The article is based on the underling premise that inherent differences exist in men's and women's choice of words and language - to the extent that each sex requires a translation to understand the other. This is further reinforced by the title of the article, where 'Man-speak' implies that language use is inherently gendered.
The article is written in the style of a self-help book which seeks to dispense advice and solutions which can be easily adopted by the readership. The title attracts the attention of women who have recently quarreled with their (male) partner, and also women in general since this seems to be a 'prevalent' problem. The article is conversation-scenario based with translations, paralleling Gray's use of the Martian-Venusian dictionary in his book Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus. This structure allows for the encapsulation of the conversation within a specific context, instead of being a general overview. Furthermore, within each "He Said What' capsule, the 'advice' is further broken down into "He Really Means" - the writer's interpretative translation of 'man-speak'; and "Now You Say" - advice as to what the (female) reader should do in such a situation. This is lastly followed up by a pseudo-conclusion "Why It Works - that seeks to sum up the argument and convince the reader that this is logical and effective.
Situating the article in context, we see that it is meant for publication in Women's Health magazine, and we can thus assume a largely female readership. Such an article is based on the assumption that there are inherent gendered differences in choice of language and wording. The wording of the article ('really means" and "why it works") seeks to put the writer in a more authoritative position since there is only a singular point of view being put forth. In every "Why it Works" section, a scientist or academic will be quoted, serving to increase the credibility of the advice provided and increasing the authorial authority of the writer.
The publication of such an article on gender differences and miscommunication in a health magazine further lends 'scientific factuality', embedded within the general context of diet and exercise. possibly misleading the readership to believe in that essential differences exist between men and women. The scenarios in themselves are generic and homogenous, and do not make distinctions based on social positioning, context, social environment or ethnic cross-cultural variations, instead assuming that men and women are homogenous groups who view and interpret the social world in a singular fashion.
Furthermore, even though analysis is contextualised in a specific scenario, the wording and language cited as examples of Man-Speak can be applied to both sexes. However, this style is probably chosen to appeal to the female readership.
This article subverts the traditional notion that only women's speech needs to be translated because it is indirect, proposing that men's language needs translations too.
What's obscure to you might be straightforward to someone else.
