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Mags seduce modern male

Until now, there has been good reason that women's magazines outnumber men's magazines. With the advent of Maxim: for Men, the self-proclaimed "best thing to happen to men since women," this may change.

Regardless of our intellectual prowess, we don't look to gender-specific magazines for articles on international affairs or interminable book reviews. In the same way that Cosmopolitan and Allure unabashedly cater to women's basest desires for fashion, sex and beauty tips, Maxim applies this concept to the male genre.

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Maxim defies the Playboy "I just read it for the articles" stereotype by boldly declaring the importance of its articles' categories: "sex, sports, beer, gadgets, clothes and fitness." This utter lack of pretense, while vapid at times, allows for entertainment of all types of guys – it even amuses the occasional woman with its blatant machismo.

Every cover features a certifiable hot "babe" striking a provocative pose and clad in just enough revealing clothing to avoid tastelessness. The March cover depicts nasty girl Alyssa Milano seductively lifting her tank top to reveal a taut tummy.

Alyssa's interview is almost as titillating as her pinup poses. For example, the interviewer asked Alyssa if it's more "fun being bad," referring to her radical metamorphosis from Who's the Boss wonderkid to catfighting villains t.v. movie classics Confessions of a Sorority Girl and Casualties of Love: The Long Island Lolita Story.

Implying that her character Jennifer Mancini on Melrose Place actually has depth and cannot be pigeonholed as just a mean tramp, the always modest Alyssa asserts that "anyone can be good in an Ang Lee film, but if you can pull off an episode of Melrose Place, you've got talent!" We also learn that Alyssa likes to wear men's underwear and never slept with Tony Danza (or so she claims). Strangest fact: Alyssa recorded four albums, including a Îbest of' in her teenage heyday that all went platinum in Japan. Deep.

Maxim is essentially a 140-page "how-to" guide to attaining its vision of the perfect "90s" man. Step one: learn how to win at bar pool. Step two: analyze your girlfriend personality by recognizing evil "chick mags'" corrupting influence. Step three: master the appropriate mood-setting after-dinner drinks so you can invite women into your room and "work your sex majik (direct quote)." All that's left to epitomize this idea are nice clothes, a healthy body, and knowledge of classic "guy" movies, which Maxim eagerly details.

Oh, yeah... Maxim devotes a few pages per issue to serious articles, such as an expose on NASA's building of a $40 billion mothership. But even this cleverly fits into the category "gadgets," appealing to men's nostalgia for the G.I. action figures of their youth. In an era where many men conspicuously display Ani diFranco CDs and the New Yorker to conform to a S.N.A.G. (sensitive new-age guy) model, perhaps Maxim, though educationally lacking, is better than "intellectual" magazines used for decorative purposes. At least Maxim will be read.

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But the ultimate question remains: will Maxim as the ÎCosmo for men' become a source of constant amusement for women or decisively perpetuate of the rift between the sexes?

Final rating: **1/2

In case Maxim doesn't strike your fancy, and you're just not satisfied by campus publications, here's a rundown of a few other men's magazines:

Esquire: ****

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The most highbrow and humorous of the lot: the annual "dubious achievement awards of the year" issue hilariously pokes fun at national figures such as Anna Nicole Smith, Richard Simmons, and Bill Clinton (and deservedly so). Though Esquire, like Maxim, interviews beautiful women, placing them on pedestals on their covers, Esquire also asks informative questions which illuminate perhaps overlooked personalities behind the pretty faces.

Esquire is geared towards professional men in their 20s-40s who care about the latest styles but also want mind candy. The ultimate Esquire man: listens to Miles Davis, has actually heard of Nietzche, is basically liberal with conservative sympathies, and is always successful professionally and romantically. He embodies class. Advice to guys- - try not to live up to these standards. You'll fail.

Gentleman's Quarterly (GQ): ***

For years the accepted textbook of male style, GQ heavily emphasizes fashion. Unless you're the type of guy who enjoys looking at pages upon pages of male models (who'll you'll never look like) wearing expensive suits (which you'll never afford), the emphasis on sartorial splendor seems a little much. But GQ has some features, including great profiles on amazing "everyday" individuals and occasional funny personal anecdotes.

And you can't downplay tradition. GQ has made its reputation educating men on how to dress. Whereas Esquire seems to advocate a quasi-urban bourgois intellectual as its ideal, the GQ man is more into sports, less tolerant of "trendy" fashions (despite the fact that they are often shown in the magazine), and thinks more practically.

Remaining concern: Why is it called Gentleman's Quarterly if it comes out every month?

Details: ***

Details, a relative newcomer compared to the two previous crusty standbys, is the hippest and most pop-culture savvy. The images it sells are sleek, shiny, and unattainable. There is a large focus on music and movies, including great profiles of young celebrities and rockers. Details' fashion spreads are remarkably innovative in that not only the waifish women, but also the men, appear to be hooked on heroin.

The Details man makes less money than Mr. GQ and spends too much. He's very knowledgable about new music, has heard of Ben Affleck but not Boutros-Boutros Ghali. His goal in life is to be a suave good-looking perenially barhopping twentysomething, specifically Ethan Hawke (in part because he's rich and famous, in part because he's married to Uma Thurman). Subscribers to Details usually last at most 10 years, at which point they move on to the more respectable GQ and Esquire, leaving their cool days behind forever.

A final note: the so-called men's magazines have a significant female readership. There are a few insightful articles in all these publications not geared toward men in paticular. However, it may be difficult for women to overlook articles outlining techniques to impress women, and they may be offended by misogynisitc overtones. Most guys will not read Allure for great tips on natural-looking makeup. Considering this, it seems certain that any magazine that attempted to discuss stereotypically "gendered" pursuits and interests from both male and female perspectives would fail. The editors at Maxim, some of whom graduated from Princeton, celebrate these male and female stereotypes, taking them to a new level.