Why is he there? Male presence in a sexually explicit magazine geared towards heterosexual men

Abstract

ABSTRACT The current research examines the representation of men and masculinity in a historically important sexually explicit magazine – Oui – geared towards the sexual interests of heterosexual men. A comprehensive analysis of the contents of Oui identified a number of editorial strategies used to legitimize male nudity, including appeals to fairness, strategic self-presentation, and an explicit denial that looking at male nudity should be viewed as a challenge to heterosexual masculinity. Further, the magazine negotiated a complex relationship with their readers by drawing attention to male anxieties related to penis size and competition for mates. These challenges can be understood in terms of a coordinated influence shared by pictures, editorial features written by both male and female authors, and letters from readers. The historical importance of Oui is considered in light of contemporary representations of men and masculinity.