Comments on: Something For Everyone: Links

By: Anna

Anna — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 20:48:57 +0000

I couldn’t even find the Elle with Gabourey on the cover. The only one I could find had one of the women from “The Hills” on it. Also, I haven’t been that impressed with Elle for a while. I had been a subscriber, but didn’t renew because I felt they were doing a disservice to the majority of American women by promoting rampant consumerism, especially in regards to plastic surgery and $500 night cream.

By: Sarah

Sarah — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 02:11:27 +0000

It’s safe to say the majority of Elle readers are thin. The content of the magazine is geared towards thin women with money. It’s not for poor and fat schlubs like me, even though I DID read it for a while.

Anyway, I gave up Elle after they decided to publish a glowing editorial on Meme Roth. What they did to Gabby further strengthens my commitment to NOT reading this magazine or giving it my hard-earned money.

By: Liza

Liza — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 01:06:32 +0000

Honestly, the first time I read that she smoked I was incredibly let down and disappointed. I guess because there was so much other health stuff going on over there. I was glad to read she quit. I wish everyone would.

By: Liza

Liza — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 01:04:44 +0000

Technically designers don’t actually pay money to appear in magazines (no one does, and celebrities aren’t paid for interviews). They probably do give or loan samples of the clothes for free, which means it’s more of a mutual back scratching (magazines get use of hot clothes for their photo spreads and in turn the brands get some publicity) than any payola.

By: Datura

Datura — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 22:37:45 +0000

I wish we could get bigger Levis here in South Africa. I’ve never been able to wear them. The biggest they stock here is around a size 10 U.S. They’re imported so they’re strangely marketed as some kind of luxury brand, which means only tiny sizes.

By: Simone Lovelace

Simone Lovelace — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 16:47:05 +0000

Fair enough, and good for you.

However, I honestly do believe that the ideal of aspirational thinness is so darn persistent because it promotes bad body image in the majority of the female population, and that sells all kinds of products.

By: Simone Lovelace

Simone Lovelace — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 16:45:19 +0000

Hmm. Not exactly pointless, since many of us curvy inbetweenies have a hell of a time finding pants.

Definitely disappointing though.

By: Lisette

Lisette — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 14:03:36 +0000

“…but to make female readers feel inadequate…”

Hey, not all female readers feel inadequate looking at skiny models. I certainly never have – yes, I have insecurities, but none relating to photographs of women I’ll never meet. And what about thin readers?

By: Lauren

Lauren — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 13:52:58 +0000

I kind of agree with this, it’s pretty much the same old same old and who knows how much photoshopping goes into it anyway? Magazines would never revert to doing this all the time, however, because I’m sure designers pay big bucks for their clothes to be shown not only on a celebrity, but on the cover a nation-wide magazine.

By: Alexa

Alexa — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 06:04:14 +0000

I think all magazine covers should be more like Gabby’s (sans the skin color change, obviously). What’s the point of showing off all the (always skinny) actresses’ bodies but to make female readers feel inadequate and enforce thin body ideals among female celebrities?
This is particularly ironic in light of (one of the other Elle cover girls) Amanda Seyfried’s interview a few months ago where she says she starves herself to be thin enough to get work in Hollywood.