Journalism Week 4

Since I was so fascinated with what I found in the last magazine exercise, I decided to do it again with Cosmopolitan. I used to be subscribed to it (yes I am ashamed...) so I have a bunch that I compared to each other to see the similarities and differences. Surprise, surprise- the differences from issue to issue are very small. I'm not talking about the structure of the magazine of course, that probably should stay the same from issue to issue so readers know where to find the information they're looking for. I'm referring to the content. It is EXACTLY the same in every issue. The only thing that changes is what is "trendy" for that particular twenty minutes the magazine is relevant in the fashion world.
The cover never ever changes- which like I said can be a good thing, so people know it when they see a Cosmopolitan magazine. The woman on the cover is always photographed head on, with her hair down and flowing, and wearing a snug outfit. You can always see almost her entire body, usually from the thighs up. She is airbrushed to perfection, especially her face. Then there are teasers or blurbs all around her. One of them all ways had the word "SEX" in large bold letters. One of them is always about tip for "in bed." Another is about the particular lady on the cover. Another is about "new!" hair and make-up tips. Another is about men, well to quote all the covers of this magazine, "guys." And so on and so on. It is the same every single month, and I have the stack of magazines to prove it. But it sells!
The cover is of course a reflection of the so called "content" inside. You flip through and it is full of ads for products to make you look more like a "cosmo" girl. The pages of advertisements far out weigh the number of articles. They are on almost every page- perfume, shoes, make-up, jewelry, clothing- designer and discount, alcohol, diet food products, hair coloring kits, the list goes on and on. The articles are very short and sweet- much like the clothing it features. There is a page dedicated to "Sexy vs. Skanky" things in pop culture for the month.
I could go on, but I think I've made my point- Cosmo is the SAME every month! In my opinion it is shallow and hollow, it is only about your looks (maybe a couple of times a year it will have some sort of article about "feeling good in your skin" but for the most part...). It is fabulous for getting hair and make up ideas- but be warned- they will be the same ones as last month.
The writers over at Cosmopolitan just re-word the previous month's issue!