As Loaded Magazine returns with its bold intention not to ‘bow to the latest ideas around manhood’, we look at the cyclical nature of societal change.
Last week, iconic ‘lads’ mag’ Loaded announced its relaunch with bold intention. Nine years after it folded, the title claimed its return, with its original tagline ‘for men who know better’, and describing itself as a digital rebellion that promises not to ‘bow to the latest ideas around manhood’. Whilst it’s yet to be seen exactly what this statement means, it’s a headline that has captured attention.

As the meaning of masculinity is increasingly under scrutiny, influencers like the Tate brothers hold momentum, and the UK drops down the list of LGBTQ+ friendly countries; is the wheel of social change turning on so-called woke culture and inclusivity?

Loaded was a defining publication of the 1990s and early 2000s, capturing ‘lad culture’ with irreverent humour, a focus on male interests, and a blend of pub and locker room chat. But, as UK culture moved away from masculinity in this form, its circulation declined, and it closed in 2015. Its relaunch suggests that a demand for the return of laddish banter and culture that Loaded stands for, coming round again, perhaps as a counter-trend to ‘wokeism’ and ‘cancel culture’ of recent times.