Link to Magazine
It's almost impossible for magazines to somehow, in one simple way or another really intense way, to influence individuals, especially women. I've always loved to read; words, sentence structures, wit everything about it is so fascinating that it's also natural that I wanted to read magazines as well as scholarly books. And it was devastating! I thought I had to look just like those models, at that time in middle school I wasn't aware or informed of photoshop, I was pressured by friends to follow the trends and all that. Happily I got out of that cycle by not reading those magazines anymore and by hanging out with more sane people but the issue of magazines still bothered me. I refuse to look at them when I'm waiting in line and much less open them to wait for my turn because in some way or another (maybe it's just psychological but) I feel that I'm buying into what they're selling. And truth be told, it's hard not to because you really do wonder what your favorite celebrity ate that weekend, you would like to read those tips on how to make your hair voluminous and keep it that way for the whole day.
For the most part magazines are about gossip, make-up, diets in another word, vanity.
So I decided to create an alternative, a magazine that I wouldn't mind reading. My version doesn't have celebrity gossip because this is not a full blown tabloid but ideally it will. It does have ads because I would need the funding but even those are different. There are ads about photography, learning a new language, reading books, and yes make-up because I don't think it's altogether detrimental for women's self-esteem or value or a signifier of anything. It helps me look healthy and hides my dark circles because at this point no amount of sleep will get rid of them...
A more developed version of my magazine will include more men in it, this one has a tiny section and not deep enough for my liking but they're there! If a women's magazine is all about women trying to get men's attention it is only fair and logical for men to be in magazine, at least it is to me. Why guess what they want (from us, for example) when we can just ask them. And it's not fair to reduce men to senseless beings controlled by hormones, their voices also need to be heard and not dictated by a select few.
And to explain my title a little, I chose the word corset because there is so much history behind it. Just from prior knowledge, corsets have been seen as restrictive instruments and harmful to women. Setting aside the literal restrictions in using them, and the real health issues they caused (when they are pulled too tightly they ended up rearranging the organs of women that can cause serious irreversible damage). They were symbolically restrictive, reflective of their time. The utter dependency on men, the lack of opportunity, the absolute impossibility of moving on your own (unless you were extremely rich but even then you were still prey to be married and lose all of your rights).
To access the magazine:
https://madmagz.com/magazine/530500
Berger, John. Ways of Seeing. Print, 36-64.
Hooks, Bell. Black Looks: Race and Representation. Boston: South End Press, 1992. 115-131.
Kimmel, Michael. Misframing Men. 2010. Print, 1-9.
Beauty and Its Beastly Secrets: The Toxic Truth about Cosmetics
How to Apply Make-Up like a Pro
Up the Career Ladder, Lipstick in Hand
Demographics of Selfies
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