Women's Magazines

[LizF]

I was reading a book today that discussed how women's magazines subtly teach women to serve men and feel bad about their bodies. Do you think this is true? If so, how can we improve women's magazines?

[kitsch_k]

really? is this cosmo? just being curious...

[elaine130]

I took an interesting course in college called Drama and Mass Media. I don't remember much but I do recall one really fascinating point-of-view expressed by the professor: that ALL media is fueled by commercialism. Thus all for-profit TV programs, radio station programming, magazine content/articles and even children's cartoons (exluding PBS, etc) were created SOLELY to draw in consumers who would then hear/see the advertisements and purchase their product.

As we all know, most advertising is successful when they can cleverly convince consumers by emotional manipulation that they are inferior or insecure or incomplete or unhealthy or unattractive UNLESS they purchase a specific product which in turn will make them happy, worthy, sexy, popular, envied, healthy, content and complete.

Knowing all this, I try to make an effort to teach my little ones to think critically about what they are watching on TV (Will a fourth Dora doll really make you happy???) Because advertisers really don't want you to think too much, they want you to feel first and then make a decision based on feelings (inferiority, etc.) and then buy their item.

[kitsch_k]

that is a very interesting and very accurate view of looking at advertising. we buy things because we need them. so these advertisers make us believe we need them. brilliant but scheming!

[r8rpwr]

Well, first of all, what's wrong with serving men? I serve my husband and do it happily; I like doing things for him. And I'm not exactly a shrinking violet; I'm a highly independent woman with a successful career and definitely a mind of my own.

To answer the question, I have not noticed women's magazines to be manipulative in that way. I have, however, noticed them to be manipulative in the sense that some of them (Cosmo, Glamour), think you should sleep with everyone you go out with. Seems there's no value placed on waiting anymore.

[etali]

I think things like Womans Own, targetted at older woment, do fall into the 'be a domestic goddess' bracket but I don't think they're manipulating women, I think they write about that because thats what their readership want to read.

There are trashy laugh at celebs mags, magazines that would have you think all women do is cook and clean, and mags that are about pulling and sleeping with guys. If you want something that doesn't fall into that, then there are plenty of non-gender specific magazines covering most other interests.

[Bad Kitty]

I resurrected this thread because I am ne to the forum and I talk about beauty magazines a lot. I always grab a VOGUE or COSMO for the flight when I go somewhere. SO I read them a couple times a year. I always love the fashions and especially the bags OF COURSE! The article contents, however, never really change. Always the same theories being touted as new, directed at the same single working women, trying to convince them they need something they don't, or telling them to change something they needn't.

Originally Posted by r8rpwr

Well, first of all, what's wrong with serving men? I serve my husband and do it happily; I like doing things for him. And I'm not exactly a shrinking violet; I'm a highly independent woman with a successful career and definitely a mind of my own.

To answer the question, I have not noticed women's magazines to be manipulative in that way. I have, however, noticed them to be manipulative in the sense that some of them (Cosmo, Glamour), think you should sleep with everyone you go out with. Seems there's no value placed on waiting anymore.

I think we were related at some point! I take care of my man too, and I enjoy it. I don't fetch and he NEVER EVER TELLS me what to do or wear. I just love that when I do things for him it makes him dependant on me, that is how I want it to be. I think when you love doing for your partner, it means the love is true, or perfect. I am also very independant and boisterous, I just really love my man.

[PixieGirl]

I was reading a marketing book one time and you know all those beautys best of the year/season, etc. that the editors try out and deem the greatest. Some of those are actually ones they try out and some of them are put there because they pay so much to advertise in that particular magazine so they have to put them into the magazine in those sections from time to time whether they believe its good or not. Good will to their advertisers keeps there magazine running.