I remember sneaking glances at International Male when I was younger and curious. At that young of an age, I don’t think I knew what being gay meant, but I was drawn to the slender catalog with its scantily clad models. I thought it was a male version of, say, a Victoria’s Secret catalog, but the clothes also made me blush. They were not typical items that you would see in a catalog for Sears or JCPenney. All Man: The International Male Story reveals just how vital and significant this publication was for gay men when there wasn’t another alternative.
All Man begins as an origin story, but it transforms into something else entirely. We learn about how founder Gene Burkhard was inspired by the masculinity that he saw on Carnaby Street in London and how he managed to land a jock sock ad in Playboy. Burkhard always said that he was in it for the fun and not the money, but he needs to give himself more credit.
Before something like International Male came along, men didn’t know they could experiment with color, texture, or fabric. Most men found a kind of polo shirt that worked for them, or they boxed themselves in with a heinous and boring grey suit for business meetings. International Male not only changed how men could see themselves, but they immediately came out swinging. Google some photoshoots from some of the magazine’s early days, and you will find silhouettes and patterns that men are still afraid to wear.
Not only does All Man suggest that a generation of gay men were comforted and aroused by the images found within the pages of International Male, but it goes beyond that by showing insecurities of straight male models in the industry. If you were seen as an International Male model, you would be branded as gay and fear of losing out on jobs would permeate the minds of some men. As the AIDS crisis raged across America, the spreads were seen as an escapist comfort to those living in fear of their own sexuality. Directors Bryan Darling and Jesse Finley Reed pay a touching tribute to the employees who succumbed to the virus.
The documentary has quite an impressive lineup of talking heads, including Carson Kressley, Simon Doonan, Jake Shears, and Drew Droege. Employees across many departments–from sales to editors to art directors–share their personal experiences, and you get the urgent sense of how special these offices truly were. Matt Bomer provides cheeky narration, and you know he would be able to pull off any look that was featured in the magazine.
Can something like International Male exist ever again? Maybe not in this format, but its legacy lives on. All Man is affectionately and respectfully made, and it serves as a reminder of how queer people were forced to live in the shadows. You just had to wait by the mailbox for your personal beacon of hope. For gay, curious, and queer men, this magazine was a siren call to something fantastical and over-the-top. All Man is a buoyant, flirtatious time capsule that will excite you just as much as diving into your latest issue.
