Just As Beautiful?
A new magazine for plus-size women has been launched.
I am loathed to link to the Daily Mail, but here it is. Let’s try to ignore the stomach-churning design (which is itself worthy of a despairing ramble) for now, and skip straight to the title: ‘Just As Beautiful’.
Just As Beautiful? How utterly patronising.
Yes, I get that the magazine is a validation of ‘Smokin’ hot big girls’, but ‘Just As Beautiful’ sounds like the words uttered by despairing parents when their spotty, brace-laden daughter comes home sobbing tears of low self-esteem. It’s weak. A lifestyle publication aimed at this market should have a strong, punchy name, and ‘Just As Beautiful’ serves only to draw attention to the obvious question, ‘Just as beautiful as what?’, thereby exacerbating the skinny/curvy divide.
But this title’s entire existence only serves to exacerbate the divide. One magazine for skinnies, another for larger ladies. Why? Because as Editor Sue Thomason says:
“We want our readers to know that they don’t need to change their appearance to ‘fit in’ or be truly happy. Most people only think they need to change because they’re constantly exposed to the message that they do – and shown images of impossibly skinny models that they’re told they ‘should’ look like.”
Well, you can’t say fairer than that. But this sentiment works on the assumption that magazines featuring slimmer models have got strap lines like ‘Smokin’ hot thin girls’ emblazoned across their covers in some hideous font. Magazines have traditionally always used skinny models. Sad fact. But the magazines don’t wax lyrical about how wonderfully skinny they are.
Indeed, a number of mags, notably Glamour, have taken steps to create inclusiveness by using ‘real models’. Efforts like this, of course, are not without their own criticisms, but ultimately the content within is applicable to women regardless of their size or weight. Those that argue otherwise probably haven’t explored much of the women’s magazine market lately.
Just As Beautiful, however, seems to deliberately alienate a section of the female market by making clear its target demographic: size 14 and over. And thus an esteemed peer, who happens to work for a very high-profile women’s title, makes the following point:
If traditional women’s glossies are, according to JAB’s Editor, for skinny chicks (and, based on the typical models used here, we’re assuming this is under size 10, more likely under size 8), and this ‘pioneering’ new title is aimed at size 14+, what the hell do size 12 women read “that doesn’t make you feel like you’re too big or ‘wrong’”. They don’t fit in anywhere! Who’ll cater for them?
Perhaps we need magazines for a range of body sizes, so we can all feel validated in our weight and appearance and develop a crushing loathing for women of any size that isn’t our own. Wrong’uns!
Brilliantly, Thomason remarks, “The point of the magazine is not to make such a big deal about women’s figures like other magazines do.” An argument which caves in on itself when the entire ethos of the magazine is, clearly, about women’s figures.
Rachel England is a freelance writer and editor. She studied at the University of Glamorgan and Cardiff University, then went on to edit Buzz Magazine. Her personal blog is called Inside & Out.
What do you think? Is a 'plus size' women's magazine a good thing or a bad thing?
Leave a comment below.
Links:
Related Articles
Information
Health >> Nutrition and Physical Activity
6 Comments – Post a comment
nate
Commented 20 months ago - 29th September 2010 - 20:10pm
And that's not the worst of it, as soon as you go to their website, http://www.justasbeautiful.com/, it starts to play James Blunt's "You're Beautiful".
tommy b
Commented 20 months ago - 1st October 2010 - 13:54pm
This is simply ridiculous, I mean the industry is full of undersized girls who most men don't find attractive anyway and this mag is just offensinve to those normal women out there, who are of course in the majority. I wish all glamour models were this size and there should be a magazine like this for ultra-skinny women becuase they should not be seen as role models for young girls. Alas, tis the world of fashion and beauty, where fakery and unnaturaly-twiglet sized bodies win the day.
BrokenEggShells
Commented 20 months ago - 1st October 2010 - 14:44pm
Fanastic article and you're absolutely right, Just as Beautiful suggests that you're just as beautiful as the 'beautiful' people. You could say that other magazines promote anorexia, but surely you could say this promotes obesity. That aside, what a dreadful looking magazine. Why isn't there a magazine that uses 'real' women and doesn't say REAL LIFE WOMEN IN THIS MAGAZINE. When there is a magazine that caters for every size and shape of women without having to parade this fact around, I'll but it.
Lau'
Commented 19 months ago - 4th October 2010 - 11:46am
who is beatiful?
neilramsden
Commented 19 months ago - 4th October 2010 - 17:04pm
Agreed, this is frightneningly stupid given that these are professionals who have come up with it. It's like a magazine aimed at black people with the tagline 'for black people- because we're not racist.' It just undermines and detracts from the point they're trying to make.
Pasternak
Commented 19 months ago - 4th October 2010 - 22:21pm
@neil
That's exactly why I have a problem with "Miss Black America" and similar competitions.