To feel like there is not one decent women's magazine on the market

[tinierclanger]

They all churn out the same tired old stuff slightly rehashed every now and again, there's no proper journalism, hardly any proper reviews, no insight into anything. They're all so boring!

But why has no one mentioned the ultimate (but of course sadly defunct)women's magazine - Spare Rib? I actually used to enjoy that one, even bought the diaries.... Private Eye must really miss it too.

I was going to say - that's a hell of a long time to carry around a copy of J17! I'd forgotten all about J17 - used to love it.

Gah! I just had a survey person on the phone from Cosmo. Fired up by this thread, I was going to give her a right earful but she only asked about haircare advertising not the magazine itself.

I agree most of the "women's" magazines are dreadful. Heat often gets left in the coffee room at work and I pick it up to look sometimes then put it straight back down.

The only one I read with any rgularity now is - ahen- The Lady!! Honestly it has changed quite a lot since Rachel Johnson took over as editor. Although they have a "cover girl" and "celebrity" interview most weeks we are usually talking more mature women with something interesting to say. Oh dear, showing my age!

I don't get it every week but I always check it out to see what the articles are and about one in every two or three has something in that intersst me. Plus it has the BEST puzzle IMO in The Ladygram, though I can't justify buyig it every week just for that.

I'm not old old,just quite old,but I love immersing myself in Saga and The Oldie when I'm staying at my Mum's. Both intelligent, eclectic reads. The adverts for retirement homes and walk-in baths can be a bit depressing though.

Agree with the hoards that Marie Claire used to be distinctly different and interesting .... also really used to like SHE but in its old personna (talking 70s - I was a precocious reader - 80s) when it seemed rather irreverent and slightly shocking. There's now nothing particularly aimed at women which doesn't make me angry and/or despairing at a) how some other people live, b) the "role models" presented to women, c) the depths to which some people stoop (thinking all the crap true story types) or d) the assumption that it's normal to spend a hundred quid odd on a T shirt.

If I buy magazines at all now - 'cos they're so bloody expensive for an hour's (max) read, I get National Geographic, BBC History, Q, or Doctor Who (yes really, know I'm a nerd).

I miss Eve too. It had interesting articles but interspersed with pictures of lipglosses.

I sometimes buy Red, always regret it and end up wondering why I've paid £4 to read articles that make me feel poor, glamourless and dull. I am now (another) convert to the Economist and it's monthly 'lifestyle' magazine- Intelligent Life. Really worth a read.

And I steal my Dad's Oldies and Private Eyes!

I'm reading Betty Frieden's The Feminine Mystique at the moment and this thread reminded me of the chapter that analyses the way women's magazines in the fifties went from containing interesting, quality writng about strong women to gradually becoming poorer quality publications promoting a constrained view of women as childlike glamourpusses and homemakers....

I stopped reading magazines a couple of years ago when I realised they just made me miserable. I do enjoy The Week (my parents have a subscription and always give me their copy when they've finished with it). Very interesting and I love the long articles at the back each week (and the property porn ).

I do occasionally miss treating myself to a magazine though, might try out a few mentioned on here.

Ooh I agree about Saga magazine.

I do fancy the LRB though. [googles] Wow, it's not even that expensive. I won't have the money til April though... [sigh]

That Oh COmely looks simultaneously interesting and infuriating.

The only one I ever read now is Psychologies. Even that has become a bit dreary. I used to like Zest, New Woman, Cosmo, Marie Claire at various times in my life, but now I agree they're all shite.

What I'd like is a version of Nova magazine for our times - but I'm old enough to just remember it the first time round.

I remember reading Sugar magazine when I was younger... is that still around?

And Bliss!

i agree, i can't stand anything with a picture of Jordan or Chazza cole on the front (really don't give a shit if they are "on the verge of a breakdown" or whatevva). Celeb papp is excruciating.

Tried Grazia, some of the fashion was ok but the juxtaposition of Horrible things happening to women in Sudan but ooh turn over here's a 400 quid handbag to orgasm over, made me feel a bit, well, ill.

Red makes me feel inadequate. As do many of the other glossies. What do you mean, you don't have a perfect beautiful home, dress in co-ordinated designer tea dresses, have your own business making cupcakes/teatowels/silk prints of your yummy mummy friends' pre-birth fanjos etc etc? Feel bad now? well, here's a million ads for cosmetic surgery at the end, go cheer yourself up with a boob job dear.

Easy Living, GHK, Woman Home etc make me feel old and dull. I'm 41 but still like to get drunk, lust after younger male film stars and dance to something in the top 40 download chart. NOT worry if my hoover is doing its job, if my shares are performing (what portfolio?? i have a mortgage not a trust fund thanks) or how to make my own organic duvet cover out of camomile teabags.

the only one i have bought in the last year was Top Sante to get some recipes to eat more healthily. It was ok, i lost a stone but it was a "special interest" buy.

The National Enquirer is my goto magazine. Investigative journalism, photos of Oprah, well researched gossip about US ReAlity stars. And ads for fat reduction drugs and Franklin Mint collectibles. Fantastic.

Tinierclanger (Clanger sister!) makes a good point about music magazines.
I used to read tons of music magazines, mainly Select and Vox, as well as Melody Maker. I remember them being sort of unisex.
Now, all music and film mags seem to be squarely aimed at the "male aged 14-25" age bracket, often complete with porny pictures of female performers, or worse, some model or somesuch blah-ing on about what bands she allegedly likes.

The alternative is Q, which seems to have lost its way completely, or the other music glossies that don't seem to acknowledge anything released after 1978.

just clicked the link to Filament from page one poster, looks pretty interesting ....

I'm guilty of buying Sainsburys Mag too! It's replaced 'Eve' as my monthly buy (when that went to the wall a year or two ago)

Another Minx fan here too. I've nearly given up on magazines as they bore me senseless. Occasionally buy Red and regret it. A few years ago it featured three or four random aquaintances in various issues spouting in on about their issues / wonderful lives which seemed to be completely made up.

Hate Grazia and all the "luxe" bags and "pop" of colour nonsense.

Er, I quite like Heat, but then I view it as a kind of 'comic'. Just a little light reading for when I don't want to absorb too much information!

Women's magazine titles are generally expensive, crammed full of ads and unbelievably patronising, so I steer clear.

Prefer wildlife and music publications, although 9mo DD has put paid to my 'cuppa & mag' sessions for the time being!

I used to like Marie Claire, and Red, but they've gone downhill. So have most of the others! Such a shame Real and Eve went. I do like Take a Break though.

We get the week, which I really like. Some nice in-depth articles and a really good overview of world news (which I don't so much get now that the 6oclock news has been replaced with cebeebie bedtime hours.) Also no celebs (except some interesting obituaries) or vacant models.

I'd like to read a magazinne that has a more female bent without all the vacuous fluff.
No diets, but I open to a decent recipe.
One page, max, of fashion and no bloody shoe porn.
No articles about what men want, like, don't like, need, don't need, can do, can't do etc. etc etc.
No celeb tawddle. Ever.

Politics, science, history, current affairs, family, business, finance, art, music, film...the world have enough interesting things, surely, without having to endlessly recycle 'this seasons must have [insert unecessary consumer porudct here]'!