Now I need to add a disclaimer here. I do NOT buy The Sun, I don't. but this morning I was in my local newsagents and The Sun Newspaper was on the side by the till and I noticed that they had separated the Fabulous Mag into two parts, one part for "him" and one for "her" Instantly my interest was piqued, bear in mind, this is The Sun who are not exactly known for their gender equality progress.
So I bought it,
(although I was tempted to buy a top shelf magazine as well to hide the paper in, but I couldn't reach)
So this is how it was split.
The male section, known as MF, it has Liam Gallagher on the cover looking all mean and moody and the splashes are,
"Beady Eye Exclusive, Liam on booze binges, reforming Oasis and why he is still a rock 'n' roll star"
'Agony and Ecstasy. 25 years of E'
'Train like a British Lion'
'20% off New Look'
The women's cover.
Danni Minogue looking like an evil version of Kylie.
The splashes are.
'Dannii Cool, She's come back fighting from the worst year of her life. Why Miss Minogue is happier going it alone'
'To breed or not to breed. Two women battle it out'
'Get Alba's Abs. No gym required'
I think we can tell where this is going can't we?
I'm surprised women are even going to have a chance to read it, what with having to cook dinner, clean and look after the kids.
Just from the covers it got my back up. In a what the FUCK, kind of way.
I'm scared to even open it. Now as the wonderful Slink Magazine pointed out, (which you can buy here,
SLINK MAG I'm a contributor this month, by the way) You do have to have a way of generalising when making magazines but this is just so cliche that it hurts.
So I opened the mag.
And then shut it again.
Ok, I will open it again just for you.
Contents of the Mens mag
MF Sets the agenda
Cool Summer Clobber
We 'ave it with Beady Eye and Liam Gallagher
Towie's Lucy Mecklenburgh chats politics (with a topless pic of her)
Richard Bacon on the misery of Stag do's
E talking, how a drug changed Britain
Rugby Ace, George North explains his fitness regime plus we teach you how to surf
Look ace, with these grooming products
Reggie Yates talks proper tailoring
The Fathers Day gifts to add to your list
BBQ like a bloke with this lobster recipe
The best of the fests moments and win tickets to The Isle of Wight festival.
That is the genuine contents page of the men's section, WRITTEN IN THAT TONE. Do you want to know how the women's section reads?
Of course you do.
Contents of Fabulous Mag
Features
The graph of greatness, what we rate and hate this week (Jennifer Anistons ass being one of these things)
Is being a mother a thankless burden or the best job in the world.
It happened to me, I became an astronaut
After the heartache of the last few years a happy healthy Danni Minougue tells us why she is focusing on her son and her work.
Fabulous has two pints of lager and a packet of crisps with Will Mellor.
Fashion & Beauty
Oh god this bit goes on forever and includes how to look as good as Jessica Alba in a bikini and how to be a girlie girl in lack or toughen up in leather.
and then you have the
Home and Away section which contains the horoscopes, how to solve your health money and sex dilemmas and a guide to making our week fabulous. (Oh I see what you did there)
All in all I have never come across a bigger pile of sexist claptrap in my life? Why does the mag need to be sectioned off at all? Is hearing about Liam Gallagher too much for our delicate constitution? Will reading about the history of Ecstasy pollute our simple minds?
What the HELL is going on?
Is it me? Am I over-reacting? OR have Fabulous magazine overstepped the mark?
Now my greatest dilemma is to decide whether I line the cat litter tray with it, or take a crap on it myself?
Maybe I should ask a man to make that decision for me?
Let me know your thoughts.
(On the magazine, not whether I should crap on it)
Big Fashionista x x x