How Has Cosmopolitan Changed Over Time

Cosmopolitan, a magazine geared towards women, was first published in 1866. However, the magazine has dramatically changed over time. The articles featured in Cosmopolitan magazine today would have been shamed many years ago. Cosmopolitan magazine was originally marketed as a fashion magazine, featuring some articles about the home, family and cooking. It’s safe to say it was the “woman’s magazine.” However, now, the magazine is mostly geared towards sex and how a woman can make herself more desirable to men (McGuire). Cosmopolitan sets unrealistic standards for women, oversexualizes women and ignores important intellectual qualities that women possess, all which sets a dangerous example for young women.

In March of 2011, Cosmopolitan magazine featured Lea Michele on the cover of that month’s edition. Lea

Michelle is best known for her role as good-girl Rachel Berry on the television show Glee. However, it is clear that Cosmopolitan is trying to get the message across that Michele is nothing like her TV-played character. Immediately after Michele is introduced on the cover, Cosmopolitan writes “Glee’s Good Girl Has Some Naughty Secret.” This immediately overlooks Michele’s intelligence or acting skills, instead opting to talk about Michele’s “naughty secrets,” which are presumably sexual in nature.
On this cover, Michele is featured in front of a hot pink backdrop. Hot pink, commonly thought to be a “girl’s color,” markets the magazine towards women immediately. Additionally, the bright color is noticeable and “pops,” making the magazine stand out easily. Next, Michele is featured on the cover with her hair blown out, a face full of makeup and a revealing outfit. Now, Michele already meets most of the beauty standards that are typically expected of women by the media. Michele is slim, fashionable and is usually seen in public with her hair and makeup done. Nevertheless, Michele is meant to serve as a sex symbol on the cover on Cosmopolitan. Michele is standing is a position that is both powerful and alluring. Michele has one hand resting on her hip and the other touching the bottom strands of her hair. Her face has a seductive smirk plastered on it. Michele’s hair has been blown out and is clearly getting a little help from a high powered fan as her brown, loosely curled locks are surrounding her face with a level of volume that is impossible to obtain naturally. Lastly, Michele is wearing a low-cut shirt, one that shows off her breasts and her slim and toned abdomen. It should be noted that there is nothing wrong with how Michele is dressed or styled because how a woman chooses to dress is up to the individual. However, Cosmopolitan only features women on their cover that meet similar criteria, creating the idea that there is only one type of woman that is beautiful, sexy and desirable. This endangers the minds of women who don’t meet this criteria, leading them to believe that they aren’t good enough.
In addition to the alluring image of Michele on the cover, Cosmopolitan also places controversial and/or taboo headlines on their covers. On this edition, the largest headline reads, “THE SEX QUIZ YOU MUST TAKE.” And in smaller letters, “Find Out What Really Turns You On… And Feel Lustier Than Ever Before.” Not only does this headline place emphasis on sex, it emphasized that you must take the quiz, otherwise you will never know what truly turns you on and you will not feel lustier than ever before. The next largest headline reads, “Get Naked!” in large letters, following by, “25 Ways to Go Nude (Without Freezing Your Butt Off)” in smaller letters. Having “Get Naked!” on the cover of a magazine draws a reader’s attention because it’s controversial and taboo, provoking the reader to think, “WHY do I have to get naked?” which then provokes the reader to read further. Next, there is a headline that reads, “We Found Your Future Boyfriend! 23 Great Places to Meet Men!” Again, a provoking headline for a woman that really does want to find her future boyfriend, but nevertheless a headline that suggests the importance of a woman having a boyfriend, rather than emphasizing that a woman is perfectly acceptable whether she has a boyfriend or not. There are 4 other headlines on the cover of this edition of Cosmopolitan that all concern sex, pleasing a man, or a woman’s cosmetic appearance. This is extremely degrading because this magazine portrays sex, pleasing a man, and a woman’s cosmetic appearance as being the most pressing issues that a woman faces (Grossman). The magazine doesn’t give any regard to how the woman feels or if she is pleased with herself. Additionally, the magazine ignores other important qualities a woman may possess, such as intelligence, a great personality and a variety of talents. Instead, the magazine only is concerned with ensuring that a woman is desirable to a man.
The images and the headlines on the cover of Cosmopolitan magazine serve as a marketing strategy.

The unrealistically perfect women featured on the cover, along with the controversial headlines, all serve to draw readers in. Even if someone doesn’t purchase Cosmopolitan, they might at least flip through the pages while standing in line at the grocery store. That being said, Cosmopolitan markets their magazine to impressionable, curious and perhaps already insecure young women. The women most likely to buy Cosmopolitan are probably those that are curious about the sexual nature of the magazine. Or, the magazine appeals to insecure women who believe that this magazine can “teach” them how to be desirable to men, as the headlines on the cover often suggest. Because Cosmopolitan magazine has been a mainstay in the media world for so long, I have to believe that the rhetorical appeals used by the magazine are effective enough to keep current readers reading and to consistently draw in new readers. While those working for Cosmopolitan enjoy the benefits of their magazine’s success, there are millions of young girls negatively affected by Cosmopolitan’s

messages.
While Cosmopolitan sets a dangerous example for young women by setting unrealistic standards for women, oversexualizing women and ignoring important intellectual qualities that women possess, it is important to remember that what Cosmopolitan puts on their covers is a marketing strategy—they market what sells. Young women and readers of Cosmopolitan must remember that not everything in this magazine is realistic and not everyone thinks the way that the magazine wants you to think that they do—don’t be fooled. Lastly, sex and pleasing a man are not the only thing a woman should be worried about, intelligence and having great character are more important, no matter what any magazine tells you. Young women must be weary of the pressures and influences caused by magazines such as Cosmopolitan and be prepared to combat their messages in order to protect their own self-esteem and body image.