Analyzing The Advocate
The Advocate is a magazine designed to attract and arouse gay men, lesbian women and to a lesser extent bisexual and transgender people. The September 12, 2000 issue of The Advocate uses advertisements, news topics, popularly recognized celebrities as well as political and philosophical viewpoints that fit its target audience.
The target audience for The Advocate is shown on its cover page as "The national gay & lesbian newsmagazine." Also notable is the fact that the majority of persons featured in the publication are not heterosexually oriented, which would be favorable to a non-heterosexual audience. Many articles have some reference to a lesbian or gay political, television, or musical celebrity. Some examples from the table of contents are, " Mary Cheney, Rhona Cameron, Jack Larson, Chris Isherwood and Stephen Gately" (The Advocate 3). This appeals to the large number of people who are attracted to anything that might reveal some delectable tidbit about a public figure. In this sense, The Advocate can appeal to straight, or heterosexual, people as well as the usual audience of gay and lesbian persons.
T he main theme of The Advocate seems to be a mixture of news and political issues from around the world, especially those with importance to gay and lesbian people. For example, the main cover story is titled " The Dilemma of Mary Cheney" and is followed by, "Will the lesbian daughter of the GOP vice presidential candidate Dick Cheney be forced to choose between being true to her family and true to herself? " There is the question of whether Mr. Cheney would accept something that would discriminate against his daughter and what Mary Cheney would do in turn. This story has much current releva...
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...with a cartoon bubble with the word "fag" written twelve times with the word "bitch" stuck in second to last, for contrast (notes from a blonde. 39). This unusual use of slang and profanity appeals to gay men that have been offended by Eminem as well as those who are attracted to his popularity. An advertisement that also makes use of non-heterosexual notoriety is for the "Rainbow Card" which features pictures of Martina Naratilova in front of a Gay Pride parade (Rainbow Card 31). Martina is somewhat of a gay icon because she publicly embraced her sexuality.
These advertisements and articles are targeted specifically for the gay and lesbian audience. The political philosophy of The Advocate covers the wide spectrum of people who identify themselves as not heterosexual.
Works Cited
The Advocate: The national gay and lesbian newsmagazine. September 12, 2000.
In Vicki L. Eaklor’s Queer America, the experiences of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and transgender people in the years since the 1970s gay liberation movement are described as a time of transformation and growth. The antigay movement, threatened, now more than ever, created numerous challenges and obstacles that are still prevalent today. Many of the important changes made associated with the movement were introduced through queer and queer allied individuals and groups involved in politics. Small victories such as the revision of the anti discrimination statement to include “sexual orientation”, new propositions regarding the Equal Rights Amendment and legalized abortion, were met in turn with growing animosity and resistance from individuals and groups opposed to liberal and
Cancer affects Hazel Grace, Augustus Waters, and their families deeply, it represents the lost, hope, and surprise of cancer often, but this is not only true in books,it also affects people in real life, parents start to view their kids differently, and the children start to view themselves as nothing but disease, and the culture they once had starts to change. Augustus Waters and Hazel Grace each have their own struggles, Hazel suffers from thyroid cancer and is terminal, Augustus had been cured, but it popped back making his body full of cancer, he as well ending up with terminal cancer. Often organizations and people would give them a little bit more because they are kids who had inevitability of death to look to. They both having to deal with the fact that they never knew what was coming, or if Hazel would lose Augustus first or if Augustus will lose Hazel first, though eventually that fact became obvious. Their families treat them in a way if they were healthy, they wouldn’t be treated in such a way. In real life there are hundreds who suffer cancer, but less who are terminal. Families have to learn how to deal with this, especially when the person is an adolescent. There are point where The Fault in Our Stars shows how different society becomes for those with cancer, and this is true in real life. Augustus Waters and Hazel Grace experiences and cancer let us view the world of cancer for several.
A major similarity between the two mediums is the way they represent women. American Psycho received extremely negative press from women’s groups who claimed the novel ‘legitimizes inhuman and savage violence masquerading as sexuality’ ; this is a quote that could easily be applied to similar group’s opinions on the Adult Entertainment Industry. Sex being used as a s...
An analysis of the relationship between pornography and the American culture reveals that the industry is blamed for dozens of social ills for the men of our society. Those ills also work to damage the women in several irreparable ways. Some of the damages to men include: illegal sexual behavior, illegal non-sexual behavior, callousness, sexual harassment, casual sex, and multiple sexual partners. The problems for the women directly involved in the industry are long term and long lasting, creating overall issues that affect women’s economic and social status. But what are there damages caused by the type of movies most women love, the type of movies they drag their boyfriends and husbands to, the type of movies millions watch unashamedly in public-the romantic comedy?
Kristol’s article writes that pornography and the pornographic industry has always been dominated by men (491). Throughout the history of the United States, men have taken precedence over women in many aspects. Men were considered the workers of the family while women stayed home and acted as housewives or catered to the men. The idea of feminism and women’s equality, however, is growing throughout the nation. With feminism and women’s equality at large, society must progress toward eliminating male domination and allowing the extension for women's opportunities; therefore, pornography and the male-dominated industry should be limited by the government. Aside from men and the power statuses they hold in pornography, Gail Dines in her article “Facts and Figures” discloses information about the male tendencies after watching pornography. Men have been reported to support female rape, have aggressive behavior toward women, have a decreased sex drive toward wives or girlfriends, and desire forced sexual acts after viewing pornography (1). Despite America’s best effort to protect all citizens, in reality, females are typically victims of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, and pornography is a cause of such violence. Although it is a key factor that plays a role in causing violence and aggressive behavior toward women, Americans are able to easily access videos or films instantly because of modern technology and the lack of pornography censoring. Because of the tendency to cause abuse in the real world, pornography must be censored in order to ensure that women are granted equal amounts of safety and
the beginning the text has an exciting tone since the authors describe the overwhelming emotions of individuals as well as the celebrations that took place after the law allowing same sex marriage was approved. By starting the article in this manner the writers are trying to provoke feelings of excitement from their readers in order to make them think that this event is a positive aspect of our society. Also, by mentioning the gay movement’s multiple efforts over the past “forty-two years to ensure the marital as well as civil rights of homosexuals” (Virtanen, Hill, and Zraick 1), the writers motivate their audience to be sympathetic towards these individuals. Moreover, the authors try to make people become more suppo...
“Equal rights for lesbians and gay men may be the greatest civil rights battle of the 21st century” (Avery 2007, p. 71). Homosexual couples have been fighting a losing battle for years, and their struggle has recently taken the spotlight once again as a burning topic. Over the years, many people have come to support equal love. However, many Americans still advocate the one man-one woman institution of marriage. The fight for equal rights in general has always been a complex issue. African Americans, women, and many other minorities have had to fight for the rights that they hold today. There are many factors involved in gay activism such as support, attitudes, roles, and the implications of the movement. Social psychology takes a particular interest in gay rights and these factors in particular, as it is a current, controversial topic within American society.
Like the gay and lesbian publications from cities such as Boston and New York, Kansas City’s main publications became records of the changes within the gay and lesbian populous as well as its relationship with the general Kansas City community. Without the support of mainstream news networks or other local allies, the publishers of these newsletters and magazines connected local gay residents and formed a strong alliance of gay and lesbian Kansas Citians. These periodicals consisted of newsletters from the local organizations the Women’s Liberation Union, the Gay People’s Union, and Gay Community Services as well as local magazines Kansas City Coming Out, Spectrum, and Calendar. The advertisements, design, layout, and content of these six periodicals reflect changes in Kansas City’s gay and lesbian demographic throughout the 1970s, and when examined chronologically they tell a story of the changes which occurred within Kansas City’s gay and lesbian community. During this time, the city’s gay and lesbian residents became an active sub-culture which demanded its own advanced form of communication that reflected changes in alternative media across the United
"Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Issues." - Ball State University. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Apr. 2014.
Note: This paper has a very long Annotated Bibliography. In recent years, same-sex relationships have become more encompassing in US society. State legislation is changing such as accepting gay marriages, enforcing anti-discrimination laws, and legal gay adoptions; the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community is becoming public. Gay-headed families, like heterosexuals, are diverse and varying in different forms.
Have you ever thought how much progress the LGBT community has made and how it affects other people? The gay rights movement was and is currently a movement that “strives to end all discrimination towards the LGBT community” (Redlingshafer). As early as 1924, the Society for Human Rights in Chicago becomes United States’ earliest known gay rights organization (“Milestones in the American Gay Rights Movement”). However, most people recognize the Stonewall riot in 1969 as being the beginning of the gay rights movement. Almost ninety years later, society and the government have progressed over time and are still growing. Harvey Milk, author of “The Hope Speech”, was a politician who led a portion of the gay rights movement. Also, a more recent and well known leader of the movement is Dan Savage, the creator of the “It Gets Better Project”. The followers of the gay rights movement are not just homosexual. There are followers and supporters of every gender, race, and sexual orientation. The gay rights movement and its issues are represented in “The Hope Speech” by Harvey Milk.
A common trend in the entertainment industry today is the objectification of women in society. Sexualizing women are seen in media such as; movies, advertisement, television show and music video, where their main focus is providing the audience with an image of women as sexual objects rather than a human. This is detrimental to society since the media is producing social stereotypes for both genders, which can further result in corrupted social habits. Objectification in media are more focused on females than male, these false images of women leave individuals with the wrong idea of the opposite sex. As media continuously use sexual contents regarding women, the audience starts underestimating women. Specifically movies, it allows media to shape the culture’s idea of romance, sex and what seems
John Green’s wonderful yet tragic best-selling novel The Fault in Our Stars tells a heart-wrenching story of two teenage cancer patients who fall in love. Augustus Waters and Hazel Lancaster live in the ordinary city of Indianapolis, where they both attend a support group for cancer patients. Falling in love at first sight, the two are inseparable until Augustus’s cancer comes out of remission, turning Hazel’s world upside. This is one of the best young-adult fiction novels of the year because it keeps readers on the edge of their seat, uses themes to teach real life lessons, and uses a realistic point of view instead of the cliché happy ending of most books.
In 2011 Mike Rowe, from the television show “Dirty Jobs”, testified before congress on the lack of support for trades education and the effects of that lack of support. He gave startling figures about the number of available trade jobs and explained that there are large funded construction jobs unable to start because of a lack of trained workers. Although Mr. Rowe was speaking specifically about trade workers, such as plumbers, electricians, and metal workers the same ideas about training today’s workers can be applied to many areas of the work force. As a society, it is commonly felt that a college degree is necessary to acquire gainful employment. That may be true in some fields, but it shouldn’t be true for all fields. With a change of thinking, the idea that “college is good” could be turned into “education is good”. Learning, whether in a 4 year college, a vocational school or as a trade apprentice, is worthy. Trade and vocational school are not a second class education. Government, industries and parents must learn how to accept and encourage our youth to seek out educational opportunities in areas in which they show interest and, most importantly, ability.
* Shirk, Evelyn. “New Dimensions in Ethics: Ethics and the Environment.” Ethics and the Environment. Proc. of Conf. on Ethics and the Environment, April 1985, Long Island University. Ed. Richard E. Hart. Lanham: University Press of America, 1992. 1-10.