UK women's magazine, GLAMOUR, had the editor of men's magazine GQ contribute to the magazine's September issue, giving him an entire category titled, "If Men Edited GLAMOUR." Dylan Jones was given 16 pages in addition to the (guest) editor's letter and his ideas on how a women's mag should look at pretty interesting. For one, he would ban "muffin tops" from appearing in editorials; as he put it, "Where her flabby midriff spills out over the top of her ridiculously expensive jeans."
If he were in control, the models would be smiling ("I hate all those moody shots in esoteric fashion magazines of moody girls wearing moody clothes."), the cover would feature Lindsay Lohan and Jessica Alba, there would be a lot of quizzes (to figure out the female psyche), and there would be an entire gift guide section to help men out. "It doesn't matter how 'with it' us men think we are, we can never have too much help when it comes to presents."
And of course, the magazine would cover sex... a lot of sex. Not that that would be much different than the magazine now. The most interesting thing I learned from this was that all of the sex journalists at GQ are women! That's because women are funnier, more explanatory, more honest and more explicit -- his words, not mine!
In addition to Jones, several other male editors guest stared in the issue, including Ugly Betty actor Eric Mabius who plays the editor-in-chief of Mode magazine on the show.
If Men Edited GLAMOUR
GQ Does Women's Mag
Trend Themes
1. Shifting Gender Perspectives - The collaboration between GLAMOUR and GQ highlights the increasing focus on men's perspectives in traditionally women-centric industries, opening up opportunities for exploring new narratives and challenging societal norms.
2. Quizzes and Personality Tests - The inclusion of quizzes in women's magazines presents an opportunity for other industries, such as market research and psychology, to leverage this engaging format for consumer insights and self-discovery.
3. Gender-inclusive Gift Guides - The concept of creating gift guide sections for men in women's magazines suggests a potential disruption in the retail industry, where companies could explore gender-inclusive marketing strategies and product offerings.
Industry Implications
1. Publishing - The collaboration between GLAMOUR and GQ reflects a trend in the publishing industry towards cross-pollination of ideas and perspectives, leading to innovative content creation and reader engagement.
2. Market Research - The inclusion of quizzes in women's magazines presents an opportunity for the market research industry to develop new methodologies for consumer insights and targeted advertising.
3. Retail - The concept of gender-inclusive gift guides in women's magazines opens up opportunities for the retail industry to explore new marketing strategies and expand product offerings to cater to a diverse customer base.