Even alpha m.’s user name references dominance and masculinity. “Alpha” is presumably a reference to the alpha, or highest ranking individual in a group of people. “The alpha male posturing, so familiar to young men out in public space, has been a staple of masculine behavior for decades” (Moss, 2012, p. 14). Alpha m. embraces this idea of the alpha male, but he believes that a man can be an alpha while also interested in his appearance. Alpha m.’s channel, like Studio5ive.com, a website for male cosmetics studied by Claire Harrison, aims to target men who “posses or want to posses a ‘sense of style and image awareness’” (2012). Studio5ive.com and alpha m. employ “verbal and visual signs” in “rhetorically strategic ways.” They both try to convince
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most tries to fight against is the stigma of being labeled as gay. By distancing himself from the beauty guru community and maintaining a masculine persona and channel, alpha m. tries to prevent himself or his viewers from being labeled as gay. The very purpose of his channel, it seems, is to show that heterosexual, masculine men, specifically, can be interested in their appearance. The subject of sexuality is a touchy one for alpha m. In a video titled, “Can A Gay Man Be An Alpha Male?” alpha m. responds to the question as posed by a viewer (alpha m., 2015). He explains that in his view, sexuality is not what makes a man ‘alpha.’; character is. He affirms his heterosexuality and states that he is constantly labeled as gay. Interestingly, alpha m. says that seeing this question made him “sad;” but why? Alpha m. does not explain, but perhaps it was because he realized he was purporting an image of masculinity and alpha-ism that gay men did not see themselves as fitting into. By distancing himself from anything feminine, alpha m. almost makes it seem as though he is distancing himself from gay men, who are generally regarded as …show more content…
For example, the thumbnail Wayne Goss’s previously mentioned video, “3 MINUTES TO FLAWLESS SKIN – THE EASY WAY,” features an image of a woman getting her foundation retouched by the hand of a makeup artist (Wayne Goss, 2015). The picture, clearly a stock photo of some kind, is misleading because the woman in the thumbnail does not appear at any time in the video. Goss is persistent in using this tactic. Of his top twenty most watched videos, only one of the thumbnails is a picture of himself. He likely engages in these tactics because he acknowledges that most of the people who view YouTube beauty videos are women and that these women are accustomed to receiving their beauty advice from other women. Though Wayne Goss, as the most-subscribed male beauty guru, is an important figure in breaking down the barriers in the YouTube community, even he is not immune to the stigmas and stereotypes associated with being a man interested in beauty. He tests some boundaries by engaging in ‘natural’ makeup use, but he does not feel it is appropriate for men to engage in the kind of colorful looks that characterize what many consider to be ‘feminine’
most tries to fight against is the stigma of being labeled as gay. By distancing himself from the beauty guru community and maintaining a masculine persona and channel, alpha m. tries to prevent himself or his viewers from being labeled as gay. The very purpose of his channel, it seems, is to show that heterosexual, masculine men, specifically, can be interested in their appearance. The subject of sexuality is a touchy one for alpha m. In a video titled, “Can A Gay Man Be An Alpha Male?” alpha m. responds to the question as posed by a viewer (alpha m., 2015). He explains that in his view, sexuality is not what makes a man ‘alpha.’; character is. He affirms his heterosexuality and states that he is constantly labeled as gay. Interestingly, alpha m. says that seeing this question made him “sad;” but why? Alpha m. does not explain, but perhaps it was because he realized he was purporting an image of masculinity and alpha-ism that gay men did not see themselves as fitting into. By distancing himself from anything feminine, alpha m. almost makes it seem as though he is distancing himself from gay men, who are generally regarded as …show more content…
For example, the thumbnail Wayne Goss’s previously mentioned video, “3 MINUTES TO FLAWLESS SKIN – THE EASY WAY,” features an image of a woman getting her foundation retouched by the hand of a makeup artist (Wayne Goss, 2015). The picture, clearly a stock photo of some kind, is misleading because the woman in the thumbnail does not appear at any time in the video. Goss is persistent in using this tactic. Of his top twenty most watched videos, only one of the thumbnails is a picture of himself. He likely engages in these tactics because he acknowledges that most of the people who view YouTube beauty videos are women and that these women are accustomed to receiving their beauty advice from other women. Though Wayne Goss, as the most-subscribed male beauty guru, is an important figure in breaking down the barriers in the YouTube community, even he is not immune to the stigmas and stereotypes associated with being a man interested in beauty. He tests some boundaries by engaging in ‘natural’ makeup use, but he does not feel it is appropriate for men to engage in the kind of colorful looks that characterize what many consider to be ‘feminine’