Men's Show

Rating:
Summary: Men's Show Rocks
Review: At first glance, the photographs in "Men's Show" are simply artful candid shots of dressing-room hijinks by some of the hottest male models and celebrities of our day. And yes, even the most casual perusal of this paean to the Apollos of the runway will reveal more jutting jaws, cherubic cheeks, stunning smiles and fabulously fit flesh than you can normally find at any other place or time.

Looking more closely, however, it's the personalities McMullan reveals which are the real sensation of this collection, and it's the realm of the personal, the muse, the psyche which serves as the true 'backstage' area of the book. Through McMullan's eyes we see that the men themselves are far more interesting outside of the carefully controlled images and costumes created by the designers. McMullan sees through the surrounding glamour to display what's actually happening: these are just boys playing an elaborate game of dress-up, and it's McMullan's own inner child which is uniquely able to relate to and draw out the reticent Pan in these normally stone-faced runway icons of stoic masculinity.

In 'Prep', there are a series of wonderful photographs: of body makeup being applied, along with the extraordinarily business-like intimacy that involves, clothes being fitted personally by designers, body parts being stuffed out of the way, clothes being ripped off and shoved on, boys reduced to having their shoes tied, boys showing off for their favorite photographer, and throughout, repeated glimpses of the controlled but frantic atmosphere of rampant mayhem.

In 'Wait' we see a more serious side to the models, lined up in rows waiting for their cue to move onto the runway, grabbing quick catnaps, preening, doing pushups (in groups of course - once one starts, none of them can resist I suppose. The photograph actually made me wonder who stopped first...); stairways filled with muscle stuffed into bathing suits, other more elfin boys (a Prada show perhaps?) reading novels in a group, obviously the literary set, and a rather sweet candid shot of a boy sitting on the floor grabbing a quick and guilty-looking snack.

'Skin' is definitely going to be a well-thumbed section of anyone's copy. It's hard to resist perfectly toned models wearing next to nothing, and it's refreshing to see models caught in moments of such insouciant if momentary indifference to the display of their own flesh. These are not 'beauty shots' however. These men are caught, like warriors without their armor, actors out of makeup, quite literally ducks out of water, and it's fascinating to see.

'Glam' is self-evidently more about the clothes and designer imagery. The portraits are all beautiful, sometimes powerful, often fun, and while this is even more pronounced in Play, we begin to see real attitude here, and it's a joy to watch these pros turning it on for the master.

'Play' is my favorite part of this book, and, I suspect, Patrick's as well. Who can resist a cute boy trying to bite his own foot, or a model trying surreptitiously to compare biceps with the guy next to him, or trying to grab Patrick's camera, tweaking a buddy's nipple, Will Lemay in black leather striking a boxing pose with fists in motion toward the camera (Will Lemay almost defines fierce), or models, of all people, making goofy faces in front of a camera, two young men practicing a waltz. Sorry boys, we know you're really big, rough and tough on the inside, but the men and the photographs in Play are just plain adorably cute.

'Sets' consists of pairs of men dressed identically, and again, it's these bright personalities shining brightly which delight both the photographer and our own eyes. Lundquist carefully fixing his partner's lapel, two boys facing off, one as Robert DeNiro, the other insane; two men in suits arm in arm, like courtly southern gentlemen, others flexing off against each other.

No McMullan publication would be complete without the requisite celebrities, and it's one of the lovely aspects of this book that they're almost a throwawy or afterthought at the end, and that none of them can begin to compete with the personalities on display in the preceeding pages. Still there are some very human and amusing shots of many famous faces, and it's fitting they make an appearance - the rich, the famous and the beautiful are seldom long separated.

Originally published on www.Modellaunch.com, copyright Sean T. Bickerton

Rating:
Summary: Men's Show Rocks
Review: At first glance, the photographs in "Men's Show" are simply artful candid shots of dressing-room hijinks by some of the hottest male models and celebrities of our day. And yes, even the most casual perusal of this paean to the Apollos of the runway will reveal more jutting jaws, cherubic cheeks, stunning smiles and fabulously fit flesh than you can normally find at any other place or time.

Looking more closely, however, it's the personalities McMullan reveals which are the real sensation of this collection, and it's the realm of the personal, the muse, the psyche which serves as the true 'backstage' area of the book. Through McMullan's eyes we see that the men themselves are far more interesting outside of the carefully controlled images and costumes created by the designers. McMullan sees through the surrounding glamour to display what's actually happening: these are just boys playing an elaborate game of dress-up, and it's McMullan's own inner child which is uniquely able to relate to and draw out the reticent Pan in these normally stone-faced runway icons of stoic masculinity.

In 'Prep', there are a series of wonderful photographs: of body makeup being applied, along with the extraordinarily business-like intimacy that involves, clothes being fitted personally by designers, body parts being stuffed out of the way, clothes being ripped off and shoved on, boys reduced to having their shoes tied, boys showing off for their favorite photographer, and throughout, repeated glimpses of the controlled but frantic atmosphere of rampant mayhem.

In 'Wait' we see a more serious side to the models, lined up in rows waiting for their cue to move onto the runway, grabbing quick catnaps, preening, doing pushups (in groups of course - once one starts, none of them can resist I suppose. The photograph actually made me wonder who stopped first...); stairways filled with muscle stuffed into bathing suits, other more elfin boys (a Prada show perhaps?) reading novels in a group, obviously the literary set, and a rather sweet candid shot of a boy sitting on the floor grabbing a quick and guilty-looking snack.

'Skin' is definitely going to be a well-thumbed section of anyone's copy. It's hard to resist perfectly toned models wearing next to nothing, and it's refreshing to see models caught in moments of such insouciant if momentary indifference to the display of their own flesh. These are not 'beauty shots' however. These men are caught, like warriors without their armor, actors out of makeup, quite literally ducks out of water, and it's fascinating to see.

'Glam' is self-evidently more about the clothes and designer imagery. The portraits are all beautiful, sometimes powerful, often fun, and while this is even more pronounced in Play, we begin to see real attitude here, and it's a joy to watch these pros turning it on for the master.

'Play' is my favorite part of this book, and, I suspect, Patrick's as well. Who can resist a cute boy trying to bite his own foot, or a model trying surreptitiously to compare biceps with the guy next to him, or trying to grab Patrick's camera, tweaking a buddy's nipple, Will Lemay in black leather striking a boxing pose with fists in motion toward the camera (Will Lemay almost defines fierce), or models, of all people, making goofy faces in front of a camera, two young men practicing a waltz. Sorry boys, we know you're really big, rough and tough on the inside, but the men and the photographs in Play are just plain adorably cute.

'Sets' consists of pairs of men dressed identically, and again, it's these bright personalities shining brightly which delight both the photographer and our own eyes. Lundquist carefully fixing his partner's lapel, two boys facing off, one as Robert DeNiro, the other insane; two men in suits arm in arm, like courtly southern gentlemen, others flexing off against each other.

No McMullan publication would be complete without the requisite celebrities, and it's one of the lovely aspects of this book that they're almost a throwawy or afterthought at the end, and that none of them can begin to compete with the personalities on display in the preceeding pages. Still there are some very human and amusing shots of many famous faces, and it's fitting they make an appearance - the rich, the famous and the beautiful are seldom long separated.

Originally published on www.Modellaunch.com, copyright Sean T. Bickerton

Rating:
Summary: Fashion: Really, It's All About the Boys
Review: Fashion: the majority of the cash may come from selling women's clothing, and certainly there are lots of female supermodels (it's one profession that feminists hate, because, as Rush Limbaugh once noted, feminism was invented to benefit unattractive women). But really, the industry's heart is in the boys: sweet, pink-faced, ceherubic, hunky, beefy, smooth young studs who look just great in everything -- and in nothing, for that matter. ONE almost wonders if most "fashion" songs (like 'Girls On Film', by Duran Duran) were not actually written with boys in mind.

The cover shot sort of sets the tone for the book here: a cute, sexy looking kid in his underwear, clearly enjoying himself and possibly the company of others like himself as well.

The photography varies in here, capturing the different moods and feels of a fashion show. There are tense, somewhat anxious looking pictures, others that hint at the extreeme levels of competitiveness in modeling and fashion design [until you get to teh NFL, football is minor league by comparison]. And much of it just celebrates teh joy of dressing up, being made up, and looking like a million dollars.

The boys here are alternately cute, sulen, intense, playful, snooty, sweet, and almost all drop-dead goregous. Some look so innocent & sweet you'd think they had been dragged out of some perfect church choir, while others look more cynical and wizend by a few years in "the biz".

Because they're boys, they compete on every level; best pecs, best biceps, smoothest face, cutest eyes -- a level of competeiton an order of magnitude greater than what you see at female fashion shows. The pictues capture that all through this book, and speak of the extreme level of energy that testosterone creates with no mitigating factors.

And, because they're boys, they jsut want to have fun in between "work". hence, there are plenty of shots here where the boys are just mugging or putting on a show for the photographers. SOme of the hijinks are very funny; preening, grabbing nipples, and more.

The book is divided into sections, each of which revolves around some major aspect of a fashion show: Prep, Wait, Skin, Glam, Play, Sets, ... it all works surprisingly well here.

If this book has a flaw, it's a lack of a soundtrack to accompany the images. Just a bet: a movie about a boys fashion show, or the lives of male models done this well would probably be a surprise hit.

As stated earlier, women's fashions pay the bills. But I suspect that it's young men that really get people in this industry hot. Not really any surprise, as recent news has revealed that many (if not most) of the top fashion photographers, designers, models, stars, and others who define the styles others follow, are gay men.

Gay or straight, this book is a delicious (if somewhat guilty) pleasure. While the gay appeal is obvious, straight guys are discovering that looks matter, and who knows, they may even get some ideas here.

Rating:
Summary: sex, pecs, and nervous wrecks
Review: for years, we have seen every aspect of the modeling world through the experiences of female models. now it's the men's turn. patrick mc mullan captures the hectic energy of fashion shows and their symbols of human perfection, from the frat boy antics to the patient exhaustion and all the six-packs in between. where else could you see an underwear fitting and pectoral highlighting? only in the mysterious, flesh-filled spaces backstage at men's fashion shows.

Rating:
Summary: Once Upon a Time.........................
Review: Once upon a time I was a Professional Fashion Model, so when I heard about this book I couldn't wait to see it. I eagerly awaited it's publication and of course Amazon got it to me at once. I wasn't disappointed, this book is long over-due! What memories these images bring back to me, the runways, the fashion shows, the anxiety, the backstage rush and confusion and the rewards of showing the latest fashions. It's a unique experience like no other.

New York photographer Patrick McMullan has taken some wonderful behind the scenes photos of male fashion shows. These are candid poses of the guys, getting ready for the shows, and some of them really acting up for the camera. McMullan is a pro at capturing honest photos of these handsome young men. He is well-known for his party photos published in many magazines.

This is a large format book, with large beautiful photographs. If you often wondered what it must be like backstage at these male fashion shows, then you should definitely buy this book for your collection. I'm glad I did. Wonderful!!!

Rating:
Summary: Once Upon a Time.........................
Review: Once upon a time I was a Professional Fashion Model, so when I heard about this book I couldn't wait to see it. I eagerly awaited it's publication and of course Amazon got it to me at once. I wasn't disappointed, this book is long over-due! What memories these images bring back to me, the runways, the fashion shows, the anxiety, the backstage rush and confusion and the rewards of showing the latest fashions. It's a unique experience like no other.

New York photographer Patrick McMullan has taken some wonderful behind the scenes photos of male fashion shows. These are candid poses of the guys, getting ready for the shows, and some of them really acting up for the camera. McMullan is a pro at capturing honest photos of these handsome young men. He is well-known for his party photos published in many magazines.

This is a large format book, with large beautiful photographs. If you often wondered what it must be like backstage at these male fashion shows, then you should definitely buy this book for your collection. I'm glad I did. Wonderful!!!

Rating:
Summary: It's All About the Boys, really.
Review: While the world of fashion and modeling photography expends a lot of ink and time talking about women and glamorous females (femme fatals, divas, babes, etc.) in fact, what really catches our eye is great looking boys.

I don't say that just 'cause I'm gay, but because it's true. GO to a gym, and all eyes are on the best looking guys (including those of the "straight" men who just want to look that good). When a great looking guy walks into a store or a fast food place, everyone notices. And, as the old ZZ TOP song stated (correctly) every girl's crazy 'bout a sharp dressed man. But as crazy as they are about "sharp dressed' ones, it's barely or un dressed ones that they really go nuts over. I suspect taht's one reason why the biggest movie stars, rock stars, and TV stars have always been sexy men.

Anyhow, pop sociology aside, this book is all about the boys. It makes me wonder if women's fashions may not be attempts to make women feel like they're not just "extras" in life. Most photographers are gay, most designers are gay, and most fans .... who cares? This book is great!