This article from the Huffington Post seemed more than a little disturbing when I read it last night. The study concluded that the language used to describe women, or how to approach and treat women, in men’s magazines like Maxim and Playboy are almost exactly the same as language convicted rapists used to justify their crimes.
When asked to look at some quotes and identify which was said by a rapist and which was from a magazine, some people could not tell the difference at all. When men were asked if they identified or agreed with some of the ideas and thoughts about how to treat women, they were quick to agree when they thought a comment or quote was coming from a magazine, when it was actually from a rapist. When they were told that a quote came from a rapist, they were quick to disagree.
What’s really scary is it’s not just magazines that have this kind of “crossover” if you will. Websites like “askmen.com” are just as bad. (Honestly, askmen.com is probably one of the most misogynist websites I’ve ever seen…)
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Agreed. Also, don’t forget about those teen magazines I hate so much…
The ones that tell you to love yourself, but wear THIS kind of makeup and THAT kind of outfit and what kind of girl boys like best? Yup…
How about Cosmo? A magazine that’s supposed to be for women but has endless articles on how to make a man happy in bed and how to keep a waist size of 0?
Good example of why context is so important when it comes to language. One reason the written word can sometimes be misconstrued in ways that the spoken word cannot, as the tone, inflection, body language, etc. of the speaker can massively effect the message.
It’s really hard to misconstrue something when it’s actual context is something like this:
http://www.askmen.com/dating/curtsmith_100/113_dating_advice.html
The fact that comments about women from rapists were almost identical and indistinguishable from a men’s magazine is pretty scary. Even without context.
Oh my gosh, that article was so horrible. I don’t know why, but I just had to see it to know what you were talking about, and now I’m angry.
Yeah. I’ve had the misfortune of seeing many articles from that site, as well as similar things in actual men’s magazines (Maxim makes me sick in particular. One of their cover articles was “How to Cheat on your Girlfriend and Get Away With it.” I kid you not.)
What makes it all worse is that site, and Maxim, are completely serious. I’ve seen a few websites like which are not serious, just trolling or satirizing sexist views like that, but askmen is not one of them. I would stay as far away from any man who takes advice (or gives it) from that website.