More Media Critizism

Maxim Vs Cosmo
So the assignment this week in Media Criticism was to compare and contrast the two great modern American magazines of Cosmo and Maxim. At first when I first was given this assignment I thought that there would be a lot of major differences between these two magazines. One publication being a more fashion beauty and focused women’s magazine while the other a more gadget and entertainment men’s magazine that is maxim Though after thoroughly reading through both the magazines I found out they had more in common then they had differences.
The most noticeable thing about the two magazines initially is how many advertisement each magazine has before actually having a substantial article or let alone the table of contents. Though after the initial rush of product placement I thought there would at least be one major difference between the two magazines. Each magazine approached the same themes of sex, money, fashion, and celebrity though each came from it in a different manner. Maxim’s article where smaller over all and had a more direct approach of talking to the reader. There also was a very fake aura of, “Hey we’re cool and just one of the guys approach.” In Cosmo there was more of a feel good approach to the articles they had a very friendly demeanor as if they were very self assuring. Though when it came to what they talked about it was more of the same how you can spice up your sex life or how once again the orgasm is important. I feel like both seem to pander to the worst qualities of our society today. The magazines for the most part seemed like more of a vice for product placement and advertisement than actual articles and entertainment. I feel like this is one of the major reasons why print is dying no one is really saying anything. How many ways can you write an article about what is a better sex position or which home town hottie secretary is the hottest coed. It is funny because it is almost like each magazine riffs of each other this month the big interview in Cosmo was Kim Kardashian where they spent a substantial amount of time reassuring the readers that she was more than a TV show and a sex tape while in Maxim they did the history of the sex tape have a big part of all about Kim’s famous tape. There are differences between the two magazines though they seem to have way more in common. They both dumb down the reader and simplify them to being only a money loving sex crazed individual. Either way I’m going to go on with my life and continue ignoring the both of these publications.