With the help of these products, you can be photoshopped sex goddess!

How many men on their board of directors?

Several years ago, I used to read Cosmopolitan magazine. Every month, I'd buy it, read it on my lunchbreak, and inevitably end up purchasing more things I didn't need, and another magazine because a good portion of Cosmo is just advertising. I don't know why I did it. At the time I had unfortunately just tried dyeing my hair black, among other terrible beauty decisions (FYI Nair burns when left on too long. A lot.). I guess after that poor judgement call I felt I needed some guidance. Also, having been in a Christian school up til high school, my knowledge of sex was "don't do it." 

When you need to make a profit, just add self doubt!

         What better place to see what the rules are for a modern man and woman than Cosmo?

Eek! A period!

            “First Period HORROR Stories” was the first headline I caught. “We’re traumatized just reading them!” The pretty blond white woman stares nervously to the side. As was explained in The Codes of Gender, women are seldom portrayed as strong and confident in photography. Here she is accompanied by the expected masculine humor, which is funny because menstruation is a quality that is decidedly feminine and womanly, and should be accompanied by shame. Women are supposed to read these articles and be glad they were never so embarrassed by a bodily function. That intention, even without the photography, is embarrassing.

But if I don't read it, I'll never know!

            “Why He Wants to Tie You Up: And 6 More Male Fantasies Decoded” is another article being peddled this month as a young black and woman appear in a situation where she is posed in a submissive position beneath his advancing movements. Women are never to be placed in positions that are in power, and the article designed for a “women’s magazine” creates an insecurity that women need to purchase these magazines to get the information on men, because men are so different from women. The reality is that magazines like Cosmo and the advertisements they feature are not designed to cater to women, but to enforce the gender norm that women need to cater to men and male expectations of women. Cosmo emphasizes a divide in the sexes by advertising that women cannot please men without following their guides and advertisements, and assumes that women should be desiring to please a man at all!

Credits:

Overanalyzing

Someecards
Cosmo Screenshots of ads from their website