• more about #jenniferscanlon more comments →
    ritualtheory: Anna, however any/all may feel about Brown, her value system, and her career, your summary is a damn fine one. Thank you for that. more »
    Vivien Smith-Smythe-Smith: You know, I have a copy of Outrageous Opinions that I found at an op-shop, and some of that shit was pretty darn progressive. I hate assigning women t... more »
    rednrowdy: the single woman "is engaging because she lives by her wits. She supports herself. She has to sharpen her personality and mental resources to a glitte... more »
    randomnessish: Any woman who says "mouseburger" isn't all bad in my book. Generally, even though her "brand of feminism" is outdated and overly shallow, I DO think t... more »
    PhillyLass: HGB may claim to be a tireless advocate for the single woman, but she married Mr. Brown at age 37 so she could avoid her "lonely spinter's bed." And s... more »
    picardia: Although I wouldn't consider Brown a feminist, much less a feminist icon, some of the better advice in "Sex and the Single Girl" holds up remarkably w... more »
    baraqiel: What Brown advocated was the advancement of certain women who were comfortable conforming to her brand of individualism. What feminism advocates is t... more »
    Sputnik_Sweetheart: A communication professor of mine once said that none of the advice in Cosmo is for a woman's benefit. While I admire (and agree with to an extent) h... more »
    SarahMC: The "good" done by HGB is far outweighed by the bad. I can't stand the woman. She really cheapens "feminism" as far as I'm concerned. more »
    Ailanthus-altissima: You know, I think I am going to dismiss her. While I appreciate her advocacy for career women, I believe that the sum total of her philosophy and work... more »
    Bryn: I wonder why "hypocritical" for married women? Wonder what the context was there. "Dull" is easier to imagine...staying home watching a DVD with your ... more »
    Penny: I think her career advice is brilliant, and considering the fact that all of my girlfriends are crazy smart and career-focused, I would that, no, she ... more »
    bluebears: I find it interesting that certain people seem so invested into turning HGB into some sort of feminist icon. I have admittedly not read HGB deeply but... more »
    YourScreenplaySucks: I think Helen really missed out on an opportunity to market "I Can't Believe It's Not Feminism!", the feminism substitute made from a non-nutritious b... more »
    NefariousNewt: She has her place, no question, but for all the steps she took forward, she took a great many back. Women should not have to lie to men -- men should ... more »
  • #bookreviews

    Cosmo's Helen Gurley Brown: Maybe Not Such A Bad Girl After All

    In Bad Girls Go Everywhere, Jennifer Scanlon tries hard to make Helen Gurley Brown look like an unjustly overlooked feminist icon — and she kind of succeeds. More »
  • #funfearlessfemales

    Seen, Not Heard

    According to the new biography of Helen Gurley Brown, the Cosmo Girl was criticized "for not allowing certain subjects into her magazine. These included the existence of children, and topics like AIDS." [NYT]