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Women’s magazines give false sense of womanhood |
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Tuesday, 06 November 2007 |
I’ve never been the prissiest or girliest of girls, so it should come as no surprise to most that I’m not a fan of women’s magazines.
But my reasoning has nothing to do with the fact that I don’t care about my relationships, make-up or complexion; it has to do with the lies that women’s magazines perpetuate, as well as their almost consistent un-womanlike attitude.
An article written by Liza Featherstone for the Columbia University Journalism Review illustrates just how editors and reporters for magazines such as Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire and Glamour distort facts and make up entire situations and articles to make them more appealing to their target audience.
According to Featherstone’s article, a former fact-checker at Mademoiselle said, “quotes were totally changeable.”
Other former reporters and editors at Cosmopolitan had similar stories and things to say when dealing with their own articles.
Facts were distorted and ages were changed, because heaven forbid someone be over 30 and talking about their sex life!
Several articles in Cosmopolitan explained how having fantastic sex not
only burned loads of calories, but also helped a woman’s complexion.
A former editor of the magazine admitted that both of those statements were either completely false or highly exaggerated.
Besides the fact that these magazines have absolutely no journalistic
integrity and completely fabricate some of their material, I also
despise them because of how extremely sexist they can be.
Yes, that’s right. I believe women’s magazines are completely and totally sexist towards women.
I remember reading an article in a magazine of said genre about how
women needed to dress up for their guy, because they work so hard and
deserve to see you in something other than sweatpants.
Okay…sure, it is nice to get dressed up every now and then and I’m sure
your significant other would appreciate you putting in a little extra
effort from time to time, but do they really deserve it because they
“work hard”?
I’m sorry, but I work hard, too (yes, it is possible for women to work
hard), so should I expect my significant other to be dressed in a suit
and tie when I come home because I deserve it?
Another similar article said if you’re in a fight with your guy you
should just let him win because odds are he’s had a long day at work.
Now, I’m a lover and not a fighter, but every now and then arguments
happen. I don’t think women should give in just because “their guy” has
had a rough day at the office.
What about the rough day at the office the woman might have had?
Oh wait, that would imply that women are self-sufficient, independent
beings who don’t need a guy around all the time to the complete them.
What a novel concept.
These magazines are ridiculous and it pains me to see intelligent women believing everything they spew out of their pages.
Why should we need some stupid quiz to see if he’s compatible with us?
Can’t we actually carry on a conversation with him or go on a date with him to see if he meshes well with us?
Do we really need Cosmopolitan to let us know what his underwear says about him?
Talk about your journalistic genius.
Women are only holding themselves back by giving into these lies.
Sure, you may be able to pick up one of these pieces of trash and be
able to figure out exactly which sexual position is this month’s pick,
but you’re also selling yourself short.
A good portion of the articles printed in these magazines aren’t
truthful at all and by buying them we’re just buying into lies - lies
that are supposed to make us into better subservient women and better
sexual partners.
Instead of giving into all of these falsehoods, let’s be our own individual person.
I promise that giving up Cosmopolitan’s “Must List” will be a whole lot easier, and better for you, than you might think.
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