Pop Culture Tuesdays XII

Continuing right along with the theme of sex bomb hair…

This week we’re taking a trip through trashy fashion magazine Men’s Egg!

Because this is my thing, I have religiously bought each of the latest issues since I’ve been here.

I’m usually pretty good at drawing analogies between U.S and Japanese cultural phenomenon, but the subculture this magazine represents really has no U.S equivalent. Guido subculture in the U.S may be similar, but that’s somewhat of a stretch. And this magazine certainly has no equivalent.

Men’s Egg is like a combination of Maxim, Playboy, and GQ (GQ specific to the Gyaruo subculture).

Though I can’t read 75% of it, I can gather the gist from what I am able to read, and the stupidity of it is certainly not lost on me. About a third of the magazine is snaps of street fashion, a third is the magazine’s models showing clothing from various Gyaruo brands, and a third is articles or surveys about sex advice or what women/men most want.

And let us not forget the unbelievable fuck-ton of ads. Need hair removal products? Need a bigger penis? Need a Gyaruo-style wig (Seriously.)? Umm, fuck yes I do! (To the last one. Or maybe all of the above?):

Even through my piss-poor Japanese ability I know enough to know that the surveys especially are a total joke. It seems like half the time they’re just surveying the staff room or whoever they catch in the elevator; there’s no method to their surveying, and I wonder how much is meant to be taken seriously. I hope none, but something tells me they mean it to be serious. In general it seems like each issue is put together the night before.

But no matter, I’m not reading looking for the offspring of the New Yorker and Harper’s Bazaar. Though I feel like the asshats involved with this magazine think that’s what they put together every month.

OK, bashing aside, let’s take a look inside shall we!

Some street fashion snaps (You know the drill, click for larger/better):

(Did you click for larger?? You know you want to see that fashion victim with the orange vest in HD...)

And no Gyaruo wardrobe is complete without the Man-Purse. Exactly what-the-fuck could a guy be carrying around that is so important that he needs to trade in his balls for this never-cool, never-OK fashion crime??

Christ! Don't think too much about it! Don't you know thinking ruins your complexion!?! Let Men's Egg answer this highly important and relevant question:

And in this issue we have enlightening interviews with some of the Men's Egg models:

This particular model had quite the colorful prior work experience. I won’t say what, but think of the obvious thing, then make it more deviant. How do I know that you ask? Well, I didn’t read about it in this article, that’s for sure.

And there we have it. Men’s Egg: Class and a half.