Maxim Magazine, Gender Stereotypes, and Satire

Introduction: Maxim's Satirical Ambition

With its covers featuring scantily clad women, Maxim magazine appears to make it clear that it is a traditional men's magazine. Its covers are reminiscent of early Playboy covers, and the photographs inside are not much less revealing than early pictures in Playboy. However, it would be a serious error for a reader to lump Maxim into the broader group of men's magazines — including Stuff and Blender — that hint broadly at pornography and appear to equate the objectification of women with manliness. To understand why Maxim is a slightly smarter magazine, one has to view it as a whole.

Only after looking at the entire magazine can a reader understand the winking approach that Maxim takes to traditional men's magazines. By showing that the editors are in on the joke — that they understand all of the traditional objections to publications like Maxim — the magazine sets itself apart from the pack, making it a men's magazine that even ardent feminists can enjoy. The problem is that for any type of satire to be effective, the audience must understand that the work is satirical. It is in this arena that Maxim fails to be entirely successful. Although its approach to gender stereotypes is clearly satirical, it is equally clear that the editors and contributors do buy into some aspects of gender stereotyping, which lessens satire's effectiveness in encouraging readers to question those stereotypes.

Constructing the Unattainable Alpha Male

While Maxim features plenty of pictures of scantily clad women, reading through the articles makes it apparent that the magazine's goal is to create the ultimate man's man. From the articles and advertisements featured in the magazine, it becomes clear that this ultimate male is a well-dressed, very sexually active, heterosexual man who drinks, may partake in some drug or nicotine use, and who is extremely physically active, good-looking, and successful in his chosen profession. In addition, the ultimate male is aware of current trends — reflected in being well-groomed and enjoying popular culture — but without being trendy. Crucially, it is the very fact that this "ideal" is unattainable that is emphasized repeatedly throughout the magazine's articles.

For example, Maxim's interview with Ray Liotta — an actor noted for his portrayals of dangerous gangsters and psychotic killers — demonstrates that the magazine does not believe a man should be cold or detached from life, nor does it expect its readers to strive to be men without emotional attachment or vulnerability. In the interview, Liotta refuses to elaborate on an uncomfortable employment situation, explaining that he does not feel like being nasty.¹ The interviewer responds with disbelief, saying, "What? We've seen you dig up dead bodies!"² However, Liotta quickly sets her straight, explaining that he was the victim of bullies in high school and is not the tough guy he plays in the movies.

The interview also delves into Liotta's experience with death scenes, but he sidesteps the question. Instead of describing his best death scene, Liotta describes his most horrifying — when he portrayed an alcoholic on ER. Of that scene, Liotta says:

"The one on ER was a brutal and sad way to go. To die without making connections to other people in your life, to leave so much unsaid, must be horrible. You should say 'I love you' every day to the people you love, because you never know what the hell is going to happen."³

For a magazine that celebrates the idea of the hard-partying, lone-wolf male, the very fact that an interview with an icon of masculinity reveals such a high level of vulnerability makes it clear that Maxim may celebrate the concept of the perfect alpha male, but that it certainly does not expect any of its readers to truly live that stereotype.

Subverting the Sexually Available Woman Stereotype

While the main thrust of Maxim's focus is the celebration of the alpha male, it is almost equally recognized as a celebration of the sexually available, nubile young woman. The magazine's cover is nearly always graced by near-naked women, and it regularly features pictures of women in sexually provocative poses and clothing, which appear to reinforce this stereotype. However, when one looks at the historical roots of the sexually available woman stereotype, one can understand how Maxim is actually subverting it. Traditionally, that stereotype emphasized the concept that any man was entitled to sexual favors from this ideal woman. It should come as no surprise, then, that this stereotypical woman was also considered unintelligent, because the lack of discrimination had to be attributable to some personal characteristic. Furthermore, while hyper-sexualized women have been celebrated as companions, they have not been considered suitable as wives, mothers, or even peers.

While Maxim celebrates sexually idealized women, it does so in a manner that acknowledges that most women cannot attain the ideal and that most women do not desire to. Furthermore, and perhaps more importantly, Maxim makes it clear that the majority of men are not going to be with such a woman. However, the most subversive aspect of Maxim's approach to female sexuality may be that it celebrates female sexuality while making it clear that women retain control of that sexuality.

For example, in an interview with Christina Aguilera, the magazine directly addresses sexual stereotypes and the sexual double standard. Yes, Aguilera appears on the magazine's cover in next to nothing, but she does not apologize for doing so. On the contrary, Aguilera takes the position that it is the height of feminism for a woman to own her sexuality, even if doing so invokes sexist stereotypes. Rather than wanting to be seen as something other than a sex symbol, Aguilera embraces her sexuality. She states, "because there are so many double standards, it's very important to me as a female to play upon sexuality and be very strong while incorporating that in my art and work."⁴ The interviewer goes on to ask Aguilera what type of double standard she has encountered, and her response makes it clear that she feels women in the music industry are penalized for expressing sexuality in their art. In this way, Aguilera's appearance in Maxim, rather than enforcing existing gender roles, appears to be her way of challenging them — demonstrating that she can be both a serious artist and a mature, sexual being at the same time.

Conclusion: Satire, Stereotype, and Sophisticated Readership

Because the educated consumer and reader knows that the fictionalized ideal is unattainable, there is nothing inherently wrong with Maxim touting the stereotypical male as the ideal male or even using the stereotypical attractive woman to sell merchandise. The very fact that the magazine openly admires men like Ray Liotta — who show depth beyond the typical alpha male — and women like Christina Aguilera — who has chosen to use her sexuality rather than being used by it — demonstrates that the magazine does not seriously believe anyone should become the ideal male. On the contrary, the magazine's use of stereotype-heavy advertising and writing suggests that the editors believe men and women should try to incorporate some elements of these traditional stereotypes while retaining their own individualized personalities.

Such a position only becomes problematic when a consumer is not sophisticated enough to recognize that there is a distinction between writing about a stereotype and endorsing all aspects of it. For example, violence against women has long been considered acceptable within sexual stereotyping. Maxim does not feature articles, advertisements, or photographs that glorify violence against women. In addition, while the magazine extols the virtues of sex with multiple partners, it never suggests that any of those partners should be anything less than completely consensual. Whether these attitudes reflect a deeper problem in society is something about which people disagree and a topic for serious scholarship and debate. However, the acknowledgment and use of those stereotypes does not, in itself, reflect a problem in the magazine industry or in popular culture at large.

¹ Prato, Alison. 2007. "American Gangster." Maxim, March, 119.
² Prato, Alison. 2007. "American Gangster." Maxim, March, 119.
³ Prato, Alison. 2007. "American Gangster." Maxim, March, 119.
⁴ Keith, Bill. 2007. "Ain't No Other Girl." Maxim, March, 88.
⁵ Jeep advertisement. 2007. Maxim, March, 77.
⁶ Crown Royal advertisement. 2007. Maxim, March, 73.
⁷ Trojan advertisement. 2007. Maxim, March, 71.