Sydney Christensen

Matthew Merkel

COMM 1500

4/10/19

Analysis 2: 5-Step Critical Process

1. Description:

Based on cosmopolitan covers and repeated content they seem to

define “beauty” as a woman who is thin, white, young, and provocative. Each
cover has this “type” of a woman, who is completely photoshopped,
displayed in a sexy position, usually wearing a tight fitted or revealing outfit.
While in bold headline surround her say “Sex…breakups…dieting…beauty
secrets…men”. From cover to cover there is the same content, only with a
different woman and different secrets of each one of the headlines listed
above. To me cosmopolitan is mainly portraying an unrealistic image of
women and that women are nothing else but their body, age, beauty, and a
sex object.

2. Analysis:

The past few decades of cosmopolitans covers show that there has not
been much change in race, body shape, age, etc. Back to the 1930s till now
most cosmopolitan covers are of a young, thin, white, attractive model. Over
the past decade, there is some more diversity in the models but all still
beautiful and thin. Out of all the covers I came across online, only three
covers had a plus size model, who again was wearing provocative clothing
and was white. Even though I would like to believe we are making steps
forward in changing the mindset of what beauty is, we are still seeing these
patterns and not only in cosmopolitan.

3. Interpretation:

This means that we have been buying into what society one idea of
what beauty is, which is unrealistic. Although, I feel there have been tiny
steps forward in the past few years by way of the body positive movement
and more prominent figures stepping up against this unrealistic expectation
by refusing to be photoshopped, sharing their struggles with body image,
and seeing some diversity in body types and race throughout the industry.
We still have a long way to go. To start reflecting an “average” women on
covers of magazines, we need to use average women. There needs to be a
ban on photoshop in all forms and diversity in the models that are used.

4. Evaluation:
Changing societies unrealistic image will take time. I believe that we
can make an impact and we are seeing the body positive movements doing
that. What the body positive movement and many other groups are doing is
trying to change our perspective on what is beautiful. We do not want to
exchange one image for another. The goal would be not to have an image of
what society defines as beautiful. That everyone is gorgeous in their way. In
today's world we have so many different social media platforms that can be
used to reach this goal of acceptance, instead of repeating the same
patterns cosmopolitan has.

5. Engagement:

Joanna Coles,

I am emailing you today to address my concerns of what the cover of

Cosmopolitan magazine is portraying to young women and our society.

Although I am happy to be seeing more diversity on the covers of the

magazine over the past few years, there are still significant issues that are
not being addressed.

First, besides the two or three plus-size models that I have seen on the cover
over the past year. Each model is thin and does not reflect the "average"
woman. You are portraying one primarily one body type, which "only 5% of
women have this body type genetically. The average American woman is
5’4" tall and weighs 140 pounds. The average American model is 5’11" tall
and weighs 117 pounds. The average American woman wears a size 12 to
14. Marilyn Monroe, Hollywood goddess, wore a size 12." (The Body Project,
2019) Do you see how this is an unrealistic body image to be displaying?

Second, a big part of Cosmos audience is young women. Your 20s are a very
vulnerable time in your life. You are growing into who you are, into being an
adult, figuring out your beliefs, love, etc. I am 23 years old and can
personally say I have been affected by this unrealistic image that your
magazine and most of society is portraying. As 18 years old I fell into the
idea that as a woman what I was good for was my body, my beauty, and how
"good" I was in bed because that is what I was being told. That is what
society feed to me and others. Body, beauty, and sex are constantly
repeated on the cover of Cosmo. Displaying a thin, usually white, model.
Most of the time in revealing or tight fitted clothes, posed in a provocative
position and bolding headlines surround her saying
"sex...breakups...diet...makeup...men...beauty". Is this all that women are?
For most of my life, I idolized the models on Cosmo, Victoria Secret, Vogue,
etc. Because they were also being idolized by society and specifically men.
What girl in her 20s doesn't want to be found desired? But again, only 5% of
women have this body type but it is the soul body type being displayed to
our society, which doesn't just create unrealistic expectations for women but
for men's idea of what a woman should be. This pressure to change and fit
this unrealistic mold only leads to unhealthy habits that Comso feeds into by
marketing fad diets, weight loss, over exercise, etc. The Academy for Eating
Disorders notes, about one in 20 young women in the community has an
eating disorder." Which can include anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, and
orthorexia. I personally fell into each one of these categories throughout
most of my adult life.

Because of my own history of being vulnerable and influenced by this

unrealistic standard. I feel the need to step up and share the issues that
Cosmo and many other social media/advertising agencies are portraying.
Cosmo has the platform to make a difference that I and most of the world
doesn't have. You have the opportunity to empower the "average" women.
YOU can create a better more accepting world by changing the perspective
of what is beautiful. We don't just want to exchange one body image for
another but no image. To create a goal that everyone is beautiful. I would
love to see moms, grandmas, women of color, disabled women advertised.
Those are your "average" women. Let's start now!

Thank you for your time,

An "average" Woman