This Beauty Myth is a Bitch.

I have a hard time believing that the "Second Sex" has it easier than males. This belief could lie solely in the fact that we are referred to as the "second sex". That is a serious accusation in itself. But, aside from the degradation and hatred certain men feel toward women, we have to deal with a lot. We have periods, we have serious body image issues, and we have to contend with an industry that aims to destroy us piece by piece, until we finally give in and buy what they're selling. Men "read" magazines such as Maxim and Playboy, and they see images of perfect female forms. Women read publications such as Cosmopolitan and Allure, and they, too, see images of perfect female forms. For women to face these vacant eyes and elongated necks is to face the fact that their own bodies do not compete on the same level. The excess fat on the stomach and the bags under the eyes are airbrushed out of existence.

Of course, there are magazines out there doing their best to contend the Beauty Myth, and make women and girls feel comfortable in their own skin again. This is no small feat, after years and years of being made to feel inadequate. Let's look at a couple of these magazines.
This is the cover of Bust Magazine:
The woman on the front is a French actress who graced the screen in "The Science of Sleep". She is beautiful, but not in the traditional, Americanized way. She does not have huge breasts, and her face is not perfect. Still, I think she is one of the most beautiful people I have ever seen. Her soft French accent accentuates this.
Another magazine is Venus Zine.
On the cover is a singer who goes by the name "Feist". This publication is mostly about music, but focuses on women in music, art, and the DIY (do it yourself--a craft/punk rock/independent revolution) scene. The women in this Zine and like me and you. They're regular old girls, and they're damn proud of it.
So, with these amazing publications out there, why do women still subject themselves to the torture chambers we call Cosmo? I don't know. Why would you want to look at pictures of vacuous, blue-eyed, blonde-haired, 8 foot tall robots? Well, we like to make ourselves feel bad. We probably feel like we deserve to feel bad because we gained 10 pounds last winter. Oh, I don't know. It sucks. That's what I'll end with.