VMan #48 S/S 2022 : Channing Tatum by Inez van Lamsweerde & Vinoodh Matadin

[amby]

 

[Kimy Jo]

Hot

 

[GERGIN]

The story I get from this is that he got very tipsy and fell down, but tried to do so in a sexy way.

This cover is just awkward and hilarious to look at.

 

[phungnam96]

I might have dirty thoughts...

 

[Deleted member 141523]

He started as a model, so he has zero problem to pose almost naked. Back for good. Styled by Cortina! He brings the sexy side of celebs

 

[KoV]

Definitely feels like the sort of shoot he’d have done before he was a leading man, which I find refreshing. The entire shoot is on the VMan site, and it’s very strong. He seems to have kept a low profile for the past several years, too, so this is a nice way to get back into the game. I just pre-ordered two of the covers.

 

[tigerrouge]

While I certainly have no objection against this sort of cover, it does remind me of recent comments about the disparity between men's and women's magazines, where we see 'every body at every size' promoted in Vogue and Elle, but still mostly idealised physiques on the men's side.

Whatever my personal views on the type of content I'd prefer, it is interesting to see the growing gulf. While I'm sure people can point to small changes being made somewhere, are we seeing the male equivalent of Precious Lee on the front of any major magazine for men?

 

[caioherrero]

This is sexy, this is how a magazine should look like

 

[Deleted member 167090]

I acutally like male celebrity doing sexy shoots when most of them are quite conservative nowadays.

 

[Deleted member 141309]

The cover is nice, feels very Klein-ish and editorial also doesn't feel I&V, but I do like it. Can't say more as I am probably weird, but I have never found him hot, he is too conventional and boring for me to do that.

 

[aracic]

Channing Tatum's Second Act

Photography: Inez & Vinoodh
Styling: George Cortina
Grooming: Jamie Taylor
Cast: Channing Tatum


vman

 

[KoV]

While I certainly have no objection against this sort of cover, it does remind me of recent comments about the disparity between men's and women's magazines, where we see 'every body at every size' promoted in Vogue and Elle, but still mostly idealised physiques on the men's side.

Whatever my personal views on the type of content I'd prefer, it is interesting to see the growing gulf. While I'm sure people can point to small changes being made somewhere, are we seeing the male equivalent of Precious Lee on the front of any major magazine for men?

Perhaps part of the difference is that with women’s magazines, the change came along quickly, you went from decades of almost entirely young, tall, slim, (nearly universally recognized as) beautiful cover stars for women’s magazines to a wider range. Every time Lena Dunham, Lizzo, Amy Schumer, or Precious covers a magazine, there’s discussion, in some cases outrage, and often a word or two about the double standard of acceptance between men and women’s “body positivity”. Not all of those arguments are made in bad faith (I certainly don’t think yours is) but sometimes I feel it’s just a cleverer way to criticize non-sample size women, by burying it in a superficial call for more inclusivity for men.

The fact is, magazines like GQ have already been more inclusive, for a long time. I mean that in terms of race, age, and body types of their cover stars. In years where most editions of Vogue would have one token black woman on a single cover (often not even that!), GQ would have 4 or 5. When Vogue would be applauded for giving a cover to Meryl Streep, their first cover model over 60, no one would bat an eye about Keith Richards, DeNiro, Pacino, or Clint Eastwood on GQ. When people were either upset about or celebrating Lena Dunham, Ashley Graham, or Amy Schumer on Vogue, GQ had already given covers to Zach Galifianakis (3 times!), James Galdolfini, Seth Rogen, Tracey Morgan, and Jack Black. Perhaps it’s slightly different with models, but even still, most women’s magazines, most ad campaigns, and most runway shows remain almost entirely populated by very tall, very slim, very beautiful models - just like their male counterparts.

 

[MulletProof]

^ as funny men who will deliver a hilarious or intellectualized interview, not as sexy men with butts on display and that all the other men should aspire to look like. That’s the kind of thing women’s publications get and men’s somehow.. don’t.

Anyway, I like men with shaved heads and I find this guy very ‘gross but.. wouldn’t say no’ LOL so it’s a yes from me, as ridiculous as the editorial is. Zoe is a lucky woman..

 

[marsnoop2]

I miss Chad White

 

[Phuel]

And thank goodness that men still maintain and expect some high standards when it comes to men’s fashion (and fitness) presentation when it comes to the ideal male bodies. (GQ has long ceased to be a fashion rag: It’s just a press book for Hollywood and its shallow woke begging for relevance at this point.)

Of course bigger men (bigger people in general) can be physically attractive— even very attractive, as long as they’re looking the best that they can be, and physically fit. Why anyone would celebrate sloth is beyond me. And this is high fashion, an illusion, an ideal, even unattainable. People should be smarter then expecting the average man to be presented in the rarified world of high fashion imagery. And no way can any man maintain such ripped, defined, buffness permanently. Even if he lives a the gym and carefully diets— he will peak and plateau at some point.

(I dig the shoot enough— never thought he was attractive tho but George absolutely helped with the smoulder in this case. Very lite-Steven Klein for L’UOMO late-90s/early-2000s. I’ll take it.)

 

[kokobombon]

The pose is kinda weird but I like the 2000s celebrity photoshoot vibes. Steven Klein would have made this so much more interesting imo

 

[Marc10]

I've never managed to find him as hot as everyone does. He obviously checks all the boxes, but he just lacks *something* for me (I feel the same about Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth and similar Hollywood hunks).

I do love this shoot tho. Very 00s Testino/Klein sexy shoots, can't go wrong with that.

 

[MulletProof]

And thank goodness that men still maintain and expect some high standards when it comes to men’s fashion (and fitness) presentation when it comes to the ideal male bodies. (GQ has long ceased to be a fashion rag: It’s just a press book for Hollywood and its shallow woke begging for relevance at this point.)

marketing pushed it harder than any particular demands in the case of women’s publications imo, it’s not like women lowered the bar (look at the crazy cosmetic procedures that are normalized now).. and now same companies and the people who buy into their messages proceed to guilt trip you if you ever dare to show minimal criticism or concern.

I don’t want balance as a sort of justice, but as fair punishment lol.. if you’re a ‘body positivity’ warrior and go after women who raise questions about it but simultaneously are like ‘ugh but personally I love perfect men with perfect butts!’, it’s hypocritical and you’re making noise for no reason other than selling yourself as a socially conscious person..

 

[KoV]

^ as funny men who will deliver a hilarious or intellectualized interview, not as sexy men with butts on display and that all the other men should aspire to look like. That’s the kind of thing women’s publications get and men’s somehow.. don’t.

Yes, most of the larger men I listed are also funny, but they were often styled in suits and typical GQ looks. Their physique wasn’t the butt of a joke or something. They were still presented as an aspirational GQ man, worthy of celebration. Their bodies weren’t a default part of the conversation. When Lena or Amy or Lizzo or Adele (until recently) or Melissa McCarthy nabbed a cover due to their comedy or professional accomplishments, just like the men I listed, the conversation is ALWAYS about their size. People are upset they’re too covered up or upset they’re not covered up enough or upset their given space to appear at all. The plus sized models who are presented in a sexual way or in a shoot meant to highlight their body are always still firmly adhering to fairly conventional beauty standards. Precious or Paloma or Ashley might not have a standard high fashion physique, but they’re still the sorts of body types and beauties that have been celebrated for a very long time. They were THE beauty standard for a good portion of recorded history in much of the world. There are certainly less Big and Tall male models who achieve that level of fame or success, but that applies to all male models. Still, men’s fashion and marketing has made some adjustments. There was a recent GQ France issue celebrating bigger guys. GQ regularly features athletes like Football or Rugby players who are very far from slim. I suppose it’s just that the scope has always been wider, there’s always been room for nearly 300lb muscular Rob Gronkowski types alongside Lil Wayne types, half their size. Both presented as attractive and aspirational.


In terms of general advertising, men have often been deliberately chosen who look accessible, nerdy, ordinary, have a “dad-bod” or are even much larger, aren’t model-y. Women have largely been chosen based almost entirely on sex appeal and model good looks.

 

[MulletProof]

^ I think you’re making a lot of effort to build a case when you know there isn’t one and that menswear and men’s publications are less aggressive in dictating men what they should like and how morally bankrupt you are if you don’t bow down to their parameter. It was like this when it was all about size 0 and it remains the same with bodies that are auditioning for high cholesterol. Under historical “facts” you could just go ahead and say Winston Churchill already broke all the barries of body inclusion and power for men. But this is a good example of the justifications made for the sake of leaving men’s publications alone.. it is not seen as a problem, let alone as hypocritical, but the same people will do a 180 when talking about messages put out in womenswear and women’s publications..