let us put aside discussions on gender politics and assume that these proponents of "The Masculine Lifestyle Community" operate on traditional western gender roles as we witness this screen capture from their website:
I've never been able to take bear culture as something deeper than a label that helps me get laid & make friends. But as my friend lady_mactrouser pointed out when the racial, classist, consumerist definitions of masculinity were keeping me from even identifying with beardom to that limited degree, "just because you deconstruct masculinity for a living doesn't mean that you can't enjoy it in your spare time."
I think all the vitriol is kinda funny. Its a magazine that says "Masculine" but the publishers seem to be very happy to call it "Martha Stewart for bears".
Bear in mind that I was "chosen" for the IBR spread for issue #2 a couple of years back... but I am really surprised that so many folks are finding this mag offensive. I just think it is trying to hit a nitch market that is under-represented.
I'm 5'7" and 230lbs. Having a fluffy magazine that doesn't point to skinny washboard stomaches as the only way to be correctly gay is a plus. It allows more folks to "see themselves" represented in the media. So totally on the surface, I've taken it as a great way for fat hair guys (of which I am one) to be publicly validated.
Yeah, yeah, so my shrink reminds me, we should all be "self validating" but not everyone is so well self actualized.
i admittedly have never read the magazine, save a few articles on the site, but from the headlines and pictures on the site, i'm not very impressed. the emphasis seems to be on catering towards gays with money (redecorating, hot vacation spots), white men (save the mixed-race NFL player and the token black guy on the cover of the "diversity" issue), and guys with a fair bit of internalized homophobia (oh, we're not like those guys, we're gruff and masculine).
fuck that, i'm a faggot chink piece of trash. i'm not, as the publisher believes, a "chaser." and hell if i give a shit about whether people think i'm masculine or not.
yes, i think it's important for larger/hairier men to know that they can be the objects of desire, but if it is insinuated that this can only happen if they go to IBR, sleep on 450 threadcount sheets, cruise make meaningful social connections through Bear411, and sacrifice their personalities in the name of ursine empowerment, something is seriously wrong. We are (or at least hope we are) individuals with
( ... )
Well, it IS a money making enterprise, not a Not Profit Organization, so yeah, they will focus on folks who have the goods. I think this is the case with most every glossy fashion magazine, so you're criticisms would prolly aptly apply to those as well.
You definitely hit some major points if one were to strictly rely on something like this for all their validation. Who is Jean-Paul Gaultier? Actually the magazine is a bit more homey than that.
I think there are less assumptions and more a selected target audience that you don't fit. It is definitely not for you. I don't read it, either, but it doesn't piss me off, it just misses me as a mark.
But I definitely like what you say about beards and holes!
you bring up a good point comparing it to a mainstream fashion rag - indeed, i do think the two are quite similar.
i suppose most of my animosity towards the magazine comes from a recent incident with one of its publishers. i was once content to ignore the whole thing, but Stevo came up to me a few days ago and asked if he could interview me on what it's like to be a "chaser."
i'd never met the man before, and i sure as hell don't consider myself a chaser; as i see it, the only way he could have come up with this label was by my looks. i wonder what would've happened if i asked him for an interview on what it's like to be a pretty white guy whose idea of racial diversity is one token black man amongst a horde of whites?
Comments 19
Reply
At least it wasn't an ad for this: http://www.menessentials.com/oxid.php/sid/57850352145a51e1598cc91.62226173/cl/details/cnid/-/anid/ecc43a971af7060d4.62742385
(nabbed from joeatlarge)
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
I think all the vitriol is kinda funny. Its a magazine that says "Masculine" but the publishers seem to be very happy to call it "Martha Stewart for bears".
Bear in mind that I was "chosen" for the IBR spread for issue #2 a couple of years back... but I am really surprised that so many folks are finding this mag offensive. I just think it is trying to hit a nitch market that is under-represented.
I'm 5'7" and 230lbs. Having a fluffy magazine that doesn't point to skinny washboard stomaches as the only way to be correctly gay is a plus. It allows more folks to "see themselves" represented in the media. So totally on the surface, I've taken it as a great way for fat hair guys (of which I am one) to be publicly validated.
Yeah, yeah, so my shrink reminds me, we should all be "self validating" but not everyone is so well self actualized.
Reply
fuck that, i'm a faggot chink piece of trash. i'm not, as the publisher believes, a "chaser." and hell if i give a shit about whether people think i'm masculine or not.
yes, i think it's important for larger/hairier men to know that they can be the objects of desire, but if it is insinuated that this can only happen if they go to IBR, sleep on 450 threadcount sheets, cruise make meaningful social connections through Bear411, and sacrifice their personalities in the name of ursine empowerment, something is seriously wrong. We are (or at least hope we are) individuals with ( ... )
Reply
You definitely hit some major points if one were to strictly rely on something like this for all their validation. Who is Jean-Paul Gaultier? Actually the magazine is a bit more homey than that.
I think there are less assumptions and more a selected target audience that you don't fit. It is definitely not for you. I don't read it, either, but it doesn't piss me off, it just misses me as a mark.
But I definitely like what you say about beards and holes!
Woof! (or should I say OINK!)
Reply
i suppose most of my animosity towards the magazine comes from a recent incident with one of its publishers. i was once content to ignore the whole thing, but Stevo came up to me a few days ago and asked if he could interview me on what it's like to be a "chaser."
i'd never met the man before, and i sure as hell don't consider myself a chaser; as i see it, the only way he could have come up with this label was by my looks. i wonder what would've happened if i asked him for an interview on what it's like to be a pretty white guy whose idea of racial diversity is one token black man amongst a horde of whites?
Reply
Leave a comment