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COSMO WOMAN This is one of the few full-length explorations of the womens magazine market. Focussing on Cosmopolitan magazine, Oliver Whitehorne considers every aspect of the womens magazine, from themes and issues to images and style. The feminism in womens magazines is discussed in detail, and is related to second wave feminism and third wave or postmodern feminism. As well as Cosmopolitan, the author also studies many other magazines in the womens magazine market, and related magazines, such as lifestyle magazines and mens magazines. The author looks at the use of advertizing and consumerism in womens magazines and other lifestyle and consumer magazines, drawing on many examples of ads which are deconstructed in detail. EXTRACT FROM CHAPTER TWO, THE COSMO WOMAN Lets start with the typical front page of Cosmopolitan. As with most other womens magazines, Cosmopolitan features a woman, a model, smiling. Its not a movie star, or someone with a name (the model, we see inside, is called Rohini. Models/ supermodels are known by their first names: Naomi, Claudia, Kate). The imagery of the woman is positive, exuberant, young, tanned, smart, in control, self-confident. The photographs on the covers of womens magazines speak of healthy living, clean-washed clothes, where white is truly sparkling white. Teeth are perfect. There are no wrinkles or unsightly flabby bits of skin. The models skin is blemishless. Jewellery is perfect and there are no bad hair days for cover stars. This woman is nameless but she is also Cosmo woman, centrepiece of the image chosen to sell this months issue of the magazine. The model is selected to portray the mood and aims of the magazine, and to leap out of the other magazines on the racks. She is, of course, also the mirror of the audience, but a stylized, idealized mirror. The cover of Cosmo shows the would-be buyer and audience what they could be like. It is a piece of advertizing, the m
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