Jezebel: lad mags

Lad Mag

Sadie — Fri, 15 May 2009 12:20:00 EDT

MASC mag seeks to be "something positive, that doesn't put down women and other guys in an effort to make us feel better about ourselves or like more of a man." They're hiring, fellas. [MASC]

MP Claire Curtis-Thomas in England wants...

Maria — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 11:40:00 EST

MP Claire Curtis-Thomas in England wants lad mags like Maxim and Nuts to carry film-style ratings. In a report released this week, Curtis-Thomas said that these lad mags are not rated and treated the same way as porn even though she sees the magazines as being "little more than pornography." She also wants downmarket English newspapers like the Daily Sport to carry age-appropriateness ratings. Ben Todd, an editor at lad mag Zoo thinks of his magazines as a "cheeky seaside postcard" and says that if they are restricted by age because of topless photos then newspapers like the Sun that print photos of topless models should be restricted as well. [Daily Mail]

British Lad Mags: Root Of All Ills Or Symptom Of The Bigger, Sexist Picture?

Maria — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 09:30:00 EDT

Michael Grove, the shadow education secretary and a prominent Conservative in England, gave a speech today at a meeting organized by the think tank IPPR condemning lad mags (like Nuts, Zoo, and Maxim) for promoting "instant-hit hedonism" and presenting women as "permanently, lasciviously, uncomplicatedly available." The result, according to Grove, is that the magazines promote a deterioration of responsibility in young men towards women, leaving British communities with apparently the worst social situation that could ever occur: single-parent families. Yes, lad mags may present a sexist image of women, but is focusing on the importance of "male responsibility" towards women reinforcing sexist and misogynist attitudes towards women or destroying them? (A poll on the website of the Guardian reveals that, as of this morning, 54% of respondents think that lad mags do not "make men feckless".)

Probably the former. Yes, families where both parents are present in the children's lives are more stable and ultimately create a better environment for children, but Grove is implying that parents need to not only be married for children to thrive, but the man needs to be working and providing ("responsibility") for his young while the woman stays home and cares for them. Why not promote a society where single mothers can provide for their children on their own? Grove says that the Conservative government will provide a maternity nurse service for families who need help during the first days after childbirth, but there is no mention of this service being available to single mothers (or fathers) who have a newborn. An emphasis is placed on the relationship between the father and mother, implying that they are together.

And what does Grove think of women's magazines? While he condemns lad mags' presentation of a "narrow conception of beauty and a shallow approach towards women," he praises women's magazines (and their publishers) for addressing their readers "in a mature and responsible fashion." So, being obsessed with materialism, being fearful of any beauty "imperfection," and constantly being reminded that the attention of men is necessary to live a happy lifestyle is "mature"? Has this dude ever looked at a women's magazine?

Lad Mags Linked To 'Social Ills' [BBC]
'Lads Mags' Condemned Over Images Of Women [Telegraph]
Poll" Do Lad Mags Make Men Feckless? [Guardian]

Do Teen Magazines Teach Girls To Hate Their Bodies?

Dodai — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 11:00:00 EDT

UK papers Telegraph and Guardian both published findings from a report by Women In Journalism — namely, that websites of magazines for teenage girls are urging the girls to upload photographs of themselves and post ratings of their bodies, much as the "lad mag" sites do. While the teen sites don't exactly approach "Assess My Breasts" territory, they are extremely close: Bliss, a British teen magazine, had a "How Sexy Am I?" feature, which asked girls to rate their own bodies with options like "beautiful" or "ewww." The section, which was recently taken down, had 10 body parts — including tummy, thighs, legs and breasts — about which the teens could choose "happy" or "hate 'em."

The site run by Bliss also has an "Airbrush Me" section which will give your photos "a celebrity makeover" — taking out red eye and zits.

Another site, run by Mizz magazine, asks readers to rate "lush lads" — pictures of shirtless boys. Maybe turnabout is fair play, but the message — that only the surface matters — is what sticks. The report states that in a study of 3,000 young women, more than half of 16- to 25-year-olds said that the media makes them feel that "being pretty and thin" is the most important thing.

Fiona Bawdon, the author of the WIJ report, says, "The message that you get in the editorial sections (of magazines), if a girl was to write in saying her nose was too big, is that you are fine as you are." But the websites do not have that editorial voice of assurance. "Should a teen magazine really be encouraging young girls to think in terms of 'hating' their still developing bodies?" And we're wondering — is there anyone out there who still thinks the next generation is going to turn out okay?

Girls' Websites Criticised For 'Lad Mag' Tactics [Telegraph]
Websites Aimed At Teenage Girls Using Lads' Mag Tactics [Guardian]
Earlier: Feeling Sexually-Objectified? It Could Be Your Own Damn Fault
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