I heard about this today. Decent is a men’s magazine curated by women.
It’s probably safe to say that the size of the “men who want to be told what to do by women” market is a lot smaller than the “women who want to laugh at the silly things men do” market. If the owners are smart, they already know this, and they’re marketing this magazine to women. If they think they’re going to sell this to men, I think they’re going to have a tough time.
Also, this is a perfect opportunity to try your “shoe on the other foot” thinking.
What would people think if this same magazine was for women, curated by men?
QUOTE: What would people think if this same magazine was for women, curated by men?
This concept has already been done. For instance, Bustle, In-Touch, Life & Style and Essence magazines are women’s magazines (to name few) that have been owned and operated by men. In fact, the popular supermarket magazine Family Circle had male editors for the first 50+ years of its existence (until the mid 1980s).
Have any of them advertised themselves as “curated by men for women”? I think you are outdoing yourself in missing the point here.
I think you are grossly missing the point if you have to ask that question. Even Heller Keller could see male owned and operated magazines established standards for women relative to style, beauty, attire, make-up, marriage, etc. As well, they didn’t have to advertise, for quite a long time, it was socially acceptable for men to dictate such matters to women.
In the meanwhile, men have been dictating to men that they have to be hyper macho (Field and Stream) and hyper lustful (Playboy). It might be refreshing to get a woman’s perspective on what a man should be.
@Robin, I agree that it is useful for men to hear what women think, and vice versa. (Although quite a bit less useful than a husband knowing what his wife thinks, and vice versa.)
I’m pointing out the double standard. If men created such a magazine and marketed it as such (here you are, women, in order to be decent you need to do what these men tell you), the outcry would be tremendous.
QUOTE: If men created such a magazine and marketed it as such (here you are, women, in order to be decent you need to do what these men tell you), the outcry would be tremendous.
It’s not “if”. Men have not only done this, but for a long time their views were dictated as social norms. Such action likely sparked a rightful outcry from women…that they may know more about themselves than men. Now, the same goes for Decent magazine. Men should respond that they more about themselves than women (if they position the magazine as an authority on maleness instead of potential advisor).
As you stated, feedback/opinions can be helpful coming from the opposite sex. Yet, when there’s the arrogance that the opposite knows better, that’s different and it’s reasonable for either side to push back.
When *in recent history* has a magazine *been marketed as* “created and curated by men for women*?
Probably the route that Hugh Hefner took in presenting women as they “ought to be” from a male perspective would be the most widely accepted among men. Men have had their say in the matter. Why should I worry that they would be publicly censured for presenting their perspective at present? Do we really need to see an unabashed endorsement of the Stepford Wives? It doesn’t bother me in the least that this would be regarded as untoward nowadays. Nor can I see why it should bother men in general, except a few ideological hardliners.
@Robin, Playboy is actually a good example.
And I’m not worried or bothered by Decent. I simply find it amusing, and especially so given the lack of some people’s ability to put on their “shoe on the other foot” glasses.
Indeed. It seems rather silly when both sexes act as if they are totally independent from the other.
QUOTE: When *in recent history* has a magazine *been marketed as* “created and curated by men for women*?
What I was responding to was, “What would people think if this same magazine was for women, curated by men? To that, my initial response was “This concept has already been done…”. In fact, the concept was accepted as a social norm for years without need for special marketing. Yet, if you have information that refutes the point I was responding to, I’d be interested in seeing it.