The concept that sex sells is so prevalent and so ingrained in our culture that the phrase has surpassed the status of a cliché -- it's as normal and expected as death and taxes. If you asked a random person on the street, they'd probably blame one entity as the source of our sex-saturated society: the media, with magazines targeting young men and women as major culprits. So which publications hold the top circulation spots in this genre? None other than two unabashed purveyors of sex, Playboy and Cosmopolitan magazines. Playboy hasn't budged much from its original formula since launching in December 1953 with a scandalous centerfold of bombshell Marilyn Monroe. Cosmopolitan, on the other hand, is an entirely different story.
Cosmopolitan published its first issue in 1886, as a "first-class family magazine," according to publisher Paul Schlicht. In 1897, it was acquired by Hearst publishing, which added more investigative articles, built upon by a strong fiction theme in the 1940s. By 1955, its circulation was down to just over 1 million and steadily declined for the next ten years.
Then came Helen Gurley Brown. In 1962, her book Sex and the Single Girl came out, sending a shockwave through the lives of young, single women. She received so many thank-you notes from readers that she decided to start her own magazine as a platform for the new lifestyle she was championing. After several rejections from New York publishers, Brown met with the people at Hearst, who instead offered her their dying general interest magazine, Cosmopolitan.
The first Brown-controlled issue hit the stands in September 1965, with an article about the newly introduced birth control pill and a doe-eyed brunette in a low-cut top on the cover. In April 1972, the magazine ran a controversial, near-nude centerfold of actor Burt Reynolds. Despite catching criticism for its racy new format, Brown stood behind her philosophy -- that women didn't need men to be happy or successful, but should be free to have sex with anyone they pleased. In the Cosmopolitan article "How Cosmo Changed the World," writer Jennifer Benjamin explains that what Cosmopolitan's detractors "didn't seem to realize was, Cosmo's gentler brand of feminism was more realistic and palatable. 'Cosmo is feminist in that we believe women are just as smart and capable as men are and can achieve anything men can,' says Helen. 'But it also acknowledges that while work is important, men are too. The Cosmo girl absolutely loves men!'"
As previously mentioned, today Cosmopolitan is the most popular young women's magazine on newsstands, as well as #18 in nationwide circulation for any American magazine. Today, it is published in more than 100 countries and has been available in 34 languages, with three television networks in Spain, Latin America, and Canada. But this success hasn't been all girl power and envelope pushing. In recent years, Cosmopolitan's feminist message has been overshadowed by that bit about men being important as well. This month's issue features actress Kate Hudson, with coverlines such as "His Body: The Nonverbal Cues that Let You Read His Mind," "15 Date Ideas He'll Be Into," and "How Long Guys Want Sex to Last."
Many third-wave feminists argue that Cosmopolitan has gotten away from its 1960's roots as a feminist platform in favor of our increasingly consumerist and hegemonic culture, where the ideal woman struts around in cleavage-baring outfits and spends her leisure time reading about 10,000 new ways to please her man. But as with most things in this business, the numbers don't lie -- 3 million happy women can't be wrong.
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