Glamour mafia selling unhappiness and liberalism to American women

[NV1962]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1164020,00.html

'Traitor' lifts lid on US glamour mafia

Magazine queens are selling anorexia and low self-esteem to women, claims ex-editor

Paul Harris in New York
Sunday March 7, 2004
The Observer


They are the sorority of spin - the media queens whose perfectly coiffured heads and pencil-thin bodies dictate the fashion and lifestyles of millions of women. Through their magazines and TV shows they dictate what American women should wear, eat, and do in the bedroom.

But now one of them has turned traitor and written a tell-all confession, sending shockwaves through US media circles.

Myrna Blyth, former editor of Ladies Home Journal, has launched a scathing attack on women's magazine editors and the top female broadcasters. In her book, Spin Sisters, Blyth accuses them of ruining the lives of women with constant exhortations to be thin, beautiful, career-minded and still raise a family.

She also says they pursue a 'liberal' agenda out of touch with many women's beliefs and frequently use scare tactics to keep women afraid and stressed. The sub-title on her book says it all: 'How the women of the media sell unhappiness and liberalism to the women of America'.

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[DarkPhenyx]

1. Wow...

I'm really curious to hear her lack of logic in this piece. I agree with part of it, but somehow I don't think she'll actually be able to sell teh "liberal" part w/o loking like a RW idiot.

[papau]

2. OK - Now "liberal" means "upbeat" concerned about health, looks, lifestyle

If you are into self-improvement, you must be liberal.

And out of this mantra she sold a book - by spinning the above with excessive concern - and liberal.

Amazing

:-)

I guess "no concern that is excessive" Stepford wife is the ideal!

:-)

[eaprez]

3. Women are not victims....

....and this article sounds more like someone pushing their conservativisim than anything else. Magazines and the media may very well try to push agendas but the bottom line is those buying into it are not VICTIMS as this trys to portray.

[BeHereNow]

4. Actually...

My daughter is researching this topic for an
argumentive essay assignment.
The correlation between teenage anorexia
and fashion magazines/television is now considered a
medical fact.
The liberal aspect I think is a manipulation related to
the image manipulation.
She is correct in the conflict media induces in women.
A liberal woman is a size two, works, has a family and
time to go to the gym and cook elegant desserts.
Totally bizzare if you think about it.
Is there not a slight conflict in going to the gym and
returning home to make thousand calorie dessert?
Also, while these magazine present images of
thin, confident, successful women, they are filled with
ads for all kinds of pharma-drugs to fix all the
terrible medical conditions we women supposedly have.

Induced conflict on all levels of self-esteem.
I am glad she is speaking out and exposing the bitches
who try to ruin other womens' self-esteem.
Not very sisterly of them, is it?
BHN

[eaprez]

5. You Misunderstand My Point

...I am not saying that women don't try to fashion themselves after the images they see...and marketing is very slick....but its like blaming McDonald's for making you fat. If young girls don't get what they need from home --- if they are 'ripe' targets for this kind of stuff...then something is amiss on the home front and the lessons we are teaching our kids. If television is so damaging to kids -- then why aren't people putting the well being of their kids first and getting rid of the televisions in their homes? It's a very complicated issue and once again its easier to blame the "industry" or "capitalisim" and make them the scape goat than to take responsiblity for the world we create for our own families. We do have some control...its just easier to be a victim as it requires no action.

[BeHereNow]

6. We agree.

It is possible to raise a young woman who doesn't buy
into the manipulation. Unfortunately that requires
a concentrated effort of counter-acting the never ending
stream of crap being fed our young people.
I am fortunate; I have the luxury of being a stay-home mom.
And it IS a full time job, if it is done right.
Our society over all does not seem to care much what
happens to our greatest resource, and even when they do, most are
too busy working to survive to really be there for their kids.
That is what I see anyway.
BHN

[Rich Hunt]

10. question

The correlation between teenage anorexia
and fashion magazines/television is now considered a
medical fact.

How so? It's not as if fashion magazines are taken internally, so I don't see how the media plays a role in any 'medical fact'.

Anorexia and bulimia existed long before there were mass media.

There have been a number of studies linking eating disorders with perfectionism and high achievement. In fact, it's pretty much mandatory for a successful professional woman to wear a size 8 or smaller.

Blaming magazines lets the middle-class culture off the hook.

http://www.anred.com/causes.html

[BeHereNow]

11. Dr. Alison Feild

Who treats bulimic patients conducted a survey
among her patients and one of the questions
was "how much effort they were making to like
females they saw in the media." "We found that to
be a very strong predictor of starting to use vomiting
or laxatives to control weight."
The Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine Association
also released a study that stated the same.
They found that body image was enormously affected
by media images and the same high correlation in the
subjects to those who were consumers of fashion
images versus those who were not.
Another physician who specializes in the the area
Dr. Stanly Hertz, also found the same increased incidence in his
patients who reported increased urges to induce
vomiting or abuse laxatives in relation to viewing
these images.
I think basically what these doctors are learning is
that the distorted body image and addiction to
vomiting/laxative abuse was much like a heroin addict
being triggered by the image of a needle, as far as
the fashion magazine images being a trigger to
bulimic and anorexic people.
All this from my daughter's research and paper.
I am glad she is looking into it-
Thank God she does not suffer this way and I am
thankful that she is learning to discern how powerful
media images can be, and therefore discern the
reality versus the unrealistic expectations imposed
on young women by uncaring corporations.
Here is an interesting fact she unearthed:
A quote from Dr. Stanley Hertz:
"The average American model is 5 foot ten and
107 pounds. The average North american woman
is 5 foot 4 and 143 pounds. So what we show is not what
we really are."
Makes me feel better!

BHN

[DemBones DemBones]

7. Although she probably says a lot of things that need saying,

Myrna Blyth trashed Katie Couric for "using" her husband's death from colon cancer "to promote herself." I don't think that's why Couric took on campaigning for colon cancer awareness. It's not a sexy disease in any way and she's publicly taken it as a cause, made it part of her identity. She was already a big name so she didn't need the p.r.

And it took a lot of guts (pun intended) for her to have an on-screen colonoscopy.

[Bridget Burke]

8. How many women really take these magazines seriously?

I'll occasionally check out Vogue for laughs. Get a chance to see if it's worth shopping this season--any trends I like--how would they look in my size? Or if any of my old stuff is new again. Most of their outfits are far too expensive but knockoffs will be available. Mostly, I end up thinking--if they can wear THAT, I can get away with anything.

Do any of these magazines have political agendas? There are occasional articles on women from both sides of the political spectrum. Generally, though, it appears that Absolutely Fabulous is a totally factual view of the women who write for Vogue, et al. Usually they are good for a laugh.

[Rich Hunt]

9. keep in mind

This woman wrote for Ladies' Home Journal, not Vogue or W. LHJ is a conservative magazine geared toward more 'traditional' women.

I don't think teenage girls with eating disorders read LHJ. I don't even think too many of them read Vogue.