Girls' Life vs. Boys' Life

One of my first magazine subscriptions as a kid was for Girls’ Life— referred to nowadays by the hip nickname GL— Girls' Life is one of the most popular lifestyle magazines out there for preteens and young teenage girls.

I remember looking forward to each new glossy issue and would thumb through each of them to get to my favorite sections. I loved reading the “Dear Carol” section where girls would write in for advice on a whole range of issues that came up in their lives. I also thoroughly enjoyed reading a section of the magazine where readers would share their most embarrassing moments-- as a rather awkward teenager I definitely felt like I could relate to many of the stories.

I remember the first thing I would usually flip to once I had the magazine in my hands was to the magazine’s quiz page where I would test myself and as many friends and family members as possible, to find out if any of us were too star struck, were there for our friends, or if the boy we had been crushing on could really be deemed as “crush-worthy.”

Although I had fond memories of the magazine, I can’t help but wonder if members of the other gender benefited from a more exciting and/or more educational read in Boys’ Life magazine.

Just by taking a glance at the two websites something a little too stereotypically girly pops out at you with the overwhelmingly pink Girls’ Life site. Boys’ Life's website, on the other hand, features more earthy tones.

And while Girls’ Life features the “Dear Carol” advice section with questions such as learning how to deal with an annoying little sister or addressing one reader’s concern that wearing a sports bra might be stopping her breasts from growing, Boys’ Life has something called “Ask the Gear Guy.” Here one reader asked for advice on how to keep from rolling off his sleeping pad when he goes camping and others ask for advice on how to waterproof a tent and how to safely operate a camping stove.

The Boys’ Life website also features hobbies and projects including the “Experiment of the Week,” while the Girls’ Life site displays a “Beauty School” feature as well as “Star Signs,” so girls can read up on their holiday horoscopes.

While I understand that boys and girls often have different interests, it comes as a disappointment to me that the magazine geared for boys focuses on camping and science experiments, while the girls’ magazine focuses on more superficial topics such as how to do your make-up right and how to get the boy you’ve been crushing on to finally notice you.

Addressing adolescent girls’ concerns about their body image and relationship issues is, undeniably, crucial, but why can’t the Girls’ Life website also feature practical advice on how to set up a tent or a video clip on how to listen for sounds of the ocean in a boot?

Pulp Fiction

Pulp magazines…well they are all but deceased, although their ideals are still aparent in modern day film and television. The magazines were originally created to entertain readers with exploitative stories that would cost little to purchase. These magazines normally had sensational cover art that drew in readers and fueled wild ideas about the scandalous world created by pulp authors. Comic books differed from pulp magazines in that comics had animation strips while pulps rarely had images, except on the front page. The name “pulp” originates from the cheap wood pulp paper on which such magazines were printed on. This made for a cheap production and an inexpensive sale. Other magazines of the day were printed on a more glossy paper, which furthered the notion that pulp magazines were cheap, inferior and typically lower class. The peak popularity of pulp magazines was the 1920’s and 30’s when titles like Amazing Stories, Startling Stories, Thrilling Wonder Stories, and Unknown & Weird Tales were being read by scores of people across the country. While the story matter in these stories varied the content normally had fantastical elements that were hard to believe yet easy to read. Some popular stories centered around detectives that dealt with sleuthed crime and shady individuals that middle class people in America enjoyed reading vicariously. Other story topics included: aliens, sea monsters, exciting explorations, Tarzan, ghosts, cowboys and Indians, etc.


The decline of the pulp magazines was eventual. It first started with the World War II paper shortage that crippled much of the country’s print media. In addition, heavy competition from comic books, television and paperback novels furthered the downfall of pulp magazines. The official end of the pulp magazine era is traced to the 1957 bankruptcy of American News Company who was responsible for publishing most of the pulps in the early 20th century.


As of late the genera has experienced a sort of resurgence. Some small independent publishers occasionally release magazines of short fiction or short stories that kindle back to the days of yore when pulp magazines drew lots of readers. In 2002 author Michael Chabon published an issue of McSweeney’s Quarterly calling it McSweeney’s Mammoth Treasury of Thrilling Tales. It was a collection of pulp tales written by some of modern literatures well-known authors such as Stephen King, Nick Hornby and Dave Eggers.


While it is safe to say that the heyday of pulp magazines is gone, there is no denying the impact that these stories have left on American popular culture.

http://www.thepulp.net/

http://www.stationlink.com/pulpdom/pulphist.html

ONLINE COMMUNITY GOES PRETTY IN PRINT

While over 700 magazines were launched from October of last year to September of 2007, only 17 have been highlighted on MrMagazine.com.  As this years "Hottest Launches", Mr. Magazine's Samir Husni, hand picked these publications based on his "three v's: vision, values, and voice"-- and they span from arts and photography to the art of business and even a "National Geographic for Little Kids".  You can view the Mr. Magazine's 17 Hottest magazine launches here.

Although they all look quite interesting, as a beginning photographer and recent graduate of photo journalism I, I was the the most impressed and inspired by the new JPG Magazine.

Based out of San Francisco, JPG Magazine was founded from and based on a diverse online community of photographers and photography lovers.  As the Myspace for photographers, JPG online asks their users to vote for their favorite photography on the website.  The winners are published in the bi-monthly print of JPG Magazine and receive a cash prize, subscription for a year, and other prizes depending on advertiser's participation.

In his article, "Ok, Now I Get JPG Magazine, Michael Arrington applauds JPG's ability to work with their online community for content: "The fact the that the community decides what photos end up in each issue has resulted in a ton of activity on the website.  Photographers are uploading their best work to showcase their stuff- if a photo gets picked for the magazine it's just icing on the cake for them."

This magazine is interactive in a different kind of way: while many older magazines are now figuring out the online technology and making their content internet savvy, JPG has based it's magazine on the internet content that has proved to build a strong following.  When asked by Mr. Magazine what kind of human being his magazine would be, Publisher Paul Cloutier embraces the youthful generation X aspirations by saying that his magazine is "an enthusiastic college student that has discovered their passion in life...joyful and constantly inspired to discover new ideas about photography...very approachable and obliging to help the people around them, their passion is contagious."  

That being said- I encouraged all, skilled or not, to submit their work and see what happens.  

High Times is to Pot what Playboy is to Sex: Bullshit

High Times magazine is not, as previously insinuated on this blog, worthy of praise for it's "intellectual articles" of the past, having significantly departed from the "celebration of all the things 60s youth brought to America: rebellious politics, doing drugs and expanding one’s mind."

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The parallel made between Playboy and High Times however, is more fitting. High Times is as about as genuine a commentary on pot counterculture as Playboy is to people who enjoy casual sex. Playboy is a sexist magazine full of articles that have nothing to do with the average man's sex life, not to forget pictures of countless platinum blondes with gigantic fake tits. It is a perverted depiction of a good thing. Rather than fostering healthy and fun sexual relationships, Playboy encourages men to be yuppie "playboys" with bad taste in women and unhealthy perceptions of beauty. High Times, rather than focusing on expanding our minds and perceptions, it tells us to be some lazy, politically/socially apathetic douchebag who grows hydro in his closet with compact flourescents and travels to Europe solely for the purpose of getting stoned in an Amsterdam smokehouse.

Rather than addressing the issue of the distribution political power, which must be radically altered if there is any hope to ending marijuana prohibition in the United States, High Times focuses on limp articles like "the first annual stoner swimsuit special," or others on novice grow techniques or stoking the ego's of mainstream musicians.

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To make matters worse, HT has a rather disturbing habit of running reams of full page "fake pot" ads that prey on ignorance and encourage deception. These ads sell "herbs" (non-psychoactive plants) doctored to look like weed, implying that they can get you high with names like "Purple Jamacian" and "Sticky Skunk." What do some readers have to say about these shady practices?"'Those are insulting, exploitive ads,' commented an 18-year-old college student who'd earlier told me that he looks to High Times for spiritual and political guidance. 'It makes me think that High Times is insincere, that they are only about money.'"

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Additionally, HT has a history of sexist transgressions "Older readers and women are especially turned off by articles (like the Ozzy Osbourne cover story) that feature attitudes and topics far removed from marijuana or the evolved consciousness it allegedly produces"

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Stoner swimsuit issue? Few women written stories? A well publicized event where a writer claims he can't even get laid at the publications infamous Cannabis Cup (which is wrought with corruption, see link) with his dick in his hand? Fake pot ads? Limp articles?
Well, in short, High Times sucks. If I had a house, I'd keep a couple copies around to mop up fresh spilled bongwater before the smell set in the landlords rug.
Now excuse me while I go smoke a fat spliff and fantasize about the coming revolution...

Google Getting Niche

With so many popular, general interest titles available online and on newsstands, new magazines are left trying to find ways to capture any semblance of an audience. Therefore, it’s left these publications with the strategy of becoming more target specific and niche—catering to a specific demographic that they know well.

Yet, as specific as these publications try to be, they still publish some articles and advertisements that don’t necessarily cater to their reader. So, to end all of this angst and frustration, corporation giant and super search engine Google has decided to step in.

Yup, that’s right. As recently as November 8, Google was granted the patent to produce its very own publication.

Well, sort of.

The patent, titled “Customization of Content and Advertisements in Publications,” will allow Google’s users to basically customize their own magazine off of content they see online. Specifically, the users will be allowed to reform the content based on what they like and want to read. Then, the final product will be returned in either a print or online form, with advertisements added by Google that they think will matter to this now, "super niche" reader.

Google, co-founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin and based in nearby Mountain View, has been around for roughly eleven years, offering us the world’s most popular search engine, as well as e-mail, news and videos. Now, it’s going to take a stab at media, already highlighting some of the flaws in current publications in a recent statement:

“Consumers may purchase a variety of publications in various forms, e.g., print form (e.g., newspapers, magazines, books, etc.), electronic form (e.g., electronic newspapers, electronic books ("e-Books"), electronic magazines, etc.), etc. The publishers define the content of such publications, and advertisers define which advertisements (ads) may be seen in the publications. Since consumers have no control over publication content or advertisements, they may purchase a publication that contains at least some content and advertisements that may be of no interest to them. Publishers often lack insight into the profiles of consumers who purchase their publications, and, accordingly, miss out on subscription and advertisement revenue due to a lack of personalized content and advertisements. Likewise, consumer targeting for advertisers is limited, and there is virtually no standardization for ad sizes (e.g., an ad that is supposed to be a full page may need to be reduced in size to fit within a publication). Accordingly, advertisers sometimes purchase sub-optimal or worthless ad space in an attempt to reach their target markets. Advertisers also have difficulty identifying new prospective market segments to target because they have limited insight into the desires and reactions of consumers.”

But as other sources have noted, this is still only a patent, and so far, no steps have been taken to set this idea in motion. However, if this thing gets rolling and catches momentum, what is the magazine industry going to do to counter this foe?


Only time will tell. For now, Google will continue being a mega search engine, and niche magazines will have to get more niche.

Print vs. Online

Picture this in your mind: a broke college sophomore student working five days a week while juggling responsibilities which consist of paying rent, gas, tuition, books, and other miscellaneous (but necessary) bills, going to school full-time, and taking care of herself. When she gets home from work at 10pm, do you think she'll have the energy (or interest) to stop by the newsstands and pick up a magazine? Or will she just go straight home, take off her shoes, and snuggle on the couch to catch up on the latest gossip on her laptop at her favorite webzine?


The latter sounds more appealing, doesn't it? Well, it is. It's all about practicality, people. We're college students, we're broke and whenever we have money, we'd rather have our dough spent on something we really need, like shoes and gas; not on something we know we can get for free, like the latest issue of Seventeen.


Nowadays, we see print magazines leave the newsstands and dive into the online world (READ: Budget Savvy). Well, there are a lot of reasons why they leave the newsstands. For us readers, that's a big plus. But why do readers like me choose reading stuff online rather than feel the glossy pages of a magazine on our fingertips? I came up with three reasons why:

1. Mobility. Others would argue that a print copy of a magazine would be mobile too. But you can go online almost anywhere. With today's advanced technology, you can now bring your iPhone with you to the bathroom and check what's up with the latest fashion while doing your business.

2. Cheaper (if not FREE). For college students like me, the words "free" and "cheap" call out to me. I'm all about saving my benjamins or spending none at all. Checking out Slate Magazine doesn't cost me anything at all if I check it at school or a public library. Subscribing to print magazines cost me money but subscribing to online editions of print magazines cost me zero dollars. So which would I choose? Free or not free? I think you know my answer. Why would I spend money on a magazine when I can get the exact same content (plus maybe more) for free?

3. Accessible. A magazine locally based in NYC distributes only to newsstands within the state of New York. People who live in Washington who would want to subscribe to that magazine would have to pay extra for shipping. What if people in Paris want to read that magazine? That would cost A LOT. But if the magazine was online, it would cost them nothing, right? Except maybe for the internet connection and electricity and the computer they would use. But if you do some thinking, that would actually cost cheaper because you can use those for other things (like for the internet, you can do other stuff like check your email or buy stuff online and for the computer, you can do homework or play games, etc).

It's really a matter of choice whether or not the reader chooses to buy a print magazine or read stuff online. But for practical people like me, I choose reading online. What will you choose?

Confessions Of An Intern

By the time I completed my third internship, I was beginning to feel a little used up, having hopped from editor to editor, being passed along like some sort of editorial hussy (I’d like to think of it as a high-class call girl, but maybe that’s just semantics.) Somewhere along the way, I realized that no matter how much work it was, the network of people I was meeting was much more valuable for my future career in journalism than the classes I was taking at the university. From these connections I got my first freelance work, sent off to other internship opportunities, and earned irreplaceable references in the publishing community.

Here are some tips to aid in the internship hunt, drawn from my own experience, as well as from a few local editors who offer their wisdom.

Finding An Internship: Where to begin?

Search craigslist.org under the writing/editing jobs tab.

Scan mediabistro.com.

Brainstorm a list of publications you are interested in working for and check their websites for internship programs. Often the bigger names don’t bother to advertise on a site like craigslist, but will have their programs outlined on their own websites.

Next Step: Applying

Once you’ve found something you’re interested in, make sure you know what you need to do to apply. Leilani Labong, the research editor and internship coordinator at 7x7 Magazine says that when people contact her by email for an internship, “they need to send an electronic version of a resume, letter of recommendation from a journalism or English professor, and copies of clips (three would suffice). They should then follow-up via snail mail with a hard copy of these things.”

In terms of clips, she says she looks for published work, or “strong excerpts from class papers that might be relevant to pop culture, celebrity, food—any topics to do with a lifestyle magazine.”

It’s also a good idea to follow-up via an email to make sure that the editor received your resume/clips/cover letter and that the attachments went through OK.

A Few Notes On Resumes and Cover Letters

It’s standard to include a cover letter, so write it specifically to the publication you are applying to. Don’t use a generic cover letter, it’s obvious and makes you look like you don’t care. Gina Goff, the city editor for Citysearch.com says to “always include something specific about the company you're applying to, just to show you're not sending out a form letter.”

She also suggests having a professional looking email address with your name in it for correspondence, not something like sexybambi69@hotmail.com, and stresses the importance of proof reading you resume and cover letter. She says spelling errors are common and that they are often “Way too much to overlook for an editorial internship. Maybe you can get away with a little of that in other fields, but for editorial, no way.”

The Interview: Now What?

Do your homework. Know about the publication you are interviewing for. Familiarize yourself with parts of the magazine or website.

“In an interview, I’m looking for someone who knows their way around SF and its various arts/culture/food/music/social scenes (though this is rare), and someone who knows their way around the magazine,” says Labong. “Someone who knows the difference between 7 Things and Hot List, Dine Opener and the E+D Opener. Also, someone who can identify the pages they want to contribute to by their proper names. It is a HUGE pet peeve of mine to have someone apply for this internship and know nothing about the magazine.”

Familiarizing yourself with the publication will help you create a list of questions to bring to the interview, something Goff says is very important. “It shows that you've done some research in the company, and actually have an active interest in what we're doing, and sincerely want to know if the position will be a good match for your career goals and the company's needs,” she says. “A good interview always ends feeling like you had a two-way discussion.”

Always come equipped with a copy of your resume and a list of references, as some of the larger publications may have you fill out a formal employment application on the spot. And when it’s all over, head home and send a follow-up email thanking the interviewer for their time and reiterating your interest in the position.

The Internship: Do Or Die

You got the position, but how do you make the most of it? Goff says that a good attitude is essential, and that she thinks interns should treat their internship like a job audition. “Not just doing the work that's been given to you as a requirement,” she says. “But coming up with ideas for other projects that would be beneficial.”

Make the internship a priority and do not flake out on it. The editorial community is extremely small and your reputation is everything. Don’t get yourself blacklisted as unreliable, or opportunities are not going to come your way. Goff says that in terms of your performance, “You should leave feeling confident that if there were an entry-level position available, you'd be considered.”

Endgame

As the internship is drawing to a close, ask your editors for advice on what your next move should be. They are often in the loop about openings in the field and might have a lead for you. “At the end, always, always ask if you can use your manager as a reference, and make a little effort to stay in touch with a quick email every few months, just to keep the contact fresh,” says Goff.

Happy Hunting!

Help Wanted... In India

As the world becomes smaller and smaller, it seems that every industry from toys to clothing to electronic gadgets is outsourcing work to other countries. The same apparently goes for the publishing world. Magazine outsourcing is covered in detail on the Folio website. One company, Cadmus, that is featured on Folio says their target customers are looking for ways to increase revenues from online print sources while reducing other production costs. A good chunk of this offshore publishing is happening in India.

The same company markets themselves by offering a coding service called XML( EXtensible Markup Language) which makes their customers content (podcasts, webzines, and websites) searchable and easier to retreive information by using codes that look like mumbo jumbo to Average Joe.

Cadmus operates in India because it has significant cost savings when compared to American production costs. Businesses across the board seem to be embracing outsourcing at an alarming rate, which not everyone is happy about. Other Americans seem to feel differently about such companies: http://www.nojobsforindia.com/

Their online counterpart, Outsource2India, offers up a long list of publishing services overseas that included EBook development or formatting, book to e-book conversion, ebook writing, editing, proofing, web content management, software development, and graphic design among many others.

With the cost of postage increasing rapidly and the rising cost of raw materials needed to create traditional print publications, there is a growing trend toward internet-only publications. With the ability to create such publications from any computer, it is

likely that more companies will outsource publishing work.

So, to the future publishers of America: You may want to rethink your career path.

New Magazines!

The number of new magazines for 2007 is almost 300 magazines shy of the 2006 total. According to Mr. Magazine's website the 60% failure rate for new magazines in their first year jumps to 80% within four years. Is the significant drop in new magazine ventures a sign of the times, or are publishers choosing quality over quantity?
Mr. Magazine counts a total of 571 new magazines that were launched this year. For the month of October there was a whopping 96 (this includes one shot deals such as special editions to already established publications, as well as newly launched monthlies).
Samir A. Husni, also known as “Mr. Magazine” is the chair of the journalism department at the university of Mississippi, and author of the book Launch your own Magazine, and the annual Samir Husni’s Guide to New Magazines. Of the new launches of the 2007, Bay Area based magazines Eldr and Jpg made it to Mr. Magazine’s list of top launches of the year.
Some of the new October magazines are not unusual titles, Hair Style Ideas, a relaunch of Victoria magazine, and two tattoo magazines: Inked, and Tattoo Life.
Some of the more absurd titles? Beer, a monthly for people who love, what else? Beer; Mob Candy- “the underworld magazine of mafia politics, pleasures, and power,” with coverlines such as “Gamibno Crime family Issue- a Look at Don Carlo’s Legacy,” and “Staten Islands Finest Mercedes Uncensored.” Finally, Popstar! Magazine’s special edition launch of Zanessa- a magazine devoted to the love story of “High School Musical 2’s” Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens.

Opinion:Food Magazine Education

Magazines impact so many lives by the content on its pages. Magazines tell us what to wear, what to do and how to act. One of the most influential impacts magazines have on peoples’ health is telling us what to eat. Food magazines come in all different forms from gourmet to budget publications, but with the a national worry of obesity and the presentation of healthier alternatives that is sweeping across the country, what makes us so sure that the words, recipes and images on the pages of national food magazines should be indulged in?

After flipping through the pages of Everyday Food Magazine and finding a “lighter” version of sesame chicken without the nutritional facts attached, how can I be so sure it is lighter? There was nothing to compare it to, what is so light about it? I guess the fact that the chicken is “lightly” fried instead of deep fried as it would be made in a Chinese restaurant could pass as a lighter version of the popular dish, but what are they trying to hide by not telling me the nutritional facts at the end?

Sunset magazine on the other hand doesn’t even try to hide the fact that a cup of its “healthier” version of cream of mushroom soup is 394 calories and 27g of fat. I am no expert on food education myself, but personally one cup of soup wouldn’t cut it and the calorie and fat intake is already high to start eating more. The magazine also highlights every recipe with the nutritional ingredients at the end.

Overall the reader should be aware of the “everyday” recipes being presented and know the portion size to indulge in, though what still makes food publications the voice of what is good and healthy to eat? Who are these expert food writers and what qualifies them to tell the readers what is good enough? There are food writers that should be listened to on the topic of nutrition, but know who you are listening to.

How are food magazines addressing the obesity epidemic that has raged out of control across the nation? It seems that many articles in news magazines such as TIME or Newsweek address the issue, but the food magazine industry doesn’t address it enough to say why they feature healthier alternatives in the publication. I guess it just doesn’t fit in with their reader demographics. Maybe if the food magazine industry made it an issue then people would begin to listen to their words of wisdom instead of indulging in all the recipes and food advice Americans take as fact.

It'll be like the Matrix...but with magazines

The Internet!

Probably the greatest idea since strike anywhere matches, the flying disk, and the lateral pass. How has one not-even-physical place captivated so many of the world's businesses, gamers and intellectuals, not to mention countless others? The answer is simple, as it is generally the root of all evils. Money.

Coin has been known for a long time to make the world go round, and its power over the American human is generally felt in the day to day grind of things. The question is, how does money relate to the internet, and how do those relate to magazines?

A trend that is becoming more and more popular in the magazine industry is to not only supplement a magazine with an online edition, but in some cases replace the print edition entirely with the online version. This trend has created a symbiotic relationship between a print magazine and its cybernet companion, as both help each other increase readership and sales via advertisement.

This can have a reverse effect. Earlier this month, Conde Nast announced 106 year publication House and Garden will finally meet its date at the gallows following its December issue. It was also announced that the entirety of the staff will be laid off. In a semi-surprising move, House and Garden's website was also shut down. This is only semi-surprising since Conde Nast did the same thing with Jane when it folded in July. Conde Nast spokeswoman Maurie Perl was quoted in an article on Folio's website as saying "The Web site was a companion to the magazine and if we closed the magazine the Web site followed."

In the same article quoting Maurie Perl, Folio took a look at several magazines that had folded their respective print divisions but had kept the online publication alive. NickJr. posted 4 million unique visitors in July, not bad for a publication that folded in February. ElleGirl.com, one of the first print brands to keep its web site up and running, is actually growing. This growth means that there is money to be made. So now we have the combination of magazines and the internet coming together to make money. But is the magazine industry, both online and in print, about to face the same fate as many other United States businesses? Everybody knows homegrown is usually the best, but can the American magazine industry fight outsourcing?



One mag that has recently decided to make the switch is Tango, a two year old women's
magazine about relationships. According to Folio, Tango has decided to make its quarterly into a yearly themed edition, but plans to update its tangomag.com website multiple times a day with interactive content and features in addition to social media tools. CEO and founder Andrea Miller says "Focusing on a digital platform will enable us to grow much more quickly and allow us to create an active, engaged community of women around our content". See, that's what I personally love about cyberspace, it makes everybody the Little Engine that Could.

However, in what might be the signal of the start of major change in the magazine industry, Tango, in deciding to ramp up its online edition, has hired two positions for its "digital platform" and in turn eliminated one position for the print-based edition. Perhaps this signals a trend, or at least the beginning of one. "The print magazine was key to putting us on the map," says Miller. "A digital platform will allow us to grow much more quickly and better leverage all that we have done to date." With plans to enter the magazine into licensing deals and sales & marketing partnerships to extend their brand in additional ways, Tango, as a model for potential joint internet and publication success could very well become the Little Engine that Did.

Oh, Reilly?

There comes a time of the week in many men’s lives that they wait for. They open their mailbox and, much to their delight, find a crisp issue of Sports Illustrated inside. Then they do something curious, they open the back cover to read the last page. Why? That’s Rick Reilly territory.

Reilly has been writing for SI for 19 years. His incredible investigative reporting and insanely funny anecdotes have helped him earn eight Nation Sportswriter of the Year awards. In a surprise move, Reilly will be jumping ship to work for rival ESPN: The Magazine. That will occur June 1, 2008.

Reilly was born in 1958 in Boulder, Colorado. He always had a passion for sports and wanted his opinions to be heard. After college, he got a job at the Boulder Daily Camera before joining SI in 1985. His weekly column labeled the “Life of Reilly” is a weekly article that is always provocative and hilarious.

He is a very opinionated fellow who always has a good story idea. One time during the 2002 baseball season, Sammy Sosa was quoted as saying that he would take a steroid test if he were offered one. Reilly offered Sosa a drug test after the game he attended and Sosa responded by yelling and threatening Reilly. This, of course, gave Reilly plenty of fodder for his next article.

Reilly has also written some ridiculously funny books including Slo Mo, a fictional tale of a 7’8” kid going to the professional basketball ranks from high school. His latest publication is an anthology of his 100 best articles from the “Life of Reilly” titled Hate Mail from Cheerleaders and Other Adventures from the Life of Reilly.

Reilly claims that seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong is the best athlete of all time. Armstrong even wrote the foreword for Hate Mail. This is curious though because Armstrong has recently been tied to steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs, which Reilly has long blasted the likes of Barry Bonds for. This seems hypocritical.

All aspiring sports writers have something to learn from Rick Reilly. It could be his knack of finding a story. It could be his skills as a wordsmith. Nonetheless, he will go down as one of the greatest ever.

Maxim: A Change For The Better?

Most everyone out there knows Maxim for their scantily clad women gracing the pages of the magazine. It’s no wonder that it is the most successful modern men’s lifestyle publication in the country, with a paid circulation of about 2.6 million a year. With half-naked models and their sex appeal, it’s every teenage boy’s bible, but that might soon change. Ever since this past summer, after Quadrangle Capital Partners acquired Dennis Publishing, Inc., responsible for magazines such as Maxim, Stuff and Blender, and renamed the company Alpha Media Group Inc., Maxim has begun to undergo some changes. The first change deals with Maxim’s competitor, Stuff Magazine. After their launch in 1998, Stuff had their final issue last month. From now on, it can be found as a regular section in Maxim. According to Kent Brownridge, Chief Executive Officer of Alpha Media Group Inc., “Stuff magazine is a clear and purposeful brand that will continue to reach its audience through Maxim.” In addition to that, though, stuffmagazine.com can still be found online, unaffected by these changes.

For Maxim’s December issue, Editorial Director, Jim Kaminsky, is going for a more sophisticated look. The re-design is striving for higher-end fashion pages, a more streamlined look, and will include a new how-to section. This classier look will hopefully attract more upscale advertisers, especially with high fashion and automobiles. Some of the magazine’s new clients appearing in the December issue include Diesel and Zune.

With other men’s lifestyle magazines, such as Men’s Health and GQ, incorporating luscious, half-naked models into advertisements and such, Maxim is having more and more trouble differentiating itself from the rest of the field. By making these changes, Kaminsky says that they’re going to bring Maxim back to its roots:

“Maxim is all about this young man’s lifestyle—humor, a smart, knowing tone, great service for 18 to 34, great journalism.”

One thing that will remain the same is the classic Maxim cover model in an ever-enticing bikini of some sort, which will surely keep their readers coming back for more.



Works Cited

• http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/print/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003670919
• http://www.dmnews.com/cms/dm-sectors/media-publishing/42995.html
• http://gawker.com/news/get-stuffed/kent-brownridge-alpha-male-has-lad-mags-289729.php
  

Cross Promoting

As magazine competition grows and niches narrow, publishers are forced to find new ways of getting their product to potential readers. Those in charge of industry leading video game magazine Game Informer seem to have found an answer. The publication boast a near-2 million paid circulation and is the only gaming magazine to be in the MPA's top 100.



The impressive figures are mostly due with the publication's partnersip with video game retail chain GameStop, in which for $12.99 buyers recieve a year's subscription to Game Informer and a 10% discount card similar to a safeway card. The business plan was implemented officially a year and half ago, the results have been rich. With a 20% increase in circulation from 2006 to 2007 according to Media Week, the magazine saw a $500,000 bump in their rate base bringing it to $2.3 million.

With new consoles with astonishing technology being unvieled over the past two years, traffic in GameStop, and other gaming retail stores, has risen. Equating to the target audience being directly served in a inexpensive, inexhausted and convient way. That added with the 10% discount card and the relationship is benevolent.

To its credit, Game Informer is ranked by Media Week as the fourth leading magazine to reach the highly coveted 18-34 male demographic. But suffice to say, a relationship of this nature lends itself to puffing up numbers. Aside from subscriptions, each GameStop in America is stocked with the latest issue of the magazine; meaning GameStop could be taking the brunt of the cost in buying and reselling. Whether that is the case, Game Informer stands as an advertising magnet.



Though the question remains as to whether this will become a large trend in how magazine find their readers? Current practices of chains like Best Buy using their cashiers to hock magazine subscriptions are less effective. Though, finding similar parternships with other magazines in other industries is no easy task. A year of Vogue for a 10% all Macy's outerwear?

GQ: Can Men's Fashion Magazines Be Macho?

Say the phrase “fashion magazine,” and most people conjure up the images of glamorous spreads in Vogue, Glamour, and Elle. Fashion is largely a female-dominated interest, despite the fact that both men and women participate in all aspects of fashion, from the designing of clothes, to the publishing of magazines.

I started pondering the idea of gender and fashion magazines a few weeks ago when looking through some magazines with a male friend. We both picked up a bulky copy of GQ (Gentleman’s Quarterly), and were stunned at the size of the magazine.

Turns out, this copy was one of the many issues celebrating GQ’s 50th Anniversary. As the “authority on men,” GQ’s mission is to “provide definitive coverage of men’s lifestyle and culture.” The magazine covers a broad range of topics, including fashion, travel, entertainment, sports, food, technology, and relationships. Sounds like a fairly intelligent magazine, right? On paper, it seems like GQ offers more than just photographs of sexy men in fashionable dress shirts and stylish loafers. And unlike “lad mags,” (think Maxim and FHM), GQ isn’t using nude photos of attractive females to make a buck.

Despite this, my friend said he probably wouldn’t read GQ. My friend is a fairly progressive thinking guy, but I think he may be reluctant to pick it up because the magazine is written for the well-groomed middle class man. While woman’s magazines are arguably similar, it’s more likely that a larger percentage of women wouldn’t be uncomfortable picking up a copy of Vogue or Nylon. Women are encouraged to follow fashion trends, while fashion and grooming for the typical “straight” man is often a touchy subject. I decided that I would to take this opportunity to take a peek at what some men have been reading for the last 50 years.

I took a look at the November 2007 issue. The cover featured actor Ryan Gosling and the coverlines boasted “How to Improve Your Home Without Becoming a Design Snob,” “Your Career To-Do List,” “Spend Less to Look Your Best,” and “London ‘007.” Below the logo are the words, “Look Sharp, Live Smart.” Cover model Gosling looked very pulled together in his three-piece Ralph Lauren Purple Label Suit. From this cover alone, most would assume that GQ targets the well-to-do professional man. The media kit proves some of this correct, with 33 as the average reader age, and 53 percent of readers working in a professional field. Without knowing these stats, a newsstand buyer could probably guess that this is the case.

As I flipped through the magazine, I noticed how similar GQ is to other fashion/lifestyle publications. There are eight regular departments, which include a letter from the editor, “The Reaction,” which features letters from readers, “50 Years at GQ,” an award- winning column from previous issues that is printed in honor of the magazine’s 50th anniversary, “The Manual,” a 54-page lifestyle guide that included a section on the best art destinations, “The Verge,” an entertainment guide, and an open letter at the end of the issue. The features in this month’s issue included an article on office “lingo,” a piece on inexpensive home design, and an article on refugees in Iraq. And let’s not forget fashion. The fashion section featured a piece on “The Best Watches Under $500,” “The New Rio,” a photo story featuring stylish basics that could be worn on a tropical vacation, and the “Ten Ways to Wear a Tweed Jacket.” The articles and features are well written, and in some cases, requires that the reader has some knowledge of current events. Because several of the articles focus on professional business life, menswear trends, and fancy vacations, the content might seem a bit elitist to the average male reader. The emphasis on expensive fashion could also alienate prospective readers. Most men may not feel like they could measure up to the standards that are presented to them in GQ.


Interestingly, Charlie Porter commented on the boundaries between masculinity and fashion in his piece for the Autumn/Winter GQ Style issue, “ We’re not saying that this macho mood means that fashion will suddenly break down that barrier between what we’d like men to wear and what is put on each morning by the mass male population, because of tedious masculine hang-ups, the relationship between men and menswear is still cloak and dagger.” Porter’s piece discussed the new “macho” trends in men’s fashion. Unfortunately, he is aware that style and “manliness” do not often go together. Maybe GQ perpetuates gender stereotypes in the same way as women’s magazines. It’s probably safe to say that both women and men are being presented expectations and images that will continue to discourage, amaze, and enlighten the population of today’s magazine readers.

Links:
http://www.condenastemediakit.com/gq/index

http://menstyle.com/gq

GQ: Can Men's Fashion and Lifestyle Magazines Be Macho?

Say the phrase “fashion magazine,” and most people conjure up the images of glamorous spreads in Vogue, Glamour, and Elle. Fashion is largely a female-dominated interest, despite the fact that both men and women participate in all aspects of fashion, from the designing of clothes, to the publishing of magazines.

I started pondering the idea of gender and fashion magazines a few weeks ago when looking through some magazines with a male friend. We both picked up a bulky copy of GQ (Gentleman’s Quarterly), and were stunned at the size of the magazine.

Turns out, this copy was one of the many issues celebrating GQ’s 50th Anniversary. As the “authority on men,” GQ’s mission is to “provide definitive coverage of men’s lifestyle and culture.” The magazine covers a broad range of topics, including fashion, travel, entertainment, sports, food, technology, and relationships. Sounds like a fairly intelligent magazine, right? On paper, it seems like GQ offers more than just photographs of sexy men in fashionable dress shirts and stylish loafers. And unlike “lad mags,” (think Maxim and FHM), GQ isn’t using nude photos of attractive females to make a buck.

Despite this, my friend said he probably wouldn’t read GQ. My friend is a fairly progressive thinking guy, but I think he may be reluctant to pick it up because the magazine is written for the well-groomed middle class man. While woman’s magazines are arguably similar, it’s more likely that a larger percentage of women wouldn’t be uncomfortable picking up a copy of Vogue or Nylon. Women are encouraged to follow fashion trends, while fashion and grooming for the typical “straight” man is often a touchy subject. I decided that I would to take this opportunity to take a peek at what some men have been reading for the last 50 years.

I took a look at the November 2007 issue. The cover featured actor Ryan Gosling and the coverlines boasted “How to Improve Your Home Without Becoming a Design Snob,” “Your Career To-Do List,” “Spend Less to Look Your Best,” and “London ‘007.” Below the logo are the words, “Look Sharp, Live Smart.” Cover model Gosling looked very pulled together in his three-piece Ralph Lauren Purple Label Suit. From this cover alone, most would assume that GQ targets the well-to-do professional man. The media kit proves some of this correct, with 33 as the average reader age, and 53 percent of readers working in a professional field. Without knowing these stats, a newsstand buyer could probably guess that this is the case.

As I flipped through the magazine, I noticed how similar GQ is to other fashion/lifestyle publications. There are eight regular departments, which include a letter from the editor, “The Reaction,” which features letters from readers, “50 Years at GQ,” an award- winning column from previous issues that is printed in honor of the magazine’s 50th anniversary, “The Manual,” a 54-page lifestyle guide that included a section on the best art destinations, “The Verge,” an entertainment guide, and an open letter at the end of the issue. The features in this month’s issue included an article on office “lingo,” a piece on inexpensive home design, and an article on refugees in Iraq. And let’s not forget fashion. The fashion section featured a piece on “The Best Watches Under $500,” “The New Rio,” a photo story featuring stylish basics that could be worn on a tropical vacation, and the “Ten Ways to Wear a Tweed Jacket.” The articles and features are well written, and in some cases, requires that the reader has some knowledge of current events. Because several of the articles focus on professional business life, menswear trends, and fancy vacations, the content might seem a bit elitist to the average male reader. The emphasis on expensive fashion could also alienate prospective readers. Most men may not feel like they could measure up to the standards that are presented to them in GQ.

Interestingly, Charlie Porter commented on the boundaries between masculinity and fashion in his piece for the Autumn/Winter GQ Style issue, “ We’re not saying that this macho mood means that fashion will suddenly break down that barrier between what we’d like men to wear and what is put on each morning by the mass male population, because of tedious masculine hang-ups, the relationship between men and menswear is still cloak and dagger.” Porter’s piece discussed the new “macho” trends in men’s fashion. Unfortunately, he is aware that style and “manliness” do not often go together. Maybe GQ perpetuates gender stereotypes in the same way as women’s magazines. It’s probably safe to say that both women and men are being presented expectations and images that will continue to discourage, amaze, and enlighten the population of today’s magazine readers.

The Real Internship

Being an intern for a teen fashion magazine, is totally just like a super fun way to look at like really hot clothes and like meet celebrities and yaknow style way glam photoshoots and stuff, yaknow at least when it doesn’t get in the way of Hollywood partying at Les Deux, or like Hyde, or when you’re not too busy appearing in tabloid magazines instead of working for your publication.



At least that’s what TeenVogue faux-intern Lauren Conrad, aka“LC,” of MTV's so-called reality TV show, "The Hills" would lead one to believe.

In real reality, magazine internships are actually a mutually beneficial way for a publication to get free or cheap labor and for eager students and recent graduates to get some hands on experience in the industry.

Ali Cellini, 24, had just completed her second year at the Rhode Island School of Design as a graphic design major in 2004 when she found out that her grandmother’s cousin worked for ElleGirl Magazine in nearby New York City where there happened to be a summer internship position available.

While a little nepotism got her foot in the door, Cellini insists she wanted to go through the whole application process and be treated “like everyone else.”

So she sent in her resume and portfolio, went through the interview process, was deemed qualified and got the gig.

Initially feeling like a small fish in a very big pond, Cellini admits, “At first I was really scared. I thought, ‘What have I gotten myself into?’”

Not only did she worry if she was really qualified to be there, she says she was even more afraid of the fashion side of the magazine; worried the other girls would not only judge her work as a designer, but her personal style and appearance as well.





But, once she got in, she got over it she says.

“After my first few projects I got really good feedback and I became more confident in myself and my work,” says Cellini.
Cellini says the staff was really nice and supportive, “It was definitely not the nightmare intern stories you hear about the with overbearing editors and premadonna big name photographers.”

“And I never had to go on coffee runs,” Cellini states proudly.

Working exclusively in the art department, she spent two to three days a week all summer, “mostly organizing and researching images for layouts, picking photos for contact sheets and assisting the photo editor on shoots.”

Although the clips she collected are now the highlight of her portfolio, in hindsight Cellini says she could have done more networking. “As an intern you have the chance to make a lot of contacts, but I’m just really shy and at that time I was too afraid to put myself out there like that.”

Despite her shy nature, Cellini’s eyes caught the eye of the beauty editor. “I’ve always had fun with my make-up and kind of ‘punked it up,’” so when the editor couldn’t make it to a product launch party, she sent Cellini to represent ElleGirl in her place.

Meeting celebrities, getting free gifts and going out to lunch on Elle’s bill were some of the perks of the job, but the best part, says Cellini was helping with the big photo shoots that took up the whole day and then seeing all that effort once it’s printed.

“Its so cool to go to a newsstand and flip through magazine and see what you did, like ‘I made that!’”

Today she is working towards her master’s degree in photography at the San Francisco Academy of Art University and uses a lot of what she learned in the field in her current studies. Her best advice for those aspiring to be a part of magazine industry is to be there for your editors whenever they need you for anything, learn all you can by listening and work your way up from the bottom.

“You have to put in your dues,” she says, “and sometimes its just cutting paper and it’s not glamorous or fun,”
“But if you want it, it’s all worth it.”

Men's Health Magazine; Falling in Line?

Men’s Health is a magazine known mostly for its pages filled with sex/health advice and glossy photographs of half-naked men with washboard abs and tight pectoral muscles. However, in this month’s issue men aren’t the only ones getting naked. Dania Ramirez, a television actress who is most recently known for her work on NBC’s “Heroes,” is featured in December’s issue wearing nothing but a Fender Stratocaster guitar slung over her shoulder. Nude women are somewhat of a departure from the Men’s Health norm. It’s no surprise that a beautiful woman would grace the pages of a men’s magazine; what man doesn’t want to look at a pretty girl. It’s the nudity that seems out of place. In previous years, the women of Men’s Health are scantily clad at most (or least), but their photos still remain somewhat modest by modern standards. The sexuality portrayed in Men’s Health is usually not so over the top compared to more risqué men’s titles such as Maxim, Double XL, FHM, Esquire or Stuff magazine; just to name a few. But December’s issue, which features an ultimate gift guide where Ramirez is shown in her birthday suit, is definitely much more daring than what Men’s Health readers are used to. Though popular men’s lifestyle titles claim to have a unique formula, it seems as though their formulas are somewhat formulaic. Each title has it’s own specialized depending on who their target demographic is, but the topics often remain the same. Generally men read about sex and relationship tips, how to stay in shape, beautiful female celebrities, as well as handsome male celebrities, style, and what high-tech or grooming products are popular at the time. What is supposed to differentiate each title from the next is the type of content/ advice offered in the magazine. Maxim is known for half-naked women on their covers and everything else comes second, their main focus is men’s culture with an emphasis on sports. Men’s Health is known for incredibly fit men on their covers and everything else comes second, their main focus is men’s health and fitness. Stuff magazine is also known to feature sexually posed women on their covers, but their content, while still maintaining their general interest status, is geared more toward the video gaming male reader. With their new cheeky photography does Men’s Health seek to expand their brand and perhaps their readership? Or do they seek to change their brand all together in order to compete with magazines like Maxim, FHM, and Stuff? Only time will tell.

Good News For People Who Like Book News: Entertainment Weekly's Choice For Entertainer Of The Year Could Be A Sign Of A New Interest In Literature

J.K. Rowling has done the impossible. She’s made millions of people read. In a world where people are growing more and more reliant on their Ipods and Sidekicks than on encyclopedias and literary classics, some people are worrying about the state of literacy.

These people may have cause to worry. Last year 27% of Americans didn’t read any books and in 2002 only 57% of Americans read a book.

Rowling may be of help in alleviating some of these worries, as she was just named the #1 Entertainer of the Year by Entertainment Weekly.

This is no small feat since most magazine covers would have you believe that people are more interested in the relationship troubles of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt than Romeo and Juliette, or Cathy and Heathcliff.

By July of this year, before its release, Rowling’s final installment of the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows, was already a bestseller on its first day of online pre-orders alone, according to CNNmoney.com.

According to Oregon Literacy, Inc., Harry Potter has had an enchanting effect on literacy. In the UK alone, in 2005, 59% of children cited books as improving their reading skills, and 48% of those said the Harry Potter books were why they read more.

While children may be more zealous about reading, it’s adults that may present the biggest problem.

In a study of literacy skills conducted last year on college campuses, it was discovered that half of the students at four-year universities, and three quarters of students at two-year universities could not interpret tables or understand newspaper editorial arguments, according to msnbc.com.

While overall the study did show students had an intermediate level of literacy, it is nonetheless distressing to learn that half the students at four-year universities couldn’t compare interest rates on credit card offers.

Perhaps even more distressing is that they’re better off than most adults. Compared with adults outside of college, with a similar amount of education, college students were better at researching and using information from texts and documents. However, to put this into perspective, this may simply be because most college students are practicing these skills more often on a day to day basis as requirements for their school assignments.

Some critics aren’t as worried about the decline of literacy when it comes to reading books. Dennis Baron, who writes a blog about language in the media, is considerably less concerned about the decline of reading books than his peers.

To Baron, the decline in book reading and increasing dependence on technology doesn’t create illiteracy, but a new form of being well read.

Baron points out that the average person hasn’t stopped reading just because she’s not reading books. The average person is constantly reading, in fact. Road signs, billboards, T-shirts, and television news scrawl, all engage her in the act of reading. It may not be Chaucer, Dickens, or Danielle Steel, but it’s reading, nonetheless.

Whether you feel the fate of the world’s literacy rate is vastly waxing or waning, one thing is true: JK Rowling does have an awful lot of people reading books. An awful lot of people are reading books that otherwise would be playing with their Wii systems.

The first six Harry Potter installments sold 325 million copies alone. The jury may still be out on whether this is demonstrative of a new trend, but 325 million is admittedly a large number of people engaged in the act of reading the same books.

The A-List: Do You Have What it Takes?

On Monday, October 29, the list was released. Unlike the weekly tabloids that make or break celebrities, establishing their status by how many times the paparazzi catches them surprisingly, being human, the A-List is annual. You have to stand out to be on the list. You have to be consistent and presentable; your hair or make-up cannot be messy and your clothes must be neatly pressed. People have to like you, as you are. Above all, you have to be made of paper.

Advertising Age is “the most trusted brand of news and intelligence on advertising, marketing and media, delivered however and whenever our community wants to consume it.” The trade magazine is available by print or internet, electronic newsletters, blogs, video and audio. It is the source to find who and what is hot in the advertising industry. That’s why it’s an honor when Ad Age places you in one of the ten positions on the A-List.

The 2007 list was dominated primarily by women’s magazines, in contrast to the 2006 list that was evenly balanced between home, food, celebrity, and women’s magazines.

Let’s break it down:

10. Harper’s Bazaar
9. Elle
8. Every Day with Rachael Ray
7. O, The Oprah Magazine
6. Prevention
5. Vogue
4. The Economist
3. Real Simple
2. More
1. Better Homes & Gardens

And, in 2006:

10. InTouch Weekly
9. Real Simple
8. Gourmet
7. National Geographic Adventure
6. People
5. Vogue
4. New York
3. Elle
2. Dwell
1. More

Only four magazines are on both lists; of those four, only one stayed in the same position both years — Vogue, at number five. More only moved down one space, but Elle moved down six spaces, in contrast to Real Simple that moved up six spaces.

The 2007 A-List, however more occupied by magazines that target a female audience, features a balance of new and old publications. It is quite possibly the best representation of the industry and audience today. Nine of the ten are specifically women's or home-related, in which case we can question whether or not magazine audiences will sooner or later be so targeted that some audiences will be alienated and neglected as others gain more and more popularity. Maybe the industry is something like high school...

The #1 Women's Magazine wasn't always quizzes and boobs

Today, Cosmopolitan is the magazine that women turn face down when they slip it into the supermarket checkout, faithfully trying to hide their interest in getting the “deepest” orgasm, burning more carbs, or answering the eternally asked but unanswerable question: why do men act the way they do?

But the magazine that so many women place on their list of guilty pleasures didn’t begin as the cleavage laden, sex advice bible it is today. It’s editorial content has gone through several drastic shifts in order to hold readership-each period very different from the last.

Cosmopolitan’s audience when it was launched in 1886 by publishers Schlicht & Field as The Cosmopolitan was pretty much the opposite of what it is today- a periodical aimed towards families, with a smaller section for women’s interests.

That’s right, a family magazine! The Cosmopolitan continued this format for two years until the original publishers passed along the editorship to E.D. Walker, who had worked for Harper’s Weekly. Besides giving the magazine a snazzier look with color illustrations, Walker started running serial fiction and book reviews, successfully tripling circulation.

The Cosmopolitan changed its editorial content again in 1886 when John Brisben Walker bought the magazine. Under this ownership Cosmopolitan featured first rate and popular writers of the time, such as Jack London and Edith Wharton, and even serialized H.G. Well’s novel War of the Worlds.

Cosmopolitan shifted editorially yet again when publishing giant William Randolph Hearst bought it in 1905. Whereas Cosmopolitan had focused more on literary criticism and fictional writing, under Hearst the magazine hired investigative journalists like Charles Edward Russell, and had features by muckrakers such as Ida B. Wells and Upton Sinclair, who critiqued and brought attention to various social injustices in America.

As for the Cosmo of today, we have Helen Gurly Brown to hold responsible. Readership declined in the 1950s, and when Brown became editor-in-chief in 1965 she reconstructed the magazine with the aim to affirm and advise what has become known as the “Cosmo Girl”-single women who engage in pre-marital sex.

Much of the guidance offered by Cosmo magazine and other literature produced by Cosmo of the 1960s directly reflects the same values it projects today. While Cosmo embraced and embraces the independent and self-sufficient working girl, the sex advice given is often meant to please the man rather than to fulfill or satisfy the needs of the woman. For example, while the 1969 book The Cosmo Girl’s Guide to the New Etiquette gave liberal suggestions on how to tactfully cheat on one’s husband, the tips given for behaving in the bedroom are contradictary because they are very centered around female submission to the male libido: “Faking an orgasm is right, proper, considerate, prudent…if making love and orgasm mean absolutely nothing to you, but you love this man and want to keep him happy.”

While the wording of this statement may seem a little dated, the semantics of it really isn’t different from any coverline which graces Cosmo today-“How to be a Total Man-Magnet,” “Make Him Crave You,”-the list goes on.

Cosmopolitan magazine has historically changed its editorial agenda to stay marketable, and although readership is currently high according to their circulation information in their media kit, it could still change. The name Cosmopolitan has represented different things since it was launched, and just because the Helen Gurly Brown version of Cosmo has endured for the last 40 years doesn’t mean it always will- the diverse history of this magazine’s content shows it is capable to turn a corner if its audience does as well.