So, we recently received a gift subscription to Guitar World Magazine and Vintage Guitar, which are now being delivered to our household. Anyone who took a glance would realize that the audience both magazines are trying to reach are male and in a certain "mindset". Typically, that mindset seems to be one of sexism and adolescence. I know, this is nothing new.
There's a genuine absence of female presence in this magazine. It's amazing how excluded a female musician would feel after reading one of these magazines. But, just to count for sure, (ever the studious feminist am I), I decided that I would analyze the month to month issues, continuously. Here's my first study of the magazine Guitar World.
I analyzed the May and July 2011 issues (I cannot find the June 2011 issue in the recycling bin).
-In the May 2011, there is one woman in the copy of the magazine.
The only mention was part of an interview with Sharon Osbourne, wife of Ozzy, discussing Randy Rhodes. The article was titled "The Wizard of Oz", written by which was about Randy Rhodes (author not mentioned).
-There was one other female (no face, just a swollen pair of breasts). The breasts were in a tight shirt in a band t-shirt ad located in the back of the magazine.
The same company altered their ad in Acoustic Guitar Magazine, with a picture of a whole woman, this time wearing a baggier shirt. Acoustic Guitar also seems to have more women in their ads.
-In Guitar World June 2011, there was no woman mentioned or pictured, aside from the friendly breasts in the ad section. Not one woman, just some body parts.
Robert says that he feels that Guitar World is dumbing down its articles, as well. Robert, who read Guitar World as an actual adolescent, said that the magazine used to have musical notation, not tabs. Today, there is no notation of the monthly songs, only tablature (tabs).
"Not that every musician needs to be able to read music. But, this will foster a whole generation who may not know how to," he says.
I welcome your comments.
I'll write more on Vintage Guitar soon. As for now, G'nite.
