Critical & Contextual Studies: September 2012

Wednesday, 19 September 2012

Other alternative magazines that 'don’t adhere to the celeb-style-gossip-photoshopped-to-within-an-inch-of-reality formula' (See article)

http://www.lionheart-mag.com - http://www.bettymagazine.org.uk

Love this collage from Vagenda:

About the Everyday Sexism Project

http://www.everydaysexism.com

https://twitter.com/EverydaySexism

https://twitter.com/feminist_issues

About:

Welcome to the everyday sexism project. It seems to be increasingly difficult to talk about sexism, equality and women’s rights in a modern society that perceives itself to have achieved gender equality. In this ‘liberal’, ‘modern’ age, to complain about everyday sexism or suggest that you are unhappy about the way in which women are portrayed and perceived renders you likely to be labelled ‘uptight’, ‘prudish’, a ‘militant feminist’, or a ‘bra burner’.

The Everyday Sexism project aims to take a step towards gender equality, by proving wrong those who tell women that they can’t complain because we are equal. It is a place to record stories of sexism faced on a daily basis, by ordinary women, in ordinary places. To show that sexism exists in abundance in the UK workplace and that it is very far from being a problem we no longer need to discuss. To provoke responses so numerous and wide-ranging that the problem becomes impossible to ignore. To report the way you have been treated, even if it has not been taken seriously elsewhere. To stand up and say ‘this isn’t right’, even if it isn’t big or outrageous or shocking. Even if you’ve got used to thinking that it is ‘just the way things are’.

Women who complain about disrespectful comments being made to female members in the House of Commons are accused of ‘overreacting’, yet only 22% of MPs are female. Those who object to the sexist portrayal of women in the media are branded ‘killjoys’, yet nearly 70% of speaking parts in Hollywood films are taken by men, (though female characters are five times more likely to strip down to sexy clothing.) Women who object to the over-sexualisation of female celebrities are told ‘it’s a choice’, yet it is almost impossible to think of a modern female singer who hasn’t bared all. Women are told that modern ‘equality’ means career girls can have their cake and eat it, yet only around 13% of FTSE 100 corporate board members are female.

We are encouraged to celebrate the advance of women into the cockpit, yet Ryanair still releases an all-female nude calendar and Virgin flight attendants go to work every day on a plane emblazoned with a cleavage baring, swimsuit clad caricature. We simply aren’t living in an equal society, but we are blasted for ‘whining’ or ‘not knowing how lucky we are’ if we try to point it out.

So please, send me your stories. Send other people to send me their stories. Send me your Nan’s story, your sister’s story or your best friend’s. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you live. It doesn’t matter what you look like or what you believe in. If you have experienced sexism, just everyday, small, so-used-to-it-you-almost-just-accept-it sexism, please share your story so we can prove how widespread the problem really is. And nobody will be able to say we can’t talk about it anymore.

Some responses:

Cosmopolitan feature:

Sunday, 16 September 2012

Cosmopolitan Month by Month View - June 11

June 2011 - Cover Star - Lea Michele

For.

Against.

Cosmopolitan Month by Month View - Nov 10

November 2010 - Cover Star Nicole Sherzinger

For.

Against.

Cosmopolitan Month by Month View - Dec 10

December 2010 - Cover Star Katy Perry

For.

Against.

Cosmopolitan Month by Month View - JAN 11

This is an old issue I found that I've also decided to look at to see if things have changed with Cosmopolitan magazine over the past few years.

January 2011 - Cover Stars Holly Willoughby and Fearne Cotton

For.

Against.

Thursday, 13 September 2012

What is Feminism?

Before I can question whether or not Cosmopolitan magazine is to be considered feminist, I need to gain an accurate definition of what feminism is.

From The F Word

Definitions of feminism:

- They are produced from the answers given to our survey of 1265 UK feminists

- The images represent the most frequent 50 words

Wednesday, 12 September 2012

Cosmopolitan Month by Month View - OCT 2012

Can women’s magazines, focusing on the case study of Cosmopolitan (UK edition), ever be considered feminist?

October 2012 - Cover star - Leighton Meester (Actress)

70 Fashion / Beauty adverts ÷ 244 pages = 29% of magazine

[excluding other adverts for food, drink, cars etc]

For.

Letter to Editor (pg 15)

- about founder of Cosmopolitan - revolution for women

100% Confident - Regular Feature (pg36)

- This feature often includes inspirational quotes from famous female celebrities which encourage the readers to be confident women.

- This promotes women as living up to the tagline of the magazine, which is 'For For Fearless Females'

- "Ever since we were little, we were so on fire for our dreams. We never let anyone blow our flames out." Kelly Rowland

Alpha Female - Regular Feature (pg36)

- This feature often includes advice from a successful working female about the industry they work in

- This advice encourages the readers to focus on their career choices

Feature about Abortion (pg 64 - 80)

- Cosmo writes non-biased articles about current, sometimes controversial, news topics, which other magazines may just ignore

- These kind of features help women to know and understand their rights

Or Should We Just Call it a Vagina? (pg 90)

- includes reference to feminist writer Naomi Wolf

Cash & Careers Clinic - Regular Feature - (pg 103)

- This regular feature helps women with a different topic regarding their work every issue, inspiring women to focus on their careers.

- Gives women reassurance, tips, and real life examples of certain situations. Can help to build women's confidence in work, an topic that other magazines may not touch on.

Equal Pay Petition (pg 108)

-

my job 111

Catwalk to Curvy - Regular Feature (pg 153)

- This regular feature shows how women with curvy bodies can still wear the catwalk trends

- This feature shows the readers that any size body can be beautiful

- However this feature only takes up 1 page of the whole magazine, there should be more pages focusing on the bodies of curvy girls rather than the pages full of thin models

How Your Rabbit Was Born (pg 200)

- This article stands out because women's sexual pleasure is important too, and Cosmo have been revolutionary in writing about this since its existence
- Different article from the others which are usually about how to please your man

Against

Sexy, Confident and Smart - Regular Feature - (pg 21)

- This page features the inspirational quotes, ‘Live big and go for it!’ and “Sexy, confident and smart... That’s you’. However, these two quotes are without fail placed next to a photograph of a scantily clad female, moving the focus of the reader from the text on to the image, enforcing the gaze to be on the female, so that the magazine tries to reiterate the idea that a high achieving women is a good looking one. Being ‘sexy’ could be a quality given to a women to refer to any of her characteristics, but the use of the female gaze shows that here, sexiness is about flaunting your body for the viewer to see.

Men vs. Fashion - Regular Feature - (pg 25)

- This is a regular feature where three men rate what they think about what four female celebrities are wearing, also featuring the Cosmo fashion verdict, which can be quite different from what the men think

- The article does state, "we don't dress for men, but we're often curious about their fashion sense."

- However this article still suggests that we should consider what men would think of our outfits and what is 'fashionable', rather than wearing what we want to, and what we feel comfortable in

- The article also is an example of the magazines fixation with celebrity culture and body image

- The celebrities are often criticised for making bold moves or wearing unusual fashion choices, giving the reader the idea that we should all be dressed the same to be considered fashionable

Men on... - Regular Feature - (pg 28)

- This is a feature which regular features a few men's opinions on a random issue.
- This issue three men give their opinion on women taking instagram vanity pictures. There is no reason for women to dress to please men so it seems irrelevant that this feature would be printed in a magazine which is supposed to be about giving confidence to women.