Women's magazines distribution falling - Marie-Claire

[VictoriaSpongeAndTea]

I used to buy lots of magazines, particularly Marie-Claire and Grazia. I've stopped buying any that focus on transwomen rather than women as they just weren't relevant, or in Grazia's just insulting with article by the person who felt women were doing feminism wrong (name escapes me at the moment)

So I have slightly mixed feelings about Marie Claire stopping UK print magazine after November www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-49651603 In the past they covered stories impacting women that no one else did and covered some real ground breaking stories but they went down the poor oppressed tw route without doing proper journalism so I'd long since stopped buying even the occasional copy.
They are continuing digital subscription so maybe it's just general market trends.

[Herocomplex]

I learned so much about life from my friends mums Woman, Woman’s Own and Family Circle when I was a young teen. My mum never bought them, I don’t think she had the money.
I used to treat magazines like a holy grail, hoping I could sort my life out with their help. Cosmo in the 80s, Marie Claire in the 90’s. Then Good Housekeeping and Country Living.
Then I just stopped. If I pick one up now it’s like there’s nothing in it, it’s just meaningless to me.

[Doobigetta]

In my 20s I’d buy at least two or three magazines every month- Cosmo, Marie Claire, New Woman. But they eventually got so repetitive- the same style and beauty advice doled out every year on a rolling cycle. I knew what each article was going to say before I read it. It really was the phone-it-in journalism they parodied with Patsy’s job on Ab Fab. They deserve to go bust with that little effort.

[ChardonnaysDistantCousin]

I still buy Country Living, despite, (or probably because) living in London.

They always have good gardening articles, environment issues, and they write about women who have businesses built up on a basis of more than mumpreneurial boredom backed by a hedge fund manager husband.

Also, there's the escapism.

[Herocomplex]

Yes the Christmas edition of Country Living is always bought. Very seductive images that I long to achieve.

[WineIsMyCarb]

Also stopped buying 'women's magazines' 8-10 years ago. I like fashion and beauty content but get it from the Sunday supplements (across the political spectrum). The articles in the women's glossies seemed purile and over-simply written. They didn't seem to flush out any interesting women's stories, they just seemed to be a columnist's article about how their husband doesn't do the holiday packing, or that she didn't feel very confident at work. Didn't really offer me much to be honest and had a very limited idea of what women might be interested in. As PPs have said, women probably read mumsnet, hobby magazines, online fashion content etc.
I bought GQ yesterday. Wanted to read the extensive James Corden interview, not because he interests me particularly, but it was a 4-5 page spread looking at his career and the late night tv show he does and I thought that would be interesting. Where is the 5 page spread looking at another woman's career in marie Claire? It's all 'how does she do it' shit - snore.
Also the interviews are interesting - 'out to lunch with' obviously involved going out for a couple of hours with the interviewee and having a conversation. Again,, the result was more interesting.
I believe GQ came back from the brink a few years ago - women's glossies should consider its model.

[Herocomplex]

I agree with all your points Wine, especially the weekend papers.

[Babdoc]

The only women’s mag I ever considered worth reading was Spare Rib, back in the 70’s. Uncompromisingly radical feminist. Brill.
All the rest seem to be propaganda for the patriarchy- “Concentrate on your make up and fashion, try to please men, look pretty, and don’t bother your fluffy little heads about politics, science or anything serious”.

[WineIsMyCarb]

agree @babdoc - I used to enjoy Grazia, as it's aimed at 'women like me' (professional, AB1, urban/town lifestyle etc) but just a narrow political focus on anything current affairs-y and everything else was the fluffy 'look nice' shit.

[Herocomplex]

One of my earliest Cosmo memories was ‘Why Women Raise Their Sons to be Bastards’. I’d love to read that article again, I’d never heard about the patriarchy then.