Us Editor Claims Women Want Covers That Exploit Female Celebs

As reported earlier, while the media squashed a druggy video of Heath Ledger "out of respect for the family," a clip of Amy Winehouse smoking crack was widely distributed. And according to the New York Times, when Owen Wilson was hospitalized in August, he appeared on the cover of Us Weekly once; Britney Spears went to the psychiatric ward and has been on the cover six times in the same amount of time. "Without a doubt, women get rougher treatment, less sensitive treatment, more outrageous treatment," says publicist Ken Sunshine, who reps celebs like Ben Affleck and Barbra Streisand. "It's absolutely harder for the women I represent." Janice Min, editor in chief of Us Weekly, says she covers women incessantly because her magazine is read by women. "Almost no female magazines will put a solo male on the cover," she claims. "You just don't. It's cover death." So it's cool to rip a woman's image to shreds as long as you sell issues?

Ms. Min explains: "Women don't want to read about men unless it's through another woman: a marriage, a baby, a breakup." She's just giving the people what they want! Though some say that the stars who court attention get it; whereas celebs who demand privacy are granted discretion, the fact remains that as a woman in Hollywood, your life is ripe for plundering by gossip blogs and tabloids. As anyone who reads Midweek Madness knows, the tabloid covers are revolving doors of predominantly female faces. And sometimes the only "news" is that (gasp!) some women have cellulite. Meanwhile, if you're a man in Tinseltown, you're having a great year, thanks to films like No Country for Old Men, Michael Clayton and There Will Be Blood, reports Telegraph. Though past Oscar seasons have brought us The Queen, Erin Brockovich, Chicago, Monster and The Hours, women are mostly sidelined this year. Why do we mock women for their trainwreck lives and laud men for their talent while shrugging off their indiscretions?

Boys Will Be Boys, Girls Will Be Hounded by the Media [New York Times]
Why Is Hollywood Going For Bloke? [Telegraph]
Earlier: Are Women With "Issues" Treated As Sensitively As Men?

Send an email to Dodai, the author of this post, at dodai@jezebel.com.

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