Seventeen Magazine made me look superficial

February 24, 2002 8:17 AM

Seventeen Magazine made me look superficial Do female teen magazines provide a crass commercial role model for young women? Who says that Mefi doesn't try to get in touch with its feminine side. (found from obscurestore.com)
posted by AsiaInsider (12 comments total)

I'd tend to say that Seventeen hasn't kept pace with the advancing sophistication (or at least the vanishing idyllic glee of childhood) of today's teen women. They appear to still be trapped in the eighties. I think it's a bad editor in chief rather than a master plan to subjugate teens with mindless mall rat drivel.
posted by machaus at 8:50 AM on February 24, 2002

my fav qoute."I stopped reading at 15"
posted by clavdivs at 9:06 AM on February 24, 2002

I always thought that girls looked superficial just by carrying around a copy of Seventeen.
posted by bingo at 9:15 AM on February 24, 2002

Seventeen targets the "aspirational" demographic : those 11-14 year olds who want to be 17. As they turn 15 they want to be 21, turn 21, want to be 30, turn 30, want to be 40, turn 40 and want to be 17 again.

While we are on the general teen girl topic - todays NY Times cover story is a must read (reg req)
posted by Voyageman at 9:29 AM on February 24, 2002

I'd tend to say that Seventeen hasn't kept pace ...

Seventeen IS a magazine for 13 year olds, or (brace yourselves for incoming marketingspeak horror) "the tween market". Seventeen is completely on top of their demographic, and they know quite well thats its young teens and pre-teens, heavy crossover (at least a year ago) with boy-band and britney fans.

(I had the misfortune of reading a lot of relevant market research on this last year).

Sucks for this NYU student, but if seventeen spent time promoting an image of well rounded, healthy, intelligent women, they'd lose their market share as fast as Maxim would if it did the same.
posted by malphigian at 9:32 AM on February 24, 2002

It gets even scarier than the NY Times story alphagirls and power

its tough being a kid these days.
posted by AsiaInsider at 9:52 AM on February 24, 2002

we aren't seriously supposed to feel sorry for this Hessel woman, are we?
posted by victors at 9:55 AM on February 24, 2002

Is it just my imagination, or does virtually *every* magazine aimed toward a female audience have an "astrology" column? What's that say about us?
posted by RavinDave at 10:41 AM on February 24, 2002

well i dunno, RavinDave. what's your sign?
posted by quonsar at 2:42 PM on February 24, 2002

Superficial? It's Seventeen! What did she expect?

The NYTimes article is right on target, though. I've seen few things more backhandedly cruel than teenage girls.
posted by fujikosmurf at 8:56 PM on February 24, 2002

Voyageman, thanks for the link. I think it's worth reposting that NYTimes to the Mefi main page.
posted by mcgraw at 8:31 AM on February 26, 2002

Well, there is a counterpart in the masculine world...Alpha Males...lest we forget.
posted by bittennails at 9:10 AM on February 26, 2002