Etc.

Dear Readers,

“So…can you, like, take off your shirt?” one of us said.

“And, here, put this on,” added the other, reaching into her bag and digging around, before producing a bra.

We were standing awkwardly in the room of this issue’s cover model, trying to appear collected and dignified, holding back the nervous laughter that threatened to erupt as it had just moments earlier in the stairway. Happily for us, our cover model seemed not to notice, gamely doffing his shirt and donning the bra.

He flexed. We shot. It was done.

The whole process took no more than five minutes, and yet it somehow seemed incredibly subversive (and more than a little voyeuristic). What made us smirk at the thought of putting a bra on a man? And why did we squirm as we discussed where and how to take the photograph? The process of orchestrating the photo forced us to examine our own conceptions of masculinity, to find the source of the strange combination of discomfort and excitement that came when those conceptions were challenged.

It is our hope that as you read the magazine behind the man in the bra, you too will examine a little more deeply that idealized stereotype that so often goes unchallenged in all our lives: masculinity.

We first started thinking about putting together an issue on masculinity early last semester. Only days earlier, the alternately celebrated and vilified feminist writer Betty Friedan, best known for her Feminine Mystique, had passed away. And right around that time, one of the more hotly debated topics on campus was the scheduled opening of the Women’s Center in fall 2006. While a lot of recent campus dialogue revolved around women, noticeably absent was a discussion of men, and their changing place on campus and in the world.

In some ways, because men are the authors of so much of the culture that surrounds us, it seems redundant to discuss masculinity further. In academia, men’s studies, while nearly twenty years old, has not gained the momentum of women’s studies, and for good reasons. But by shrouding men and masculinity in silence, we fail to recognize that masculinity is not a static baseline off of which all other gender performances should be judged, but a dynamic force in our society. Masculinity is a force that acts on men, women, and our relationships with one another. The awkwardness surrounding our cover photo revealed that force to us. Even as women are encouraged to step into some traditionally male-dominated spheres, there is still certain ground that is strictly and unquestioningly off-limits to men. In some ways, then, the masculine mystique remains even more inscrutable than its counterpart.

Beyond the cover story, this issue as a whole represents a culmination of a year’s worth of creative changes at D&D. The magazine format has been updated, with a cleaner, leaner design and a novel mix of articles—longer features now share space with a variety of shorter, snappier pieces. Even as D&D updates its look, however, we remain true to our founding mission: to provide a common ground for all students to exchange ideas and promote social justice on and off campus. For example, in compiling the “What is Masculinity?” piece, we contacted the leaders of various student groups on campus to solicit their thoughts on the definition and relevance of masculinity for their members and society as a whole.

Questions? Feedback? Submissions? We’d love to hear from you. Send us an e-mail at diversity.distinction@gmail.com. Or simply drop by our weekly meetings in the Women’s Center conference room in Canaday basement. Writers, photographers, designers, business-people, aspiring cover models: all are welcome.

Sincerely,

Frankie Chen & Elise Wang