Evolving Themes of Masculinity in Seventeen Magazine: An Analysis of 1945–1955 and 1995–2005

Abstract

Among the many roles that teen girl magazines play, one of the most important is that of a boy bible for the millions of female teenagers who read them. Teen girl magazines have contributed to the discourse of masculinity since the beginning of its publication history. This research, through a discursive analysis of the decades 1945-1955 and 1995-2005, examines Seventeen magazine (the longest and largest circulating teen girl magazine) and how the constructions of masculinity have evolved. The analysis of masculinity in teen girl magazines revealed the dramatic shift of masculinities’ representations—from the suave, witty, and intelligent male in the 1940s and 1950s to the callous and insensitive male during the 1990s and the turn of the millennium. The comparison confirms how the constructions of masculinities have shifted over the decades in a way that reinforces the current myths about boys as mean, foolish, and perverted.