes on progressing until it reaches a zenith of development and shall begin the antonym of his ascension.

from peak back to ground zero that is where we are all heading. death does not necessary really mean ground zero, we do not start as "dead". well, at least that is how i see it. there is something about the how cycle of life as we know it that lacks and leaves us wanting more.

then with this search are we really looking at cycle that we start from death to life then back to death? it makes no sense .

From the dark to the light

Malakas at Maganda: the Story behind the Cover

Chocolate Sundae