I Broke Up With Lady-Mags

Source.

Confession: I used to hoard issues of Glamour Magazine! I did, I kept them in chronological order in stacks in my closet. And I wasn't 17, I was in my late 20's.



Even though I'm a student of human behavior, I wonder why I kept so many repetitive articles/pictures/ads (mostly ads). I mean, a new Glamour was coming out in a few weeks, with some life-changing beauty and fashion tips. I think the magazines represented hope -- that somewhere in those glossy pages was a fix for whatever was ailing me. My frizzy hair, lackluster wardrobe, nothing-to-wrote-home-about love life.

Source.

When I moved from that condo, I donated my magazines to the local hospital. (Was that a kindness?) Over the next few decades I would still buy and read "women's" magazines. I left Glamour behind and moved on to Self, Marie Claire, Oprah, and More.



After about twenty five years of reading, I came to a conclusion: While these various mags have different target audiences, there's an astonishing similarity in the content. It seems every month we can learn about:

• 10 Foods That Burn Fat


• The 10 Prettiest Hair and Makeup Styles You Can Wear, According to Guys


• August's 4 Must-Have Beauty Products


• Eat These 7 Foods to Look Years Younger


• Get Rid of Bikini Bumps Once and for All


• Stamp Out Shine — For Good (yikes)


• 6 Hair Mistakes That Make You Look Old—and How to Fix Them

That's just headlines from the latest online editions of some top-selling women's magazines. If I went back a few months and shuffled the magazine names, I'd find similar articles. It's a heavy dose of self-improvement, yeah?



So I stopped buying/subscribing to women's magazines. I was feeling like I'd read it all before. And for up-to-the-minute style and beauty news, I have you, and dozens of fabulous bloggers.



I'm not critical of women who enjoy lady-mags.The magazines can be a relaxing way to spend an hour, and they're the best way to enjoy a pedicure ☺. There are good articles (do I sound like a guy buying Playboy?) about women's health, human rights, eco-sustainibility, et al.



But I broke up with lady-mags. Looks like I'm going to hold on to my bikini bumps. ☺



For you fellow list-lovers, here's the most popular "women's interest" magazines in the U.S., in descending order:



Good Housekeeping

Family Circle

Woman's Day

Ladies' Home Journal

Cosmopolitan

Oprah

Glamour

Redbook

InStyle

Self

More

Vogue (what is Vogue doing way down here??)

Elle

Allure

Marie Claire



Are you a fan or not-fan?