Sexist magazines - a rant

I've managed to get the TV in my bedroom working - which those who know me and know how bad I am with technology will agree is a pretty special achievement.

So I had the news on as I was getting dressed this morning and was interested to hear about a protest that was happening outside Tesco stores across the country today, calling on the supermarket to Lose the Lads Mags.

The campaign, led by a couple of feminist pressure groups, wants the supermarket to stop selling titles like Zoo and Nuts, because they argue that the magazines fuel sexist attitudes towards women. The campaigners also say that exposing employees to the images of nearly naked ladies on the front covers of these publications is tantamount to sexism in the workplace.

They have targeted Tesco mainly because it is the biggest supermarket in the UK, so clearly they are starting at the top.

I tend to agree that lads mags are bad news, promoting a kind of casual sexism that I think is much more damaging because it's so mainstream.

But has anyone stopped to think about the women's magazines recently? Because in my opinion, some of these titles can be just as damaging when it comes to equality.

I stopped buying magazines like Cosmo years ago, because, quite frankly, they made me feel a bit depressed. Literally everything in these magazines is about image and attracting a man - with articles on clothes, shoes, make-up, and getting/pleasing a boyfriend. The message is clear - if you're not going about your business while looking so attractive that you are literally beating men off with a stick (like a kind of reverse Linx effect) then you are basically a failure as a woman.

And if you're not spending your life thinking about looking good or attracting a boyfriend, then you're also a bit crap. Back to Lady School for you!

I actually did my university dissertation on the effects of the glossy magazines, both for men and women, on attitudes towards women. I remember specifically one particular article (and I think this was in Cosmo) that I analysed as part of my work. It was one of those top-ten lists, called something like "10 ways to be happier" and one of the suggestions was waxing your bikini line into a heart shape.

Now I'm sorry, I'm all for personal rooming, but a heart shape? Seriously? That's not going to make you happy - it's just going to make you frustrated and inevitably a bit stressed when you accidentally lop off the top left hand corner of your design.

Meeting friends increases happiness. Laughing increases happiness. Doing something worthwhile increases happiness. Having a heart-shaped bush does not.

So yes, in the fight for equality for women, lads mags are a step backwards. But in my view, a lot of the magazines for women aren't much better either.