My last blog truly was about a very important issue… Society placing incredible emphasis on women to appear to “have it all” but who don’t! Making women feel like they have to conform to the stick-thin ideals that are now in vogue.
I have struggled with my weight almost all of my adult life. I am a very successful dieter (yo-yo dieter, that is!) I have taken off AND put on many pounds since I had my youngest child.
Two Christmases ago I put four women’s magazines’ subscriptions on my wish list, and was very happy to see that I received all four of them (for either my birthday or Christmas.) They were all magazines that I “knew”… magazines I had read years ago. (I thought that I would take a break from cozies for just a little bit of the time.)
As the subscriptions were for only a year, I had to decide whether or not to take the magazine’s renewals. They kept sending me cards saying I could get special deals (two for one or one for half.)The magazines had changed drastically from when I used to read them. After a year of these “Women’s” magazines (more like dieting instructional manuals with tasty, fattening recipes on the side and beautiful women getting make-overs!) I decided that I didn’t need or want them. I had reached the point of actually making myself read the magazines every month… and it finally got to the point that I was just flipping through the pages. I simply got tired of all of the dieting advice. (I did, however renew my cross stitch magazine… no dieting tips there!)
I think that it would be safe to say that every single one of the four women’s magazines, every single month, had at least one article about how to lose weight. And of course, on the next page they would have chocolate cake recipes made with butter and cream! (Sort of like when my Weight Watchers meeting was held right next door to a Baskin and Robbins!)
The make-over sections and the “how to camouflage” your body’s problems were almost a source of laughter. I say almost… How distressing it must be for young women to see a size 8 trying to camouflage her hips! Good grief!
Boy! I feel much better now that I have gotten this off of my… fingertips and onto my blog! Don’t worry, this will not be an everyday occurrence… I know that two blogs in a row seem like a bit much for the “ranting and raving” theme…
Let me end on a mystery note: I just started reading a mystery by an author who I haven’t read before, and I am really enjoying it. And, I started listening to my next Agatha Christie novel in the car. Of course, I am really enjoying that, too!
Jan says
Absolutely dead-on! I gave up magazines years ago for the very same reasons. Even the covers promote the latest dieting “secret” right next to a picture of a triple layer chocolate cake. Every month it was the same old thing. Ridiculous! I think maybe we are the wrong demographic? If so I think I like getting “older” and being beyond the silliness. 🙂
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Hi Jan,
I gave those “Women’s” magazines up years ago, also… But, there’s always hope…
I should really write myself a note to remind me of the hypocritical messages they send to women and put it away for the next time (probably in five years) that I think that it’s safe to go into the water!