Spring Break
Sexpectations: Magazines unfair to women
Kate Drolet
Issue date: 9/19/05 Section: Opinions
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As I waited in line for a cup of gas station coffee last weekend, my eye stopped on the cover of this month's Cosmopolitan magazine. In large type, a teaser headline advertised the top story: "50 ways to be a better girlfriend."
Well, golly, I thought, I should be at home barefoot and pregnant making dinner for my man. Instead, I'm selfishly purchasing coffee without his written permission.
What kind of magazine encourages women to change themselves? Cosmo isn't the only one; popular publications with young female audiences have increasingly featured tips on making men happy.
Sex undeniably makes for a good read, but focusing content on pleasing the male population gives women a misguided idea of bedroom reality.
But we buy it, we read it and we follow it. "Legally Blonde," a 2001 film with a quasi-inspirational feminine message, refers to Cosmo as "The Bible."
Sure, the magazines feature some career information, fashion trends and Adonis eye-candy, but the graphic guides to getting it on take the spotlight.
I'm not advocating the total abolition of such magazines, but they need to get real. Do you see Men's Health Magazine spending half of its pages on pleasuring the opposite sex? Not so much. If they're going to concentrate on intimacy, women's magazines should focus equal attention on women and men.
Teenage girls read these pieces, and from an early age they're led to believe that we should take every opportunity to please men in bed.
What can we do about unbalanced magazine coverage? Write a letter to the publication's editor. Let the people in charge know that you want fair play.
If we're supposed to appreciate our bodies and accept our flaws, publications that obsess about beauty and man-pleasing take us in the opposite direction. With sections about self-empowerment and independence, most women's magazines have made an effort to boost our esteem. However, pages and pages of "Find His Hot Spots" negate the positive effects of other articles.
Gentlemen, how should you proceed while the ladies learn to publish a decent magazine? Follow the good old golden rule: treat women as you'd like to be treated.
So, ladies, how can you be a better girlfriend? Respect yourself, and don't lower your personal expectations. Demand equality in all aspects of your relationship. You both deserve it.
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