Women's Magazines: Not So Frivolous After All

I've long felt that despite the general disregard and in many instances the outright contempt lobbed at women's magazines, there is far more to these glossy periodicals than meets the eye. Perhaps because I believe women's publications wield more power over societal attitudes and behaviors than is generally acknowledged, I frequently take issue with many of the ideas put forth whether in words or in imagery. While the prevailing attitude amongst most men and many women is one of derision, dismissiveness and general condescension, there is a fascinating new book just released in France detailing the history and influence of la presse feminine (women's publications) entitled Presse feminine : La puissance frivole (l'Archipel, 2008) that suggests we should readjust our thinking about the power and influence of this industry.

The author, Vincent Soulier, is a lecturer on the subject at Paris-Sorbonne and the director of a public relations consulting firm. He is also former marketing director at Groupe Marie Claire, publisher of Marie Claire (international), Cosmopolitan (international) and Votre Beaute (France) amongst others. His study focuses on the particularities of French women's publications but some of the conclusions and points made by the author can probably be extrapolated to most Western women's magazines as well. Soulier begins by tracing the origins of women's publications to French aristocratic circles and its eventual transformation into a tool used by the bourgeoisie and eventually the masses to shape aspirations, tastes and most importantly behaviors. The most interesting part of this book however is in the sections where Soulier untangles our attitudes towards women's magazines and explains how they took root. In France, the condescension appears rooted in a certain Left-Bank intellectual snobbery that feels these publications detract the attention of women away from important issues such as war, politics and the economy (fair enough) but also in anti-American sentiment inspired by American consumerism and its corrupting influences. Of course, he also points to a generous dose of plain old misogyny that contributes to the trivialization of women's magazines and their content generally.

The most interesting part of the book from my perspective is where Soulier meticulously connects the dots between important social changes (right to vote, access to contraception, entry of women into the workforce, rape, domestic violence, abortion, children's rights) to the opinions expressed and disseminated (along with the style tips and food recipes) by these so-called "frivolous" publications. In doing so, he makes a very compelling argument in support of the role of la presse feminine in shaping attitudes and ultimately behaviors on any number of weighty issues in French society.

Perhaps in light of these findings we should be especially concerned by all of the ideas put forth by these magazine such as when Paris Vogue's Carine Roitfeld foists upon us the likes of deeply troubled singer Amy Winehouse as a 'style icon' to be emulated by the masses. Or, when women's publications opt consistently to feature digitally enhanced photos of already preternaturally beautiful models and celebrities with every blemish, crease, line, bulge and wrinkle wiped away to leave only unattainable perfection. We should think twice about shrugging this off these images and the ideas they embody as merely another ploy to sell more magazines. If in fact Soulier is correct in his conclusions, then we should be holding these publications to a standard of conduct commensurate with their influence. Anything less would indeed by frivolous. Presse feminine : La puissance frivole is available from Amazon's French site.

Sincerely,

The Luxe Chronicles