Attitude Magazine Exam Structure

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Discuss the influence of social and cultural contexts on the representations on the Attitude website. (15Mark Response) –

Point: The Attitude website encodes a representation of global LGBTQ+ struggle that is heavily influenced by a Western-centric cultural context which contrasts the UK with more restrictive nations.

Evidence: Articles reporting on countries in Africa, or nations like Malaysia and Turkey, often focus on "negative" stories regarding people being killed for their sexuality or legal systems that are represented as not being "modern" or liberal.

Theory: Through the lens of Paul Gilroy’s post-colonialist theory, these representations create a binary opposition between the "civilized" West and "backwards" non-Western cultures, reinforcing a specific ideological viewpoint.

Analyse: This positions the ABC1 audience to adopt a preferred reading that views the UK as a site of progress, while the brand utilizes its niche status to bypass traditional regulation and censorship in those territories via digital technology.

Cultural Context: This reporting reflects a 21st-century social context where digital media platforms act as a borderless tool for political activism against global social inequality.

Point: Furthermore, the website utilizes positive and empowering representations of high-profile celebrities to reflect a shifted social context where LGBTQ+ individuals hold positions of significant cultural power.

Evidence: The website’s coverage of Tom Daley expressing he is "incredibly proud" to be a gay Olympic champion provides a powerful counter-narrative to historical stereotypes of gay men as victimized or marginalized.

Theory: This aligns with Stuart Hall’s representation theory, as the website encodes a preferred reading of pride and hyper-masculine success to engage the "Aspirer" psychographic.

Analyse: By representing men as powerful, successful, and wealthy—often appearing as doctors, lawyers, or elite athletes—the site maintains a strong brand identity that attracts high-end advertising from luxury brands like Gucci.

Cultural Context: Such representations are a direct product of a UK social context where gay men have moved from the "underground" into the cultural mainstream, occupying high-status professional roles.

Point: Additionally, Attitude provides counter-typical representations of masculinity, influenced by the social context of the "New Man" and a growing cultural focus on male vulnerability.

Evidence: While the site features "heroic" and hyper-masculine images of muscular bodies, it also includes articles where celebrities like Gok Wan or Ranj Singh discuss the emotional trauma of homophobic bullying.

Theory: These contrasting depictions support David Gauntlett’s theory of identity, suggesting the website provides a "pick and mix" of identity resources for its readers to use in their own construction of self.

Analyse: This complexity appeals to a mature audience (aged 25-55) who may have lived through the 90s period and experienced these social shifts, moving away from traditional stereotypes of men as "emotionless".

Cultural Context: This reflects a modern cultural context where rigid gender norms are being dismantled, allowing for a more diverse and complex representation of the gay male experience in the media.

Point: Finally, the website’s engagement with non-binary identities reflects a contemporary social context that seeks to challenge the traditional gender binary.

Evidence: Educational articles like "Beyond Gender: Why Non-Binary Identities Are Nothing New" represent gender as a fluid concept and seek to normalize identities outside of traditional categories.

Theory: This focus reflects a progressive ideology and targets the "Reformer" psychographic, an audience group motivated by social justice and the reformation of societal structures.

Analyse: By using formal, complex language to validate these experiences, Attitude fills a niche gap in a market where such groups are often under-represented by conglomerate-owned, mainstream media.

Cultural Context: This focus is a direct result of current cultural debates regarding self-expression and the "culture wars", representing a staff-led initiative to reflect the true diversity of the modern LGBTQ+ community.