The Problem with GQ and FHM

I used to read the lifestyle magazines for men such as GQ, Arena and even FHM.  In those days it was still known as For Him Magazine, but when Loaded came out everything changed and we ended up with the international monster that is FHM and lad culture.

The first two were never aimed at me really, it was just an idea born out of the time that everyone should aspire to own a lot of crap they didn’t really want.  The big apartment in London overlooking the river, painted white and sparsely furnished.  The Bang and Olufsen, a massive TV with surround sound and the BMW in the garage downstairs. 

Who wears a tie when sailing?

The sort of place you now see on TV that serial killers live in.

Did I buy into that lifestyle then?  I’m not sure, I think I would have liked it, but knew in my heart it was never going to happen.  My earning potential then meant I had several hopes of which ‘Bob’ and ‘F all’ featured highly.

I still have some pages torn out of the magazines from those days and I doubt anything has changed.  If you don’t wear this, live here, or use this then you’re not cool.

Turns out I’ve been shit hot all my life!

So right now for men there’s two lifestyles according to the media, ultra cool if you have an income of at least £70k a year.  Or lad culture which lets face it is pretty chavvy. 

Then there’s one media type for men, mainly on TV adverts who’s the hopeless idiot, and I’m none of them and I can’t be alone. 

So I’m going to be blogging here about the other type, the one that the media dare not speak of. 

The one who thinks some of the lad culture stuff is funny, but not the sexist misogynist stuff.  The one who likes to pretend they have style, even if in our heart we’re just trying not to look terrible.  We like our cars or motorbikes because they get us from A to B and we think we look cool in them.

And finally, when we buy furniture it’s because we like it, because it’s comfortable and we can afford it.  

Live Donkey Dead Lion

(Double L DL)