Why do women read women's magazines?

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Personally I read them when I'm in a doctor's waiting room or something as it's more interesting to read them than stare at the wall :tongue:

Reply 21

username1230506

Original post by Huskaris

Saw it in Peep show, something about a guy getting de *******ed was a talking point.

was that when he was trying to make friends with Jeff so that he can go near Sophie?

Reply 22

Tyrion_Lannister

Yeah. It's really stupid. I never even realised until recently. Who gives a ****? I've only ever noticed it a couple of times and thought " my legs look funny' and that's it :lol:

Reply 23

Nvmthename

Original post by Tyrion_Lannister

I see so many posts on here about women feeling pressuered to look like celebrities, be a certain size, have thigh gaps, have big boobs, have a big ass, etc. Ive never felt this pressure. I started looking at the difference, wondering why I hadn't, and the big conclusion I've come to is I don't read, and have never really read, women's magazines. I've never been interested in celebrities and have pretty much ignored the female media industry as well as reality TV. And as a result, I've never felt pressured to look a certain way. I've always liked my body, and been happy with how I looked. I didn't even realise thigh gaps, which I have, were a thing until recently. In fact I thought I had "funny legs' because of it.

But my point is, why do women buy into something so damaging? I find it weird when people say "I feel pressured to look a certain way', I mean, why not just not read it? Unless you're morbidly obese or anorexically skinny, you will be attractive to someone. Stop worrying.

I just don't get why people are so bothered by something which ends up leading them to hate themselves!

You seem to have the body shape most women (...and men) want; paired with the fact you like and accept your body means you wont doubt yourself as much as other women.

Reading magazines and obsessing over other people's image plays a large factor but I dont entirely think a magazine makes someone hate themselves, there still needs to be a catalyst or initial flaw.

To counter my own point though I dont read magazines and when I was younger and a lot heavier I compared myself to others a lot and hated my body, so being exposed to magazines and media more often might actually encourage self loathing.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 24

Huskaris

Original post by FanTesticles

was that when he was trying to make friends with Jeff so that he can go near Sophie?

Yeah :-D

Reply 25

~ Aquamarine ~

Although most women's magazines do contain images of photo shopped/air brushed celebrities and do advertise stuff like (for example) "ways to get the body of 'insert name female model' " or "best slimming pills" etc., they do also contain Fashion News like the new clothing in shops at the time as well as beauty and make up advice. If I am going on a long journey and don't have a book to read then I might buy a typical 'women's magazine' but I don't really pay any attention to comparing myself to these models they advertise as I know they have all been airbrushed and have millions of pounds to invest in their looks. Most women's magazines are targeted for people in their late teens and adult women, and these people should be old enough to know that even the models and women shown in the magazine do not actually look like that in person :^_^:

Reply 26

Octohedral

I just find them unbearably boring, but then I've never been a 'girly' girl.

As above, if you already have a natural thigh gap, and are happy with how you look, your body probably looks fine anyway. It's fantastic you're happy, genuinely, but a surprising number of people aren't.

Most women have been consistently proven in scientific tests to get their own size wrong by up to 20%, even when they can judge other people's accurately. I used to think I was really fat, and believe it genuinely, but looking back now at photos I was actually quite skinny at that time. It's usually an inherent insecurity that gets inflamed when the person goes looking for help in magazines. In short, they don't believe they are damaging - they believe they are real, despite any evidence to the contrary.

Reply 27

gemmam

I sometimes read them but not often Ive never really took the content seriously though, Ive never really been into celebrity culture either so when I read them Im more interested in the real life stories, problem pages and beauty advice than the celeb goss/news. I remember reading one a few years back and one article had a picture a member of Atomic Kitten with the top of her knickers showing over the waist band of her skirt saying it looked trashy, yet futher along in the same magazine they had the same pic in a different article saying it looked cool :facepalm:

I dont understand the big fuss about thigh gaps either, its more down to the woman's hipbones rather than her weight anyway. Ive never had one even when I was a size 8, yet I know a woman who is about a size 18 who has one.

Posted from TSR Mobile

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 28

CaptainNemo

I pick them up sometimes just to pass the time, check the fashion faux pas and read the real life stories..(there nothing compared to some of the trash on tsr :colone:

)

Was this just a ruse to let tsr know you have a thigh gap :tongue:

I always thought it was known as "the triangle of light" :biggrin:

Reply 29

abc:)

Original post by Tyrion_Lannister

It's like an addiction really, in a very mild sense. They say that gamblers wouldn't be addicted to gambling if they won all the time - in the same way, the inevitable failure of 'effortless' detox diets and all the other crap you find in those magazines leaves you going back to find another solution. In the meantime you learn even more about things which are wrong with your life and your body, which you never even knew about and suddenly need to fix!! So you can see how it's a downwards spiral. This is quite a dramatic way of putting it but I think that's what it boils down to. It can be a very harmful industry.

Reply 30

Amelia-Babe

latest fashion trends!
gossip
diets
hair
CLOTHES:3

all that random kinda ****

Reply 31

im so academic

Original post by Tyrion_Lannister

Bull****. People can have ugly faces.

Reply 32

blackrose1234567

Because not all women think like you do perhaps?

Reply 33

Tyrion_Lannister

Original post by shuheb789

Because not all women think like you do perhaps?

I know but I can't see the logic in reading something that makes you feel bad

Reply 34

Ripper-Roo

They can read them, but I don't understand why they start complaining and blame them for 'feeling bad about themselves'. Most women i know read them as they say it's 'escapism' or entertainment.

Reply 35

Truflais

I have never actually noticed a thigh gap on a girl. I highly doubt many guys care anyhow.

I very rarely buy or pay attention to women's mags tbh. I used to buy hair mags so I could find a new haircut or something but that's it. Just not really interested in them. :dontknow:

Reply 36

yepyepyep

Original post by Tyrion_Lannister

No, but I've been that kid at school who was weird and different that no one would talk to and people would actively be horrible to. Yet I still recognise there's nothing wrong with ME, and that people have a ****ed up view and that's the problem.

We're both guessing though.

Maybe you just have unwaveringly high self esteem. I expect most kids who were ostracised in such a way would start to think there was something wrong with them.

Reply 37

Tyrion_Lannister

Original post by yepyepyep

Maybe you just have unwaveringly high self esteem. I expect most kids who were ostracised in such a way would start to think there was something wrong with them.

Maybe. I mean I do have days where I feel ****, but I still can see I'm perfectly fine and it was just unlucky. Perhaps I'm just lucky that I'm not susceptible to it.

Reply 38

yepyepyep

Original post by Foo.mp3

Want the truth?

Only look if you can handle the truth..

Spoiler

Surely that's the same for most human beings? It's natural to want to improve things and you can't improve something if it's perfect so you look for flaws. Unfortunately some people find trivial 'flaws' e.g. no thigh gap.
But if you had no goals or aspirations, wouldn't you be bored?

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 39

yepyepyep

Original post by Tyrion_Lannister

Maybe. I mean I do have days where I feel ****, but I still can see I'm perfectly fine and it was just unlucky. Perhaps I'm just lucky that I'm not susceptible to it.

Yeah well it's a good way to be and obviously beneficial to you, as high self esteem will always be useful in life, but it's not a trait many people possess.