Did you know, magazines that are presented this way are hooking young readers so early that they will go on to read adult magazines? You other cover lines still aren’t getting any better. “Lads and sex, the truth about one night stands.” What on earth are you trying to do to these little teenagers? This is extremely intolerable, and any other parent would say the same. This is a stereotype! You are trying to say the men are mostly fascinated about sex. Despite the fact you used the word ‘lads’, it indicates that boys are ‘hungry for sex’. This is a subliminal message. This makes people very curious, as they do not know what the truth about ‘one night stands’ is. Possibly, some people would like to know the answer. But my problem is that these people are most likely to be vulnerable little teenage girls who know much better. Most people would say that this is quite unfair on boys as it influences teenagers reading the magazine into thinking that all boys are interested in sex. I know for a fact, that this magazine is not suitable for teenage girls.
On the other hand, I must have a high regard for and speak well of the choice of colours that you have used for the magazine front cover. As pink is a fashionable that girls commonly prefer. It was very intellectual; also I think it was very successful to choose this colour scheme. To be sincere, this was the reason for me taking respect into your magazine. As well as the good varieties of colour, the magazine is very appropriate. This is because it refers to mentioning that girls are sugar, spice, and everything nice. Although, some youths thought that you have been somewhat stereotypical about the masthead and colour scheme, I feel it is reasonably acceptable, adequate and tolerable.
Furthermore, another piece of your cover line isn’t any better. Again you did not fail to use false advice phrases; such as, ‘beat the boyfriend burglars’. This again is stereotyping! Because it is suggesting that girls steal other people’s boyfriends. But actually not all girls are like that. I have to point out that your magazines are too concerned about sexual issues rather than important matters. ’Beating the boyfriend burglars’ is not at all important. It’s rather more of a sexual issue.
Now, this is the most important issue of the magazine front cover. The phrase on your magazine which says ‘glam it up’, is basically saying that ‘glamorising it up’ is to look like Christina Aguilera. Your extremely misleading magazine is promoting young women to spend too much money on luxury, glamour and clothes. Your magazines are making readers very self cognisant about their appearance. This is not right. Students should be very self conscious about their studies and intelligence. Not things that won’t help them in the future. Making teens very conscious about their appearance, could even lead to underage sex. I doubt that you’d not want your daughter doing all this. Furthermore, you other cover lines still don’t please me. ‘Could you pull a McFly guy?’ WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS? Your magazines are treating girls as if they are only interested in boys and not about issues such as, ambition, hobbies etc.
Moving swiftly on, the main matter that energetically disturbed me with anger is about the false advice that you are promoting to youngsters. ’10 lies you should tell your mate’. I can’t believe that you are telling youths to lie to their friends. As a grown person I think you should know that friends are tremendously important in life, especially if you are a teenager, because it’s where you start to make close friends. In this case, the word ‘should’ is a misleading command which underlines that lying to your friends is crucial. What type of message of deception are you expressing to me and other teenagers to act upon? In society, we are taught to tell the truth! Yet why are you teaching us to lie? If my daughter gets into telling lies quite regularly, she might consider that telling lies is acceptable. God forbid that if she gets into a severe condition where she goes to court, and lies about something serious, she will have to cope with major fines or a shocking imprisonment. I’m sure you wouldn’t want your daughter ending up in these kinds of situations. Surely you must have an idea of the horrific things you are sending out to teenagers. By pressuring teens to tell fibs, fusses and big problems will come about soon. As you stated, that your magazine is best for teenagers, they may come in search of guidance from it. By reading magazines that proposes that lying is acceptable, teenagers will start to believe it because it came from a ‘trustworthy and believable source’. Do you honestly think that backstabbing is acceptable? This can also lead to people committing suicide. Due to you teaching this kind of behaviour, I think that you should take consideration and smarten up the contents of the magazine.
Would you want your daughter to be reading this kind of material? Or following this misleading advice? Would you want your daughter to be losing friends just for stupid reasons? Would you want your daughter wasting her savings on slutty clothes? I’m sure you feel the same way as I do, or any other parent. Also I need to now bring up another shocking issue. Since my daughter started to read your magazines, she clandestinely decided to go on a diet. Why? Just for the sake of looking ‘beautiful’ in your words. But in my words, just to look like Christina Aguilera, the misleading woman on the front cover. This could lead to anorexia or bulimia. These results cause the body to weigh 85% less than usual. Some people would even settle on to plastic surgery, just to achieve the slimness or your model. In my opinion, I think you should feel very culpable to be passing messages into my daughters mind, and other youngsters as well. Your images that exemplify that men only want anorexic, pale, blonde girls are completely absurd. Prettiness comes in loads of different designs. Again your magazine is making readers too self conscious about their appearance more than other things. Your magazine lures young people young readers to the music and fashion industry. I’d say this because, on the top right corner it says, ‘want to be a model? Join our search for a star’. Again, this stops young readers from concentrating with their studies, and pay attention to things that would never help or come useful in life.
All of these sexual issues on your sickening magazine could very possibly be encouraging boundless or underage sex. Did you know that Britain has the highest incidence of teenage pregnancy in the whole of Europe? We also have the highest incidence of sexual transmitted diseases such as, HIV and AIDS. In fact, London borough of Newham has the highest incidence of HIV in the country. Whereas is where most of your ‘sugar’ magazines are being published. I certainly would not want my daughter to amongst those infected. Do you think being sexy is our priority at this time? I think that magazines like this encourage teenagers not to expect too much from life.
Despite the fact that you used a celebrity, Christina Aguilera, she seems very dominate to the whole page. The word that she’s representing is ‘sex, sex, sex’. I must say it is one of the most stereotypical images ever concocted to the likes of media. It shows a blissful blonde, dressed in a low-cut halter top grinning seductively at the photographer. Now this misleading woman, in your words ‘the perfect girl’, has also in been loads of other magazines, and they have completely taken over reality and practicality. Some people would say, ‘the function of magazines is to provide readers with a sense of community, comfort and pride, as the magazine and promotes a feminine culture. Her low-cut halter top suggests that she is sassy. A vixen that has sexual needs and is not afraid to fulfil them. I think that your immoral magazine promotes mindless adoration of physical attraction.
From looking back and reviewing the magazine again, I can see that it is again far too deceptive. This is the final phrase which adds up causing all of these major problems and issues. After all these false advices, you added a finishing point to remind readers to follow your misleading system. ‘Christina shows you the way’. Basically you’re saying that Christina shows you the way on how to… Lie, how to look, how to act, how to beat the ‘boyfriend burglars’. In fact, it’s telling people to change their whole personality. And it also indicates that all girls have to be interested in fashion or else they will be unwanted in society. This would influence a lot of people indicating that it’s good to be noticeable. Everyone knows that Christina is incredibly rich. ‘Glam it up’, some people may not meet the expense to glam it up like Christina Aguilera. A few may result to drug dealing, even crime like stealing goods etc. Unluckily, this is rather possible because most girls do not want to be left out and they are very strong-minded. Investigation shows 58% of products stolen are just make-up, clothes and designer shoes. I feel that the media are repeatedly trying to decipher and create an image of “stunning women”, when actually, there is no accurate definition for these words.
I think that you should replace that explicit image with a student wearing a suit representing a happy and clever student that has been successful in life . This can have a positive influence on youngsters, to make them work harder and carrying on with their studies. I also feel that you should replace ‘lads and sex, the truth about one night stands’, with something like… ‘Studentz, the secret to passing your exams’. I thought you’d use slang because it could be more suitable to our children in society This can make people desperate to by your magazine, because they may be very determined to pass their exams. Or replace ‘could you pull a Mcfly guy?’ to, ‘could you get an A*?’ Or you could also change ’10 lies you should tell your mate’, to ’10 tips for passing exams’. Plus, you could change ‘your 20-page new season fashion guide’, to ‘your 20-page new season revision guide’. I think that this is very reasonable, because not only teen students would buy it, but most parents would buy it or recommend it as well. This is a better way of selling your magazine rapidly.
To conclude my letter, I do not want it to seem that I wrote just to complain. On the contrary I also wanted to simply advise you and give you a couple of beneficial suggestions. I think that your magazine is targeted at the wrong audience because it is portraying badly chosen messages to the teenagers in the UK. I also wanted to mention just how many problems in society your magazine is supporting. For instance, we know that the number of girls in the UK with bulimia and anorexia are rising, so instead of lowering their self-esteem even more, you could write stimulating articles to make them feel confident and positive about their looks. Also I think you should carry out surveys to find out what teenagers really want, and demolish those unacquainted stereotypes. Or maybe, you could put in an age limit on magazines which are not suitable for children; hence youths will have to think twice before purchasing the magazine. You could also put a parental advisory tag. This can also represent that the contents are not at all suitable for youngsters. You should really be searching for a way to eliminate the problems and issues instead of producing them. We, as reliable and mature adults need to work side-by-side with the media to guarantee that a high level of corruption does not get in touch with our children. I know that I am not the only concerned carer who has written to you after finding a copy of a rather offensive, filthy and crude magazine hidden between our youngster’s textbooks. Finally, I also think you should stop stereotyping women and teens.
Thank you for taking your time in reading my concerns, I am eagerly to see the changes that you have made in your magazine, and to be targeted at the right audience. I would be very obliged to hear a response.
Yours faithfully
Leila Ali