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TO: Jan Brostoff FROM :Rachel Holmgren/English121/C/Unit # Assignment SUB: Bust Magazine Bust magazine is a quarterly women’s magazine for those who think “Cosmo is clueless” “Glamour is garbage” and “vogue is vapid”. Bust is an unapologetically feminist alternative magazine aimed towards women in about their 20s, around college age. This magazine is also aimed toward women of all ethnicities. Bust seems to be a little more “underground” then other popular women’s and beauty/health magazines. Bust is one magazine that has stayed true to its roots, starting out as an underground Xerox and staple ‘zine, the magazine still has the real sincere feeling of a‘zine but has gone “glossy” without selling out. A “Bust girl”, often lovingly called by one and other a “bustie” is someone who reads Bust magazine. As one reader wrote in “It’s not hard to spot a Bust girl in a crowd, they are smart, funny, feminist, independent and creative with a great sense of everything from self to music to books and clothes.” The Bust girl also seems to be in a music “scene”, considering Bust magazine spotlights on obscure “indie” bands and underground musicians, a lot of the time they are women musicians or “girl bands”. The Bust girl is also a third wave feminist, seeing how this magazine caters to people who are into third wave feminism, which is a modern, liberal, pro sex, pro-beauty and fashion brand of feminism. Third wave is different from the feminism of the 60’s and 70’s (second wave) third wave is just often said to be pro female, but not anti male, the younger crowd of third wave often calling this “girl love”. Third wave differs from other types of feminism mainly on issues dealing with sex and beauty, for example third wave feminists are usually not anti stripping or anti porn, third wave girls embrace sexuality and also embrace thoughts and words that their feminist foremothers often thought of as degrading; the word “girl” for example, was thought by second wave activists to be a degrading term, while third wavers reclaim this word (among others) and make it their own. These feminists often take a lot of criticism from the more conservative feminists of the 60’s and 70’s for their beliefs, these feminists have been criticized for being shallow and not tackling the “real” issues of the media’s unrealistic expectations of how women are supposed to look and act. Third wave feminist embrace being “girly” while feminist of past generations find this and many of their other pro sex and beauty values offensive, shocking and sexist. Bust and smaller magazines like it (mostly ‘zines) have been a token element in the recent third wave “girlie feminist” movement. The women of Bust, Debbie Stroller and Marcelle Karp have even written a very influential book, the Bust Guide to a new girl order, which is full of feminist, yet fun essays, interviews and stories from Bust, this book almost sparking its own movement has been a very controversial and influential one to feminism since its debut in the late 90s. Activism is also a huge part of the third wave movement, from rallying online to preserve roe vs. wade to fighting for gay rights. Magazines like Bust encourage activism. And it seems to be a big part of this movement. Not surprisingly, most every article in Bust is written from a very liberal “left wing” and modern feminist view point as well, so the readers are most likely people that adhere to liberal ideas. Bust includes articles having to do with activism, feminism, world issues, literature, art and politics. Bust includes regular recipe and beauty articles like other magazines of the genre, although Bust also has a fashion section like magazines such as Cosmopolitan, although the models aren’t nearly as deathly thin, Bust chooses women to model of all sizes and ethnicity, and the styles in Bust are more “underground” or “scene” like. Bust includes their more serious articles in an alluring way, attracting readers to serious social statement type articles with art, pictures, catchy titles and vivid colors with smart layout. For example, in the summer ’03 issue of Bust in the “Gay Men We Love Issue” the front shows a large colorful picture of Cher with the caption “the Queen of queens” and “our salute to gay men we love”. The cover appears very fun and carefree, but the issue is a deep and moving one. Touching on such intense issues as AIDS, coming out and gay dads. Many of Busts competitor’s pretend to be sexually liberating and “modern” in their ideas of sexuality, but when it comes down to it they cannot compare to Bust and their sexual revolutionary ideas. For example, Cosmopolitan is a popular women’s magazine that prides itself on being edgy and sexy, printing in every issue a plethora of the same tired sex tricks on how to “please your man”. Bust, on the other hand runs constant articles on sex, mainly about “pleasing yourself” rather than a partner, and Bust is very open minded sexually. In the fall ’03 issue of Bust alone there are seventeen advertisements for sex toys. Many of these are in full color and occur throughout the magazine. In a recent issue of Cosmopolitan the only place a few sex toy ads occur are in small black and white ads in the very back, almost hidden. Cosmo also, is not very friendly to any other sexual orientation other than heterosexuality, always running things like “pleasing your man”; “lure a man” “blow his mind”. Bust is very lesbian, gay and bi friendly, often focusing on homosexual relationships just as much as heterosexual ones. Bust and Cosmo are similar in that they both run “sexy” stories, Cosmopolitan runs exerts from corny, romance stories, and Bust runs their infamous “one handed reads” which go beyond the tired boy meets girl scenarios, and would never feature Fabio on the cover. Bust, like many women’s magazines has a fashion section. Though, unlike Bust’s competitors Bust features a broader range of women, “real” women that are of normal weight and all ethnicities. In the Spring ’03 issue of Bust there are three models in the fashion section, one of whom appears to be a size 12-14, one a size 10, both Caucasian, the other if African American and appears to be about a size 6-8. In a spring issue of Cosmo there were two models featured, both of were Caucasian and appeared to be about a size 0-2. Bust usually shies from using ads that are found in most Women’s magazines. Instead the ads are almost all for small internet companies run by women. Selling items such as purses, retro style clothing, jewelry and other handmade things. Bust supports the smaller companies, other magazines, namely underground ‘zines. Bust even sells many things made by small businesses on their own website. Bust seems to be an alternative to most women’s magazines. Bust is smarter, and not as shallow and superficial as Bust’s shallow competitors. They attack real issues, and support self esteem and sexuality. this magazine has an eclectic and refreshing array of articles along with some interesting and thought provoking politics and beliefs.

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