In the past, Gent magazine stood out from other popular magazines for its explicit content and high production values, However, like most adult publications of its day, it did not feature much racial diversity in its models, This lack of diversity reflected not just editorial bias, but also broader societal attitudes towards race that are now considered problematic, Gent's limited approach to racial diversity was something that would be heavily criticised by modern audiences and scholars, In this essay, we will explore why Gent's lack of racial diversity was so significant and what could have been done differently, Firstly, let's consider why Gent didn't feature many non-white models,
In the early decades of Gent, the vast majority of models were white, This may seem unsurprising given the predominantly white population of America at the time, where Gent was published, But it is worth remembering that black models were already appearing in mainstream fashion magazines by the 1960s, making Gent's decision even more questionable, At the same time, there were no shortage of women of colour who might have wanted to pose nude or partially clothed for Gent, as well as men and trans people, The exclusion of these groups was likely due to a number of factors, including cultural biases, economic constraints, and aesthetic preferences, For example, some editors may have assumed that readers wouldn't be interested in seeing black or Asian bodies, or believed that they couldn't achieve the same level of eroticism, Given the high cost of producing each issue, which included hiring professional photographers and paying models, it was difficult to justify devoting resources to including non-white models when their sales potential seemed uncertain, This is not to say that Gent ignored race entirely,
While most pictorials featured exclusively white models, occasionally Gent would include a model of colour, These models were often fetishized and objectified in ways similar to their white counterparts, For example, one spread featuring an Asian woman described her as having "sensuous curves" and a "beautiful smile", while another depicted a black man with "luscious lips" and a "sexy body", Such language reinforced stereotypes about how non-white bodies are viewed in Western culture, These images also perpetuated the idea that only white bodies are desirable and attractive, making them seem less human than their peers, Despite these limitations, Gent did make some attempts at broadening its appeal,
In later years, Gent published more photos featuring non-white models, but these efforts were limited, For instance, there were no regular features dedicated to showcasing diverse models, Instead, they appeared sporadically and rarely had much text accompanying them, This lack of context meant that readers might not understand why these women and men were chosen, nor appreciate their significance, It was only by reading between the lines that we can infer that Gent recognised a need for greater racial diversity, However, this recognition came too late, Gent's approach to racial diversity was a missed opportunity, Not only would it have enriched the magazine's content, but it could have helped challenge harmful attitudes towards non-white people, By showing that all bodies are beautiful and deserving of respect, Gent could have contributed to a more just society, Instead, it perpetuated existing prejudices and failed to take advantage of a chance to lead the way forward. Ultimately, we can learn from this example,