Tyler Knott Gregson - Tyler Knott Productions Brain Rain

Thursday, December 11, 2003

I realized something today while thumbing through the issues of Men's Health and GQ that stockpiled while I was in Spokane this weekend...the startling prevalence of false hope wafting from the pages as uncontrollably as the cologne samples. Don't get me wrong, I am not one of the activists that believes that the media is Satan reincarnate, nor do I believe that self-image should be shaped based on the pecs and abs of underwear models and Calvin Klein's fashion line, but I do believe that magazines today, predominantly gender-specific, peddle false hope. I shall expound.

Every page I turn in either magazine bombards me with a certain pronoun, that coupled with the photos stands for so much more than the three letters that compose it...the word is "she." I can not count the instances of this "She" popping up in the articles, in the Men's Tips, in the fashion and style area; "She" is the woman that every man, every "man's man" should have in his life. This "she" looks beautiful in your old t-shirts, fits so snuggly in your winter sweater, wraps herself in your perfect gray sheets, She is the embodiment of the perfect woman that every man longs for. Where is the false hope, you may ask, well it is in the coupling of that "she" and the photography that surrounds each pronoun use. In each magazine the most beautiful women imaginable become the physical incarnation of "she" and tantalyze and tease the man reading the article. Enter: False Hope, Exit: Reality. By subscribing to such magazines, and not just casually buying pertinent issues at the newsstand or grocery store, I firmly believe that the average Joe's out there, myself included, consider themselves a part of something, a club if you will. This club shall be named The GQ Club henceforth.

As subscribers, as members of this GQ Club, we feel we have some secret insight, a secret key to a secret lock, opening a secret door the heart of the beautiful "she." I realized this not five minutes ago, and it hit me hard. While reading all of the Feng Shui, the Art of Seduction, the Gentleman's style, and a plethora of other helpful guides, I realized that maybe "she" is out there for each of us, maybe there is a beautiful model for each subscriber to GQ or Men's Health; a woman that looks great in sweats, and breathtaking in a dress; a woman that appreciates SportsCenter but cooks like Martha Stewart; a woman that finishes the man, fills in spaces that his masculinity shadows. The truth is, they might not be models, but "she" is out there.

As a member of the GQ Club, I realize now that my monthly bill does not entitle me to frolicking with gorgeous models, nor will it give me an instantly better body, but the "hope" it gives me is not a false one. These magazines provide real hope, to real men, looking for someone real to share their life with. While the look, size, shape, and style of "she" will vary for each of us, it does give us a secret key to a secret lock that will eventually unlock the secret door to our "she's." When it does, it'll all be worth it, every dime.

eloquently said by

| 8:42 PM | | |


Thursday, December 11, 2003 The GQ Club I realized something today while thumbing through the issues of Men's Health and GQ that stockpiled while I was in Spokane this weekend...the startling prevalence of false hope wafting from the pages as uncontrollably as the cologne samples. Don't get me wrong, I am not one of the activists that believes that the media is Satan reincarnate, nor do I believe that self-image should be shaped based on the pecs and abs of underwear models and Calvin Klein's fashion line, but I do believe that magazines today, predominantly gender-specific, peddle false hope. I shall expound. Every page I turn in either magazine bombards me with a certain pronoun, that coupled with the photos stands for so much more than the three letters that compose it...the word is "she." I can not count the instances of this "She" popping up in the articles, in the Men's Tips, in the fashion and style area; "She" is the woman that every man, every "man's man" should have in his life. This "she" looks beautiful in your old t-shirts, fits so snuggly in your winter sweater, wraps herself in your perfect gray sheets, She is the embodiment of the perfect woman that every man longs for. Where is the false hope, you may ask, well it is in the coupling of that "she" and the photography that surrounds each pronoun use. In each magazine the most beautiful women imaginable become the physical incarnation of "she" and tantalyze and tease the man reading the article. Enter: False Hope, Exit: Reality. By subscribing to such magazines, and not just casually buying pertinent issues at the newsstand or grocery store, I firmly believe that the average Joe's out there, myself included, consider themselves a part of something, a club if you will. This club shall be named The GQ Club henceforth. As subscribers, as members of this GQ Club, we feel we have some secret insight, a secret key to a secret lock, opening a secret door the heart of the beautiful "she." I realized this not five minutes ago, and it hit me hard. While reading all of the Feng Shui, the Art of Seduction, the Gentleman's style, and a plethora of other helpful guides, I realized that maybe "she" is out there for each of us, maybe there is a beautiful model for each subscriber to GQ or Men's Health; a woman that looks great in sweats, and breathtaking in a dress; a woman that appreciates SportsCenter but cooks like Martha Stewart; a woman that finishes the man, fills in spaces that his masculinity shadows. The truth is, they might not be models, but "she" is out there. As a member of the GQ Club, I realize now that my monthly bill does not entitle me to frolicking with gorgeous models, nor will it give me an instantly better body, but the "hope" it gives me is not a false one. These magazines provide real hope, to real men, looking for someone real to share their life with. While the look, size, shape, and style of "she" will vary for each of us, it does give us a secret key to a secret lock that will eventually unlock the secret door to our "she's." When it does, it'll all be worth it, every dime. eloquently said by \| 8:42 PM \| \| \|	Tyler Knott Productions Tyler Knott Photography Vimeo Tumblr Twitter Clutch Del.icio.us MySpace Last.fm LinkedIn Resumé Atom Feed Twitters follow me on Twitter Horizon Expanders McGraw Donovan Dave Morin Flickr Blog Jaymie Keller Kevin Casey Nate Warner Rachel Hoffenberg Sarah Joelle Sarah Joelle's Music My Photography Past Downpours Copyright This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.