Women’s magazines have come under fire in recent years, and for good reason. It’s taken a long time, and many hurt women, but these so-called publications are all getting called out more and more frequently for spewing loads of hot air — and often outright lies — to their readers. Spending no more than five minutes reading one of these rags can be enough to cause mild brain-damage, with the sheer amount of bad advice regurgitated month after month. We went through a few months’ worth of all the worst offenders, and honestly the effect is probably worse than sniffing glue — but we’ve got results. These are the 15 absolute worst lies that all women’s magazines tell — they’ve got millions of readers, so it may be a little scary.
Women Must Live (And Act Out) Abroad
Women’s magazines love to come from the overwhelmingly pretentious standpoint that any woman who hasn’t spent a summer in Paris is basically an illiterate housewife in a trailer-park. Over and over again, the idea is drilled in that women who’ve gotten married without first sleeping with a different man in another country are destined to a failed marriage, as they couldn’t possibly have made the right choice without knowing how a foreigner is in bed first.
“What He Says During Sex”
A classic, this overcooked contrivance rears its ugly head at least once a quarter. The offending magazines splash the phrase across the cover, and have a graphic-loaded guide somewhere in the issue that breaks men down and classifies them according to a stereotypical verbalization made during sex. In a shameless ploy to sell magazines, these people tell women that if a man grunts during sex, he’s goal-oriented, if he’s quiet or breathing hard, he’s got emotional issues, and if he’s vocal, he’s stupid and probably shallow. Women believe this stuff, because the authors and editors attribute information to bogus names of doctors and professors who likely don’t exist, or if they do exist, the info’s often misquoted or just plain bad.
Fake New-Age Practices Can Make Women Look Younger (And Have Better Sex)
Women’s magazines love to insist that, along with just about everything else in the universe, 15 minutes of half-assed yoga or drinking green tea once a day will take years off a woman’s face, 30 lbs. off her physique, and lead to better sex. Everything leads to better sex in women’s magazines, it’s their core selling point for the crackpot advice they dole out. The most heinous thing about this isn’t that they constantly ascribe impossibly positive outcomes to such miniscule effort, but that they inspire millions of women to run around acting like they’re some sort of zen master because they sat on the floor for a few minutes without speaking. Actually following any sort of regimen would be too much to ask of most of their readers, never mind the fact that it would take several servings of tea and actual meditation training to accomplish anything at all.
Yogurt, Granola, Fruits and Veggies Make Fat Girls Slim
There’s a fine line to walk when pushing the idea of eating healthy — on one side there’s “eat all you want, it’s healthy!” — on the other, there’s honesty. All the granola, fruit, greens and yogurt in the world can’t save an overweight person from being overweight without exercise and moderation. Women’s magazines like to ignore overwhelming obesity statistics; there’s no such thing as an overweight girl in their universe, so it’s absurd to think any girl would ever be any more than five pounds overweight at any given point in time.
“What He’s Really Thinking”
These are nothing short of amazing. The situation ranges from “when he sees you naked” to “the first time you have sex” all the way to “when he says he loves you.” When magazines like Cosmo try to tell women what men are thinking, the bottom line is that it’s just plain insulting to every man alive. The garbage they print as the thoughts of men are usually an amalgam of the most trite, clueless, one-dimensional quotes from the most hapless characters in college frat-humor movies.
Women Should Act on Every Impulse and Call it Instinct
More women every year turn against the magazines and their readers because of this one; they basically advocate that women should do whatever they want, when they want, regardless of who they may hurt in doing so. Why? Because they’re women and they should act on every impulse, because those impulses are womanly instincts and they can’t possibly be happy without acting on them. These gems of advice range from quitting a good job on a whim, to basically becoming a prostitute because it sounds fun at the time. In the universe that women’s magazines operate in, everyone is a spoiled little girl with a trust fund to fall back on, and absolutely no morals whatsoever.
Plastic Surgery and Botox are Great, Quick & Clean
The glorification of plastic surgery and botox treatment is pretty much agreed upon by anyone with a brain to be a bad thing, but women’s magazines consistently treat them like beauty secrets, or only mention them in passing, but in a positive light. The sad thing here is that the countless women who actually read these rags tend to think that because the magazine either promotes or glamorizes these things, that they’re not just good, but normal. More and more women are starting to regard these things the same way they talk about changing their hair-color.
Touting Pseudo-Science as Fully Legitimate
These people love to write off modern medicine and science on a regular basis, and part of that is in their insistence that women can fix any ailment, anything at all, with a cup of tea, a dose of echinacea, and happy thoughts. They bust out the prefab quotes, complete with either crackpot “doctors” or just flat-out fake names, and act like hospitals only exist for broken bones.
The Right Sports Bra Can Turn Lazy Women Into Decathletes
The Sex and the City tone that’s so pervasive in all women’s magazines can lead to some pretty outrageous stupidity, but one of the funniest and most egregious is the idea that women can do anything — so long as they’re outfitted with the proper (designer) clothing, shoes, and accessories. Editors for these things get piles, literally piles of free stuff from soliciting companies looking to get plugged, so it’s no big deal when they act like the newest pumps will allow women to run 20 miles without even feeling the burn, or that the newest, ultralight, super-underwired designer sports bra will turn the laziest girl on the block into a star runner just by efficiently cupping her assets.
It’s a Woman’s Right to be Overly-Emotional, at All Times
The idea that women are ridiculously overly-emotional because of their genetics is heavily ingrained into these magazines. They constantly tell women that in order to be happy, they need to express themselves, and they don’t mean to a healthy extent, either. If women followed them to the letter, they’d spend all day, every day, expressing themselves emotionally. It’s funny to think that men usually get stuck with the unpleasant stereotype of constant chauvinism, when these magazines themselves belittle women more than the best Burt Reynolds movie.
“Why He Likes X Position”
These are probably the most entertainingly wrong of all the “why he X” type articles these magazines put out. First of all, they constantly change the accepted names of sexual positions, largely because they run the same article repeatedly throughout the year and have to change it somehow to make it seem like something new. This makes it even funnier, since one month they may say that men like it on bottom because they’re “givers,” while three months later it might say that they’re weak, or even “effeminate.” In order for women to appreciate these articles they must abandon all past experience, as well as common sense.
“Green” Handbags Will Save the World
The green craze is huge in the women’s magazine industry, largely due to the massive amount of ad money that pours in when they go heavy on the Vitamin Water and Prius adverts. Piggybacking on that, they basically go all out and get women to believe that they can save the world by buying designer handbags made out of …garbage. While recycled purses are no new thing, and there are even some that are respectably ingenious, the magazines tend to glam them up and turn the whole thing into just another exercise in designer purses. In the end, all that’s changed is the amount of pretentious young women who use a reusable plastic Starbucks coffeecup, and wear a purse that’s supposedly carbon-neutral. Not exactly the stuff of the Planeteers.
Jobs Are For Personal Fulfillment; Women Are Entitled to the Jobs of Their Choosing
Going along with the constant pushing to be more impulsive, women’s magazines promote the idea that women should up and leave their job not just on a whim, but because they deserve better. According to them, women should get whatever job they want, anywhere, and they shouldn’t ever have to actually qualify or even apply for the position. Companies should come seeking them, because they’re women, and they deserve it. Never is the issue of actual merit or education ever brought up; somehow everyone who works at these places managed to go through life without ever actually working toward anything.
A Manicure and Latte Can Fix Anything
Much like the idea that a cup of green tea can take a year off a woman’s face, or that echinacea can cure any sickness when mixed with happy thoughts, women’s magazines love to insist that no matter how bad a stressful event may be, a latte (also made out to be something overly effective) and a manicure can fix it. Actually coping with a problem, or attempting to fix it in any way, is verboten. In their universe, women aren’t supposed to try and fix anything. Everything just fixes itself, all on its own.
No, You Can Never Look Like That
Last, but certainly not least; women’s magazines are rightfully blamed by many the world over for skewing women’s views of themselves and others in such a way that borders on criminal. Relentless airbrushing of any picture of any woman on any page in their publications, flat-out lies about diet plans and best eating practices, mild to heavy glamorization of the worst diets and flat-out unhealthy eating practices all lead to more and more women hating their bodies, and themselves. These magazines show no remorse when a girl dies of anorexia or bulimia, because they’d rather act like that sort of thing never happens. They’re out to make money on the insecurities they create year after year as they hook readers, who are getting younger every year. Men’s magazines may have a tendency to be nothing but a wad of adverts for expensive watches, galleries of half-naked girls, and dirty jokes — but at least they’re honest.
Comments
Shif
December 31st, 2009 - 3:33:22 AM
where are the citations? The sad thing is - this article is about as ignorant as one of those magazine articles.
1
Matt
December 31st, 2009 - 3:57:58 AM
Citation - The next time you go to the store look at the magazine racks and you'll see most of this stuff on the cover of the women's magazines.
2
Colin
December 31st, 2009 - 4:34:08 AM
Right, I've never seen airbrushing used in mens magazines. And the articles on how to meet and seduce women are the most impressive pieces of journalism available to magazine readers of any gender. I agree on all points here, but lets not pretend mens mags are any different.
3
Michael Alexander
December 31st, 2009 - 4:47:55 AM
This post is about as factual as the lies magazines blare to women. If you want to be taken seriously, cite your sources. All we have right now is some guy who blames his not ever having a girlfriend on women's magazines.
4
Juan
December 31st, 2009 - 5:21:06 AM
'Tis the reader's fault for providing business to these filthtresses.
5
Sasha
December 31st, 2009 - 5:45:58 AM
This is why I don't buy magazines anymore. My fiance and I used to fight all the time because he basically argued the same as this article while I showed him the Glamour and Cosmo articles telling me "what he really thinks about when we're in bed" and what "5 things [I] need to do to keep [my] man" so on and so forth. Anyways, if anyone really needs this article to cite anything, just pick up the December issue of Glamour.It's chockfull of cracked.com worthy write ups on "10 Great Sex Tips" that would actually end a perfectly good relationship... like "nibbling" balls and incorporating Listerine into a blowjob. p.s. Don't ever, ever try the Listerine + blowjob. It won't end well.
6
Dan
December 31st, 2009 - 5:47:43 AM
GF leaves cosmo's around, they have all these items in them. They glamorize all this stuff, they put these be yourself messages next to 40 pictures of celebrities looking perfect..
7
Stubie
December 31st, 2009 - 5:56:39 AM
Funny Manolith does the exact same thing for us guys: "5 Ways She Shows She Doesn't Deserve You" "Top 10 Ways to Make Romantic Comedies Guy Safe" "15 Must-Do Manly New Years Resolutions" "15 Of The Hottest Women in Politics" "10 Movies Guys Should Admit Made Them Cry" Notice a pattern?
8
dude
December 31st, 2009 - 6:22:48 AM
women will buy this type of hype so often, and no citations are needed you idiots...just look at the closest magazine stand, duh. now go learn to parallel park and do some dishes
9
redshift
December 31st, 2009 - 6:45:36 AM
michael alexander: you are an idiot, go look at any girlie magazine and you'll see that the sources dont need to be cited
10
John WOods
December 31st, 2009 - 6:49:40 AM
Wow, this is major good stuff! RT www.invisibility-tools.pl.tc
11
Dude2
December 31st, 2009 - 7:01:29 AM
Citation? Read just THE HEADLINES of any cosmo magazine in the past year and see if it doesn't mention all of these
12
These guys just straight up hate women
December 31st, 2009 - 8:47:15 AM
Don't they realize this site is just the male equivalent of a woman's magazine? Hell, the linked article at the bottom is "scientists say women play hard to get" which fits neatly into the pseudo-science and "what he's really thinking" categories.
13
Crystina
December 31st, 2009 - 9:13:05 AM
Magazines are entertainment. Not ALL women pick up a Cosmo and take it seriously. I like reading up on the fashion and the makeup- like most women. Arguably, it is superficial, but so are Men's magazines. This article is very biased- and is basically saying "All Women Who Read Cosmopolitan Are Brainless Doorknobs". I guess all women could say the same thing about men. If you read Men's Health I can fairly assume that you have balls the size of peanuts and an ego the size of an elephant. Please. On a lighter note, I suggest that the author of this article needs to go back to his blow up doll that was bought in the classified section of GQ.
14
Lets sell some ad space
December 31st, 2009 - 9:13:47 AM
Lets all take a step back for a moment. This article is really just a poke at other publications in the same bs slinging genre of infotainment magazines. We're all just trying to sell ad space. What is really concerning to me is that this article appeared on digg and I couldn't help myself but to click and read his article. I used to believe I was some intellectual member of the interweb elite because I religiously perused the latest posts on digg and other news aggregators. But I've just realized that I am doing the equivalent of reading the impulse buy magazines at the supermarket checkout. O well live and learn. And I agree, listerine blowjobs are never a good idea.
15
reizig
December 31st, 2009 - 9:26:51 AM
Seriously, you guys want citations? It would be pointless and retarded to cite every single article every produced in any issue of women's magazines. This isn't even arguable - have you ever seen one of these things? All the man's points are valid. And yes mens magazines are stupid and ignorant as well, but they aren't as dangerous. Women's magazines attempt to instruct; they're telling their readers how they should live and feel, what they should do with their time. They give advice. Men are ALREADY stereotypically obsessed with sex and sports and other stupid shit like that, so their magazines exploit that and give them what they want. Women magazines are the ones CREATING the stereotypes. Mens magazines, in short, take advantage of an already existing situation (i.e., most men are stupid and will buy dumb magainzes). Women's magazines attempt to CREATE the situation and then use it to their advantage (they MAKE women stupid, so they will be dumb enough to buy their magazines).
16
Elly
December 31st, 2009 - 9:28:55 AM
So what I gathered from this article is the author wants his girlfriend to shut up and cook him copious amounts of food while he raids in World of Warcraft. Because apparently, fuck veggies because you're going to be fat if you're already fat. Also per article, what's the point in just a little bit of yoga? You need to be a zen master and never talk. Also, the implication that green tea is about as worthless as soda is pretty much idiocy. It's great for you and full of anti-oxidants. No, I'm not a feminist. I can't stand girly girls. Some of your points I agree with. But don't go trashing the suggestions that might actually make men AND women healthier, happier, and live longer. Of course unless, ya know, you just need a self-fulfilling excuse to partake in your own lazy bad habits.
17
Nada Nuff
December 31st, 2009 - 9:55:56 AM
When it comes to matters of health and beauty, consult experts (plural). You can talk to your personal physician, but also go online and read articles written by professionals. Yes, there are some beauty secrets out there that aren't heavily promoted...you can find those online, too. When it comes to weight issues, you already know the drill--take in fewer calories and exercies. There are no shortcuts. None whatsoever. When it comes to the opposite sex, never listen to a woman's advice. Talk to guys. You can do this anonymously online. Ask them what they like, what they dislike, what they're thinking, so and and so forth. You might even wanna pose as a teenage boy looking for answers about sex, especially if you're gettin' a bunch of idiots comin' on to you. Yahoo.com has an "ask" section where you can ask any question you want and get many answers from all over the world. Search for questions and pose some of your own. The truth will come out. Finally, use common sense. Emotions need to be controlled, whether you're a man or a woman. If it's not OK for a guy to rage when he doesn't get his way in the office, it's not OK for a woman to whine and cry at work, either. That's why we have restrooms. Instincts are wrong sometimes. Manicures make your feet look better, nothing more. Lattes taste good and keep you warm, nothing more. You're not gonna get that job unless, right or wrong, someone else decides you're right for it. C'mon, you already know most of this stuff. The magazines know you know it, too--they want you to think that life is easier than it is. It's not. Do the work.
18
Dave
December 31st, 2009 - 10:31:17 AM
First of all guys, you actually read "men's magazines"? Why??? Second, all the author stated is horribly true. There, that's my opinion.
19
hayley
December 31st, 2009 - 11:31:33 AM
lol. This article is fantastic! I used to read all these silly magazines until I realized that they are just boilerplate crap that, if you took a few minutes to think about, is all fluff anyway.
20
Matt
December 31st, 2009 - 11:46:50 AM
For those claiming citations aren't necessary, what we're looking for are citations as to why each of these things are lies. We all know where the lies come from, but just saying that each one of these ploys is a lie without any hard evidence to the contrary is just plain sloppy and makes this article part of the problem rather than part of the solution.
21
Matt
December 31st, 2009 - 11:58:57 AM
What is with you people. The post is called "15 Greatest Lies All Womens Magazines Tell" but you come on here complaining that the entire article are lies because men's magazines are just as bad. This post has nothing to do with men's magazines and last time I checked the writer didn't say they were any different. Quit complaining about every little thing.
22
Lulz
December 31st, 2009 - 12:03:10 PM
This is all true. Same can be said for the trivial crap in mens magazines. Why waste the money? The answer is humans on a whole are not very intelligent. If you buy these mags either for the males or the females you have a problem to begin with. And elly get your high horse you didn't even understand the artical. that or you really love your ignorance spewing mags.
23
bob
December 31st, 2009 - 12:41:50 PM
what type of citations are you people looking for? is this not clearly an opinion piece? granted, this article is not very original as anyone who hasn't been living in a cave for the past 30 years knows most of this. but please, citations? thats like asking me to cite my source when i claim that the sky is blue. look up.
24
Adi
December 31st, 2009 - 12:47:11 PM
This is one of the most down to earth magazine article I've read in a long time. Good job. Congratulations!
25
Alex
December 31st, 2009 - 1:53:53 PM
Yea.. For real.. Men's mags have different versions of the same shit. Women's mags are probably written by harpies, but men's are written by meat heads or douche bags.. They'll always turn a buck
26
anonymous
December 31st, 2009 - 3:15:25 PM
I'm confused. Why is there a sudden cry for citation from people who obviously don't read a substantial amount of non-fiction. The real question here is one of authority. I or anyone else can give you a signed slip telling you to take your arsenic in the morning. Look around you and see that echinacea with all the happy thoughts in the world hasn't changed the human condition. Stop defending this fluff. It's a brave new world, gentlemen, and one, mind you, that doesn't care about the meaning of "why he likes position X."
27
Jenny
December 31st, 2009 - 3:15:54 PM
Bravo on the air brushing, its so true! But I question the idea that women's magazines give women unrealistic ideas about getting a good job. Women make less and get promoted less because they don't have the confidence or sense of entitlement to compete successfully for jobs- don't they deserve a little encouragement?
28
patrick
December 31st, 2009 - 3:27:50 PM
While I don't have a major disagreement with any particular item, I'm not convinced these are the top 15. Furthermore, you'd really have to take a look at the advertising that goes along with these magazines. While asking for citations might be a bit excessive, I don't think a few examples or quotes would be an unreasonable request.
29
xs
December 31st, 2009 - 3:35:48 PM
Well that was right on.
30
Casey
December 31st, 2009 - 4:48:32 PM
I completely and totally agree with this article. While, I'm sure you could say all this stuff about any men's magazine as well, that's not what they're covering here, is it? They never said that men's magazines are perfect, besides that, men's magazines are nowhere near as popular as women's, I'm sure.
31
d
December 31st, 2009 - 7:50:51 PM
try getting fat eating only leafy greens. guarantee you it wont happen. youll starve to death. so yeah, eating lots of them will def make you skinny.
32
Bedford
December 31st, 2009 - 8:12:44 PM
Source or it didn't happen. Funny that Manolith should say that women's magazines argue that "It’s a Woman’s Right to be Overly-Emotional, at All Times..." I seem to remember Manolith saying"The ways men and women handle stress are fundamentally different." I smell contradiction. Oh, and here's my source. (http://www.manolith.com/2009/10/01/men-versus-women/)
33
Lewy
December 31st, 2009 - 8:15:36 PM
Men’s magazines may have a tendency to be nothing but a wad of adverts for expensive watches, galleries of half-naked girls, and dirty jokes — but at least they’re honest. What! Ok, this article might have made some good points about womens magazines, but come on - this sentence is completely ludicrous.
34
Macker
December 31st, 2009 - 9:58:04 PM
Absolutely Right Lewy. I think Women's magazines are tripe written by uneducated bimbos. But so are the vast majority of mens magazines. From messages like all girls are secretly filthy sluts, to lesbians desperately want your penis, they play on completely unrealistic fantasies as much as womens mags. And as for idealising plastic surgery? 90 per cent of women in mens mags have fake tits (which are not at all attractive), not to mention a thick cake of makeup, tanner, and bronzer and severe photoshopping. I don't think Ive ever read an honest men's magazine.
35
Belle
December 31st, 2009 - 11:53:08 PM
Women's magazines are just trying to make money. They play with women's insecurities (where these insecurities come from is debatable), promise them solutions on the magazine covers, then offer them some tripe that they either want to hear because it confirms their beliefs, or BS that would never actually help anyone, even if they were dumb enough to try it. These magazines can't actually offer real solutions to women's issues - who then would buy the next month's issue? As for men's magazines offering honesty? Who actually believes events in those letters to Playboy actually happened? Would the article's writer like to live in a fantasy world where those naked girly pics aren't airbrushed? Men's magazines mess with men's insecurities and wishful thinking to sell copies, just as the women's mags do. It's not a 'women are dumb' issue . . . humans are dumb - we ALL buy snake oil.
36
CitationNazi
January 1st, 2010 - 2:50:45 AM
No citations. Don't write about lies you are unwilling to disprove.
37
Justin
January 1st, 2010 - 3:01:13 AM
Ditto for men's magazines (not honest as stated in the article). Its a societal problem, there's a reason these magazines are so popular. Accept it, ignore it, or fix it. I'm sure if you don't accept it you'll ignore it, so what do you know the problem will still be there. So thanks for pointing out the problem, but anybody know what we can do about it?
38
Radical
January 1st, 2010 - 4:31:34 AM
Most people in the anglosphere are so stupid they are actually funny. The article is cool, but the comments... Gimme a break.
39
H
January 1st, 2010 - 8:51:15 AM
I agree completely with the above points..no citations needed..like everyone here has said - just pick up any copy of these mags, men's or women's. They're all guilty. Just one more point. Men want their women to look like the airbrushed models in the mags. When women don't measure up or get older, men trade them in for a newer model. I see it every day. THIS is what these mags end up promoting...be rich, be beautiful or, be worthless.
40
Casey
January 1st, 2010 - 2:46:43 PM
this is fucked up. is this article supposed to be advocating for women? it portrays them as mindless fools who will do anything cosmo tells them to. This article is a million times more demeaning than any womens magazine I've ever read. a big FUCK YOU to the author.
41
Bobby
January 1st, 2010 - 3:09:55 PM
What most women are being snowed about, in general, in my opinion, is that the majority of men want super thin, Hollywood style looks,and a face like an angel. There may be a few male morons who have these desires, but have you women ever thought of how we got here in a long line of humanity going back tens of thousands of years? It seems we males didn't need Hollywood, thin women, beautiful faces, or any of the other CRAP that womans magazines brainwash women with. THE TRUTH IS, THE VAST MAJORITY OF MEN LOVE WOMEN, PERIOD!! Stop trying to argue with nature. It's got about a million years head start on the womens magazines.
42
Lucie
January 1st, 2010 - 5:42:05 PM
Clearly this person has never read a woman's magazine before. I don't condone everything that's said in them, but most of them are empowering and just promote having a healthy, happy life. And women don't see these magazines as some kind of bible that we have to follow no matter what. They're a distraction; we might follow one or two tips, but they're as much of a distraction as a TV show or movie.
43
John
January 1st, 2010 - 8:20:36 PM
Women are basically stupid. Look who they date and marry these days, mostly for money and other wrong reasons. Women have TERRIBLE survival instincts...terrible.
44
Nana
January 1st, 2010 - 11:08:37 PM
Great discussion about this article going on at www.Stormfront.org.
45
Laura
January 1st, 2010 - 11:10:39 PM
John said: Women are basically stupid. Look who they date and marry these days, mostly for money and other wrong reasons. Women have TERRIBLE survival instincts...terrible. ----------------- John, you're contradicting yourself. Marrying for money IS a survival-oriented move.
46
PM
January 2nd, 2010 - 7:33:42 AM
The magazines fulfill the social need of people who want to know what the group is thinking. It's called social discourse. If you read those mags, watch TV, etc., you cannot help be influenced. Good article. See if you agree or not by looking at a Woman's (or Man's) magazine.
47
Jon
January 2nd, 2010 - 11:25:11 AM
It should be a crime selling false information.
48
CG
January 2nd, 2010 - 1:44:08 PM
It should be a crime to publish something this ignorant and offensive as fact.
49
Uncle B
January 3rd, 2010 - 5:20:29 AM
When our hopeless corporatist societyleaves us in full realization of our reality, we tend to run to escape the deepest depression and truths of our pitiful existance in the golssy full-color dreams of magazines the movie sets all become our new psudeau-realities, and we buy in to "The Man" instead of rebelling and joining eco-villages of truth and sustainable realities no matter how ugly they may seem at first! Unfortunately the "American Dream" lifestyle of the "Smokestack Era" emmigrated to China and we flounder now in our unsutainabilities and seek jobs at pay-levels that no longer exist for the common folk, the Patriots without immens skill-sets! The corporatist "System" in its great greed for faster ROI had forsken its biggerst "customer' and no longer even produces shawdy cars for them to buy! What has happened here? Ha the American Capitalist and Corporatist methodology broken down? Yes it has! China did it with superior intelligentia, pooled to advise and enlighten a commie regiem Hell bent on aquiring the World's finite reaources for themselves, not the Americans who mow require 80% of finite world resources for maitainance of their "Status Quo" and find that hard to achieve with a weakened, defamed U.S, "Papper" dollar against the well backed Chinese "Yuan" on world markets! Even the oil monopoly is breaking up! Those of us who enjoy the delusionary life of the magazines and TV shows are now coming up short, and feeling it! One cannot survive on "Dream Food" as well as "Dream Luxuries" can they!
50
hwkd65
January 3rd, 2010 - 6:29:48 AM
everyone get a life and TAFR!
51
razaelelimar
January 3rd, 2010 - 6:41:38 PM
different people has differ taste! cheating your friend's wife is greatly perfect for you but 8's sinful. for the other side so hurt and painful. tnx
52
Steven
January 3rd, 2010 - 9:42:09 PM
Here, have a citation: http://www.cosmopolitan.com/
53
YOURE SO RIGHT
January 5th, 2010 - 2:08:58 AM
YEAH WOMEN LIKE THIS BITCH ARE WHY MEN HATE SKANKS http://ihatejade.com/?id=anns4476cx13f5ts621uq0xicf0v4j
54
Gary
January 11th, 2010 - 10:52:47 AM
MSN home has a top 15 of whatever crap each day. Today, I think it is healthiest foods. Not necessarily bad, but written in the same style as Cosmo, ie no depth, recommendations without support, etc. CNN is doing the same. I don't mind the idiot, fluff mags, but does everything have to start mimicking them?
55
Jester of the Apocalypse
January 11th, 2010 - 3:14:12 PM
My wife had a subscription to Cosmo and I used to flip through them when I was bored. I remember there was a long spell of articles written by some gal with an axe to grind, about how women, to empower themselves, should demand oral sex from their man, and never reciprocate. It made me think, "Wow, this miserable bitch is trying to ruin the relationships of her readers!" Because how does that "empower" a woman? It's just going to alienate your dude. The problem with womens magazines, or Oprah, or a lot of other "sources" for women is that they create some kind of dilemma ("Is your man not putting down the toilet seat enough?") and feeding it as some kind of "empowering" issue to bring to her man. ("His leaving the toilet seat up is a sign of disrespect that you need to address. If he seems confused or unwilling to understand, maybe it's time to move on.") Yeah, he's going to be confused and unwilling because he just got home and his lady is jumping all over him for no reason at all! It's a shameless pander to womens' need for drama, which can only end badly.
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jeteye
January 12th, 2010 - 7:05:08 AM
Hum, the citations would have been nice, but in general, yes, most rags tout to the lowest form of loneliness in woman and prey upon their insecurities. There are NO quick fixes, but that would not sell magazines if you really had to apply yourself. I unfortunately married a woman who used to read Cosmo religiously, and I wish I had read this article BEFORE I married her!!!
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MPK
January 15th, 2010 - 12:03:41 PM
this specific form of media is to drive consumerism by preying on gender insecurity plain and simple. such a waste.
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T
January 16th, 2010 - 4:41:28 AM
I agreed with everything you had to say until the last sentence about men's magazines. They aren't honest. How many times have I seen "decoding her X" (replace X with thoughts, signals, etc), instead of encouraging communication and simply asking your girlfriend/wife what she thinks? About the galleries of half-naked girls... we are always presented as sexual fodder who are objects for wanking *first* -- the "stats" about us, our names, ages, professions, etc. are just there to fuel the fantasy. You can't tell me that the majority of men see us as human beings... in fact, men's magazines present the idea that women exist to give you an erection and orgasm, and that's all. If you poll women about their dating experiences, many of us will tell you that's how we've been treated by at least some of the men we've dated, and that cannot be in small part due to insecure guys who read that trash, and have to see us as the "enemy" because they haven't learned how to cope with their own insecurities yet. It also tells insecure men that women love men who are wealthy, arrogant blowhards, that we don't like the nice guys (as if you can classify half of the almost 7 billion people on this planet, all of whom are women, as one "type.") So then these same guys regurgitate this crap to us... oh you only like rich men. Really? Who have you asked? Please don't vaunt men's magazines as some kind of pillar of truth, because much of what they say are filthy lies designed to hook clueless guys who don't know how to deal with their maleness in a responsible or intelligent way yet... when abusing substances and sleeping around becomes any more healthy for men, let me know.
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T
January 16th, 2010 - 7:44:58 AM
http://www.manolith.com/2010/01/10/bra-color-status-in-facebook-is-hot/ -- read this if you don't agree with my previous comment about crap in men's magazines. Where's the respect for women in that article, furthermore, where's the respect for men? You've all been reduced to grunts who couldn't care less about something unless its for sexual purposes in the article by the author himself and then he blames *women* for it. Maybe we didn't post our bra colors for your enjoyment, did that ever occur to you?
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lady liberty
January 16th, 2010 - 9:02:33 AM
real journalism has gone underground because the mainstream media can no longer discuss truthful issues! http://www.infowars.com/letter-to-the-society-of-professional-journalists-ethics-committee/
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Anonymous
January 19th, 2010 - 9:34:11 PM
I think women's magazines are fucking retarded and would never read them if not for so much of my life wasted in doctor's offices. That being said, in their defense I have NEVER once read anything encouraging women to disregard qualifications and training to seek a better position. This sounds a lot like the myth of affirmative action, that no racial minority or female in general could achieve something by their own merits. Actually, what I have read encourages women to have more confidence in pursuing what they want, backed up with rationality. Such as many women do not take the risk of asking for a raise. Then telling the woman to speak with her boss with specific examples of her work-related accomplishments and other standards of productivity. They also encourage women to follow their passions and include examples of lawyers leaving their practices to open their own businesses, which also describe the intial steps and likely hardships. It's always leaning towards the optimistic, true, but also with a dose of reality.
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Anonymous
January 19th, 2010 - 9:41:38 PM
John, who still marries men for money these days? How old are you exactly? If dumbfuck misogynists would acknowledge the wage gap (equal pay for equal work, not just "more money for having a vagina") and other forms of gender discrimination in the workplace, everyone would be financial secure enough to judge others on personality first. That being said, the wealthy men I know enjoy being sought after for their wallets (although they call it "attracted to power"). They don't mind dismissing ambitious women in favor of pretty faces with intentions as transparent as the space between their ears. That's one thing I don't understand. If you'll pardon the generalization, it seems men embrace their stereotypes, are proud of even the worst, while any woman who complains is written off as a shrill feminist.
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Anonymous
January 21st, 2010 - 10:35:26 AM
I agree with Anonymous. Maxim is male Cosmo. They all lie.
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candy
January 23rd, 2010 - 7:59:23 AM
you are right about womens magazines. i agree that they and constantly tell women that they are not good enough. but, at the same time, mens magazines do the same thing only in a much more degrading way. mens mags are filled with lists about women and how we suck. they tell men that women are stupid and annoying and silly. and mens mags stereotype women more than womens mags do. not all women like chick flicks and crappy music. maybe you should look at yourself before you criticize womens mags. at least cosmo has articles on how to please your man, how to make your man happy, what to do to stay in shape for you man. do mens mags ever tell men how to be better for women? no. why is that? are men just that good? if men hate women and everything we do so very much we not just be gay. or hey, why have a girlfriend? why not just pay for sex or sleep with a bunch of hos. why bitch about us when no one has a gun to your head. either suck up or deal. don't constantly complain about how annoying we are. thank you.
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James Smith João Pessoa, Brazil
January 30th, 2010 - 12:41:06 PM
I was sure there would be some women insulting the author and claiming he has no social/sex life. Sure enough. there they are. I think maybe it hits too close to home. You don;t need citations when they are on every magazine stand in the world. If you can't understand that, you wouldn't be able to read citations anyway.
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Frank
January 30th, 2010 - 11:43:53 PM
Just make it illegal to print fiction without a warning label on the cover stating it as such. Although I guess that might cause some issues with bible-sales.
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sweetcherry
March 21st, 2010 - 10:35:39 AM
i never read magazines like cosmo but my sister does.i think mags like that are garbage. but i agree with candy mens magazines are worse and they have articles like how to cheat on your girlfreind and just all kinds of bad stuff.
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