Although "mail order" has become a historical term, American gay men who have experienced that era will never forget the mail order clothing brand "International Male".
, especially the catalog they released, people read it not just to see the style of underwear. Regarding this mail order catalog, the history of homosexuality that is both absurd and sincere, and is no longer a secret can be seen in the documentary "All Man: The International Male Story".
Gene Burkard International Male, founded in the mid-1970s, is believed to have changed the world forever and the public's perception of masculinity.
The brand once used the slogan "Freedom for the man". In addition to promoting the beauty of men, it also encourages its readers to make their appearance look good can also be a kind of comfort. This strategy proves to be useful.
International Male rose rapidly and reached its peak in the 1990s. It is said that 3 million copies of the catalogues in each season were circulated on the market, with an annual income of up to US$100 million.
Although this catalog was not created for gay men, it has indeed become a source of sexual enlightenment for many people.
In terms of documentary theory, this style is deliberate to a certain extent, because its brand employees have many women and gay men. When telling the story of this group of "fringeers", the documentary also highlights the "how to change the way men see themselves and each other, and the world see them."
Filmmakers Bryan Darling and Jesse Finley Reed visited many people in the film, from former employees and models of the brand (including Madonna's ex-boyfriend Tony Ward), to many celebrities who have made insights such as Carson Kressley, singer Jake Shears, comedian Drew Droege and designer Simon Doonan. In the
film, he even visited the founder Gene Burkard (who passed away in 2020). His memories of those beautiful past also add a lot of nostalgia to the documentary.
"All Man: The International Male Story" has premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in June and has been broadcast on tours in various film festivals.
