Tag Archives: cosmo

A Revolutionary In Stilettos: Cosmo’s Helen Gurley Brown Was A Feminist And A Fashionista

Jessica WakemanJune 22, 2009 //
RIP: Helen Gurley Brown
Cosmopolitan's founding editor has passed away at age 90. Read More »

Lipstick and leopard print aren’t feminists’ usual weapons of choice, but the founding editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan always thought differently.

As the original “fun, fearless female,” Helen Gurley Brown lived a topsy-turvy life as a pioneer for women in media—and in the bedroom. A recent biography of Brown, Bad Girls Go Everywhere: The Life of Helen Gurley Brown, by Jennifer Scanlon, argued that Brown is reason that the unmarried, financially stable single woman as we know her exists!

And now Lorraine Candy, former editor of British Cosmo has weighed in to dish about her career alongside don’t-tell-me-what-to-do firebrand. Keep reading »

This Month In Lady Mags: Beyonce And Bikini Bodies

Leonora EpsteinMay 29, 2009 //

Not sure if you want to spend $3.99 on this month’s Vogue? Don’t worry, we’ve got Leonora Epstein, Frisky contributor and former lady mag slave, here to tell you exactly what’s up on the sex, love, and relationships front in each month’s crop of lady mags.

Bikini season is upon us, and this month is all about dropping pounds through detoxing and exercising all so you can look good in that suit (they’re filled with those, too). Beyoncé is everywhere, too…but then again, when isn’t she? Read on to see how we graded these issues. Keep reading »

There’s More To Helen Gurley Brown Than Sex

Catherine StrawnApril 22, 2009 //

The first biography of Helen Gurley Brown, who was Cosmopolitan‘s editor-in-chief for three decades, hits stores today, and we’ll be snapping up a copy after work. Written by Jennifer Scanlon, a professor of gender and women’s studies at Bowdoin College, Bad Girls Go Everywhere looks at Helen’s life from her start in an Arkansas town in the Ozarks to her rise from secretary to advertising copywriter to editor-in-chief. Scanlon compares Brown to feminist figures like Betty Friedan. Brown believed sex was a “powerful weapon” for single women and changed the Cosmo format so it addressed real women’s lives — sex and all. (However, she omitted certain realities from the magazine, including children and AIDS.) While Brown cared about looking put-together and slept with her bosses, she didn’t let those things replace any of her substance. To her, hard work was always the most important thing in getting what you wanted — making the most of your features and getting your dream job. Keep reading »

How Helen Gurley Brown Got Booted From Cosmo

Wendy AtterberryJanuary 14, 2009 //

A forthcoming biography of legendary Cosmopolitan editor-in-chief Helen Gurley Brown, Bad Girls Go Everywhere, will reveal how the “Queen of Cosmo” finally got the axe after 32 years. Despite being a target for at least a decade, as circulation slipped, in the end it was her comments about sexual harassment and AIDS that led to her being forced to step down. Her damning comments after the jump. Keep reading »

This Month In The Lady Mags: Spice Up Your Pathetic Sex Life!

Wendy FeltonJuly 10, 2008 //

Not sure if you want to spend $3.99 on this month’s Vogue? Don’t worry, we’ve got Wendy Felton, Editor of GlossedOver.com, here to tell you exactly what’s up on the sex, love, and relationships front in each month’s crop of lady mags.

It’s hot outside! Looking for similar heat in the bedroom? This month in the magazines, it’s all about sex. While there’s plenty of advice for spicing things up in the July issues, the endless relationship sob stories make it even more tempting to remain celibate. Keep reading »

Friday Quickies!

The FriskyJune 27, 2008 //
  • The dos and don’ts of speed dating. [Tango]
  • The things guys think they need to keep from their girlfriends. [DearSugar]
  • The winners of a sex haiku context. Ha. [DailyBedpost]
  • CandyKirby’s answers to Cosmo readers’ questions. [CandyKirby.com]
  • Who’s having the most sex. [Shine]

    • Keep reading »

    Quick Pic: Jason Lewis Forced To Drink A Cosmo

    Amelia McDonell-ParryMay 29, 2008 //

    Way to emasculate the dude, MTV TRL hosts! [New York City, 5/29/08] Keep reading »