A gender analysis of the magazine Self shows that it is directed largely at young women both in terms of content and advertising. The magazine is a monthly publication dedicated to questions of health, fitness, and lifestyle, and it is apparent that the magazine would be identified more as a women's publication than a man's based on the various issues addressed and the way these issues are treated. In addition, while the advertising often shows a certain sexual appeal that might seem to be directed at men, most of the products make this doubtful and instead suggest that the young women in the ad are intended to evoke a degree of envy on the part of magazine readers so they would buy the product in an attempt to emulate the young women and in effect become them. This is in keeping with the tone of the whole magazine--it is directed at self-help and self-improvement--and the ads tend to address the same issue from different perspectives. The magazine appeals to young women who feel the need for self-improvement and who want to see how other people are accomplishing this same desire. There is a definite gender bias in the way the magazine is designed, written, marketed, and situated in the marketplace. The magazine has a subheading on the title page pointing to its primary concerns: "The Educated Body, the Independent Mind."
The cover image on every magazine is of a young woman, healthy, beautiful, and successful. The three issues analyzed here were for February 1998, June 1998, and September 1998, and in each case the cover image was of a young female celebrity who could serve as a role model for other young women, respectively actress Calista Flockhart from television's Ally McBeal, actress Tea Leoni from television's The Naked Truth and the feature Deep Impact, and model Elle MacPherson in a bathing suit.
In addition, each cover features titles of articles to be found in the magazine and so emphasizes certain issues ...