Does anyone else find reading women's interest magazines depressing?

[JoshandJamie]

I'm thinking things like Eve, SHE, Red, Easy Living etc.

The stuff where they tell you what's fashionable and how with just a £250 pair of new shoes you can make an old outfit look new. And how you have to try THE LATEST beauty product. And then they feature some over-achieving woman in her early thirties who seems to have it all. Followed by the latest diet, health scares and somewhere exotic you can't possibly travel to because it's too expensive and not in the least child friendly. Not to mention how you can be more evironmentally friendly and how you can transform a room into a show home simply by hand painting some ancient jelly moulds.

They're supposed to be aspirational right? So why do they make me feel like the most unfit, unglamorous, unsophisticated idiot out there?

Does anyone really read them and think: right, time to start buying jumpsuits because they're 'on trend' and I must organise an 'elegant midweek dinner party that looks like it took no effort'?

Honestly, when you read them to you come away inspired or deflated. I'm most certainly the latter. I guess the answer is not to read them. But I might them become a complete social disaster.

Yes I hate them too, don't mind reading a bit about fashion etc but hate this celebrity culture where every aspect of Posh/ Jordan/ Kerry Katona's life is analysed and speculated over. It's all just sooooo shallow and ridiculous. Who cares??

My ideal magazine would be all about proper role models, people who make a difference to this world, articles that educate you but in an entertaining way.

Would love it if there was a backlash against this celebrity obsessed culture but can't see it happening.

Do I sound like an old granny?

Monkey - by the cover price, plus some income from the non corporate advertisers.

I started reading it in Cardiff Central library, and now buy it in the US or find at airports. Must really get round to subscribing to it.

I cant believe I used to buy this crap - I bought Marie Claire because it was 3 issues for £1 and I figured it would be fluff for when I was in labour. But God what drivel. That "interview" with George Clooney and Renee Zellweger - made me want to smack both of them round the chops with a soggy kipper.

A couple of "serious" articles, about teenage fat camp and a couple trying to get pregnant after his vasectomy, are totally buried in a sea of gladiator sandals, make-up, ridiculous clothes and an ass-kissy article about "powerful women"
Handbag and shoe peddlers heavily repesented, social conscience somewhere in the distance .