Does Cosmopolitan Care About Its Readers or the Democrats?
The Democrats are in trouble, and with so much at stake, they’re worried one loyal voting bloc may not show up to vote:
Single women.
Hoping to duplicate Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe’s success on the national stage, Democrats are placing this coveted demographic group at the top of their priority list by using every avenue available to reach voters.
Coincidentally, this month Cosmopolitan unveiled its new #CosmoVotes campaign. For the first time, the fashion and beauty magazine will venture into politics. The campaign will use an array of tools to energize and mobilize voters such as articles on political issues and social media initiatives. From now until the mid-term elections, the campaign will endorse candidates who meet a certain criteria. A panel, composed of Cosmopolitan editors, selects candidates who support reproductive freedom, equal pay for equal work, gun control, and raising the minimum wage.
However, Amy Odell, cosmopolitan.com editor-in chief, uttered some troubling statements:
“We’re not going to endorse someone who is pro-life because that’s not in our readers’ best interest,” Odell said.
Whoa! How can the women behind Cosmopolitan assume to know what’s in their readers’ best interests?
She also said this:
“Obviously, it’s important if we’re encouraging our readers to vote for them, to get to know the candidates,” Odell said. “[W]e’re going to find a fun way to highlight candidates we’re excited about, so when our readers go to the polls they know who they should be looking to vote for.”
So when our readers go to the polls they know who they should be looking to vote for?
She also said she wants the mid-term elections to be fun and not” boring or difficult to understand.”
There is nothing wrong with encouraging women to vote, but this campaign feels like indoctrination blended with condescension.
In my humble opinion, I have no problem with openly liberal or conservative entities endorsing candidates. But when it comes to newspapers, and even fashion magazines, I expect a certain level of objectivity and respect for political diversity. I prefer a wide range of information and the freedom to make my own decisions over a one worldview presentation.
For a magazine who respects choice, there aren’t any choices available. Vote Democrat…or vote Democrat. While the women behind #CosmoVotes shill for the party in power and assume to know what’s best for their readers, most Americans believe the country is moving in the wrong direction under President Obama’s leadership and are unhappy with Democrats in general. Cosmopolitan has no problem featuring different fashion styles and beauty products, but with politics, they assume we fall into a “one size fits all” category. Different issues are important to different women. We don’t place the same level of importance on the same issues.
Cosmopolitan also encourages women to engage in risqué sexual behavior. With more sex illustrations than the Kama Sutra, Cosmopolitan wants women to be adults in the bedroom, but when it comes to elections, children in the voting booth. By presenting their information in a “fun and easy to understand” format and only showcasing liberal candidates so readers know “who they should vote for,” they adopt a “mother knows best” attitude and display the same condescension the GOP directs towards women.
If Cosmopolitan wants to be “fun and fearless,” stop marching lock-step with the Democrats and present political views not shared by the editorial team.
