This is an answer to Gerdur’s latest blog post.
I actually think you should think of the covers as compliments to women in general. Look at the fancy guy (guy, not gay) magazines, look at the covers and think “why did they put this on the cover?”. Why? To sell magazines of course, and they’ve probably done lots of research on what sells and what doesn’t. So they obviously discovered that to sell magazines to men, you just put a picture of a half-naked woman on the cover (or man, if you replace guy with gay). What does that say about men in general? That we’re secure, self-confident, and would buy a magazine with a picture of a hot guy in really nice clothes because we think that we can get some fashion ideas from the hot guy? I don’t think so. Instead, as you have noticed, we’re so utterly neanderthal that the only way to sell something to us is to slap a pair of boobs on it.
I agree with you that why not add some eye-candy for the women as well with a hunk in between, it probably wouldn’t hurt, and would grab another piece of the market as well (the one you seem to belong to 
), but these magazine you mention are after all fashion magazines. They’re about showing women what’s new in the fashion world, what you should wear and more importantly what you should not wear. Who do you think makes the most money off these magazines? My guess is that it isn’t the people who make the magazines, but rather clothing stores.
Now even though I think both the covers and the magazines say something about men being neanderthal, they also target a character flaw that I think many men will agree with me that women have… You shop till you drop. I think the assumption behind the women’s magazines is that if they show you enough beautiful women with great new clothes that follow the latest fashion, you will run to the nearest store to buy these clothes and accessories. The worst part? You actually do.
So why naked women in magazines for guys? Do they want us to run down to the nearest brothel? I don’t know, but I think seeing hot chicks trigger something in us guys that makes us want to look better ourselves, maybe thinking that if we lose a pound or two and put on some muscle weight instead, we can go out and get that hot naked chick the next time we’re out clubbing. Either that, or it’s a lot simpler; the magazine people know that boobs have a hypnotic effect on men, and that we will buy the magazine just to look at them…
Mmm, boobs… G\’aaaaaaaahh…
I only read this blog entry because it had the word \”boobs\” in it. Twice. ;oD
Hehe, thanks for proving my point ;D
I am sooooooo brewing a blog entry to answer this. Made me see red actually:-). \r\n\r\nIf only I could find the time to write it… and no I am not busy shopping!
Hehe, I think the fact that it made you see red is just proof that you\’re one of the women who break the stereotype
I am fighting back now with Stereotyping Men
\r\n\r\nmediumgeek
Hmmm, I have to say – I kind of disagree with you – on two accounts\r\n\r\none: \r\nyou seems to think the women magazines dont have any half naked hunks in them – dude – either you have a really neat girlfriend that tears out the images before you can read them or she is to old for the target group I am now gonna portait.\r\n\r\nFemale youth magazines contain some really explicit material – from giving a better blow job – through the hunks of the month – to sex stories that would make e.g. the writers in ViMenn to go pale…\r\n\r\ntwo:\r\nI only partly disagree with you on the slap some boobs on it and it will sell argument.\r\n\r\nI think you are right that a certain segment of men would by these magazines because of the boobs on the outside and lets face it, alot of \”magazines for men\” use it as a part of the advertisement – honestly I would by ViMenn even without the boob bimbo in it!\r\n\r\n But I am afraid the previous mentioned segment is what the people making those kind of magazines are trying to target and lets face it – they do outnumber guys that \”not want to see boobs while reading\”.\r\n\r\nBut then again when I now and then read through a magazine without the boob chick – I am either feeling like this magazine would rather fit a gay guy than me – since the ads have half naked guys advertising for deodorant or the models are posing in ways that is not making me think yeah that would probably look just as good on my ass as well – but more going – what the hell did the photographer think when he took that image…\r\n\r\nI would love to see a fashion concious magazine for straight guys that dont really need the boob to pick up something from the shelves at the newsagent!\r\n\r\nlet me know when you find one!
1. Yeah, I\’ve seen those magazines, and Marianne reads Elle from time to time which also has those articles. I think it\’s a sign that things are changing, and that magazine-makers understand that this is a huge market.\r\n\r\n2. Dan, you are yet another proof that stereotypes are nothing but stereotypes
Like all other stereotypes, they are only true for a group of people, and I think both you and I are outside many of the typical stereotypical men 
If that\’s a good thing or not, I\’m not sure… 