Being a male, college athlete I am surrounded by what Gill
dubs as “new laddism” each and every day. Therefore, I feel I was really able
to understand what she was getting at in breaking down male identities through
magazines and what it is these lad mags say about masculinity. She notes that
in order for a magazine to be appealing to men, it cannot be threatened by the
“lavender whiff” of homosexuality. She states that there has never been one
single hegemonic masculinity yet the new lad has proved to be a dominant form
in which racism, homophobia, and misogynistic attitudes towards women are
prevalent.
As technology progresses and the Internet continues to take
over the world, magazines are losing some steam. Yet I would say the new lad is
stronger than ever and has found an environment in which he thrives in… online
blogging. Buying magazines is a waste of money when you can get everything you
desire for free online. When reading this chapter a blogging site called barstoolsports.com
came to mind right away when describing this new lad. This website, which I cannot
say I have never read nor know people that love it, is a modern day Loaded. It is centered around sports, drinking,
and viewing women merely as sexual figures. Every day there is a “local
smokeshow” which is a gallery of pictures dedicated to one girl that someone
sends in. There are entries about sports and throughout it all maintains a very
racist, homophobic, and misogynist message. Below is the link to the website. It
nails to a T everything Gill had to say about how the “new lad” has shaped
identities of masculinity.
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