[Princeton]

Maybe I'm late in finding out about this, but apparently Maxim is no longer a men's magazine™.

I remember when Maxim first started out. It was the rude, brash, unapologetic answer to more genteel men's magazine's like GQ. It wasn't going to win any Pulitzers, but it was fun and, importantly, it catered exclusively to a male audience and their tastes. It didn't try to make nice with social progressives.

Well, apparently Maxim's new Editor-in-Chief, Kate Lanphear wants to change all that:



From February:

Can Kate Lanphear Make Maxim Woman-Friendly?

And now Taylor swift is gracing the Hot 100 issue, because...

Quote:

"I think men today, especially our audience, are confident, and driven, and attracted to women who are just as confident and driven," Maxim's editor-in-chief Kate Lanphear says.

Per her interview on CBC radio tonight, here are some of the new "improvements:"

1. For the first time there's a 50-year-old woman on the Hot 100 list. (Monica Bellucci)

2. They've redefined "hot" as, "Hot in terms of who's doing something interesting."

3. Lanphear says that they are "making strides" because, re: Taylor Swift, "Were able to attract her to take part in the brand."

Here's the full article from the CBC website:

Quote:

Maxim aims to redefine what's 'hot' on its latest Hot 100 list

You may be shocked to see the cover of this month's Maxim magazine.

Singer Taylor Swift is featured on this year's Hot 100 issue. But instead of posing in a bikini in typical lad mag style, she's staring moodily at the reader — fully clothed.

The surprises don't stop at the cover, as the issue opens with an essay by feminist author Roxane Gay. And Monica Bellucci, who will star alongside Daniel Craig in the next James Bond film, is the first woman over the age of 50 to be on the list.

"I think men today, especially our audience, are confident, and driven, and attracted to women who are just as confident and driven," Maxim's editor-in-chief Kate Lanphear says.

The magazine's first female editor, who previously headed Elle and T (the New York Times style magazine), tells Shad that she aims to redefine what sexy is for Maxim and its 2 million-plus readers, and that it's about recognizing talent as much as the perfect figure.

Link (plus link to radio interview)

Maxim Magazine.... Damn. I knew nothing was safe anymore (in terms of mainstream media) but this actually shocked me.

[Drazen]

Maxim lost it years ago. I had a subscription maybe 5-6 years ago, but when reading the magazine, it was apparent it was just marketing to beta males with their lame wishes, wants and jokes. Just the humor was so formulaic, you could totally see it was written by clueless idiots.

Pure trash, good riddance.

[liberman]

Quote:

Maxim aims to redefine what's 'hot' on its latest Hot 100 list

You may be shocked to see the cover of this month's Maxim magazine.

Singer Taylor Swift is featured on this year's Hot 100 issue. But instead of posing in a bikini in typical lad mag style, she's staring moodily at the reader — fully clothed.

The surprises don't stop at the cover, as the issue opens with an essay by feminist author Roxane Gay. And Monica Bellucci, who will star alongside Daniel Craig in the next James Bond film, is the first woman over the age of 50 to be on the list.

"I think men today, especially our audience, are confident, and driven, and attracted to women who are just as confident and driven," Maxim's editor-in-chief Kate Lanphear says.

The magazine's first female editor, who previously headed Elle and T (the New York Times style magazine), tells Shad that she aims to redefine what sexy is for Maxim and its 2 million-plus readers, and that it's about recognizing talent as much as the perfect figure.

You cant just redefine what men find sexy by promoting it in a magazine. That strategy will work for most women as they find men who are desired by other women attractive, hence if the media promotes a male as sexy then women will start to see him as sexy. Men however generally do not have this ingrained response. We decide for ourselves what we find sexy and this definition of female sexiness is a lot narrower than the female definition of male sexiness.
Simply put we fine young slim yet curvy girls hot, it has nothing to do with talent or confidence. Promoting an alternate definition in a magazine wont change this fact in the slightest.

[Darius]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mag...dwide_list

If you want to look at it from at tin foil hat point of view. It's third in circulation in Russia. Maybe it's a trojan horse to erode Russia's culture.

On a more serious note, this might be a move to appeal to women so they can bolster declining sales.

[spokepoker]

All magazines go the way of the female, eventually.
Don't worry about it for now, just keep your eyes open for the next men's magazine (if there really is such a thing) that starts out strong then softens as it absorbs vaginas into its folds.

Get the good entertainment out of it before that happens, then repeat.

[Hotwheels]

Felix Dennis is rolling over in his grave

[Gustavus Adolphus]

I think a quick internet search gives us all the clues we need.

In 2007, Felix Dennis sold the brand for $250M. Recent bids were expected at $20M.

Circulation down 20% to 2M (June 2013) in 75 countries. Only printing 10 issues per year instead of 12.

It seems this is the last hope of increasing their target audience. The men who originally had subscriptions bailed back when Jennifer Love Hewitt was relevant.

[CRR]

I found part of an upcoming Hot 100 List:

http://www.returnofkings.com/2099/the-9-...-feminists

How soon until fugly mattress girl, fat gamergate hog, and of course Lena Dunham show up on this list? We should have a betting pool.

[Bill Brasky]

Tilda Swinton lookalike wants to run a men's magazine? Fine. The only news source that men should refer to are Breitbart, RVF, and RoKs. All else has been purged from my life.

[sixsix]

Is that a face of a woman who cares about normal, happy, heterosexual men?

Quote:

The magazine's first female editor tells Shad that she aims to redefine what sexy is for Maxim and its 2 million-plus readers, and that it's about recognizing talent as much as the perfect figure.

It's unbelievable how crazy this is but it has become the new normal.

How sickening is it that a media corporation actively tries to change human sexual behavior to fit their agenda? And they openly admit it.

Conspiracy theorists are ridiculed for claiming there is a global campaign to interfere with human reproduction and here we see this bitch just acknowledging it unapologetically. They don't use the magazine as a vehicle ('medium') to present us with information we want. They use it to program what we want, to change our opinions and desires, and align us to their political interests.

Quote:

Propaganda is a form of communication aimed towards influencing the attitude of a population toward some cause or position.

Propaganda is information that is not impartial and used primarily to influence an audience and further an agenda, often by presenting facts selectively (perhaps lying by omission) to encourage a particular synthesis, or using loaded messages to produce an emotional rather than a rational response to the information presented.

(Source: Wikipedia)

Who hired her? You don't infuse your magazine with politics on accident.

It is crazy how overt the manipulation is becoming and how powerless everyone else seems in comparison. Except for some weird fucking people, the majority is blissfully unaware and wouldn't even care if you told them.

[Grizzly Bear]

She's bagged a mark (circa 2009):



WNB, though I would present him with a Kent comb and a pocket square that doesn't match his tie.

Coincidently, where was the ground zero moment for this grey hair trend?

Its harrowing visage is everywhere now and women's wanklies such as HuffPo are presenting its beauty de-enhancing qualities as the hot trend of the Summer.

[Simeon_Strangelight]

(06-03-2015 03:10 AM)sixsix Wrote:  

How sickening is it that a media corporation actively tries to change human sexual behavior to fit their agenda? And they openly admit it.

..
Who hired her? You don't infuse your magazine with politics on accident.

They are doing a Red Wedding on Maxim.



They don't give two shits about profits anymore - at least not when magazines are concerned which could only survive by appealing to "chauvinist" men. Better to put a woman/lesbian/feminist in charge and attempt to re-engineer male desire until no one wants to buy that crap anymore.

[KofiKingston]

(06-03-2015 02:18 AM)CRR Wrote:  

I found part of an upcoming Hot 100 List:

http://www.returnofkings.com/2099/the-9-...-feminists

How soon until fugly mattress girl, fat gamergate hog, and of course Lena Dunham show up on this list? We should have a betting pool.

I'm a betting man, so I bid...



That it'll happen within a year(or less).

[ryanf]

Quote:

Conspiracy theorists are ridiculed for claiming there is a global campaign to interfere with human reproduction and here we see this bitch just acknowledging it unapologetically. They don't use the magazine as a vehicle ('medium') to present us with information we want. They use it to program what we want, to change our opinions and desires, and align us to their political interests.

It's not a conspiracy theory if they actually ARE out to get you.

[Basil Ransom]

Sailer's law of female journalism:

"The most heartfelt articles by female journalists tend to be demands that social values be overturned in order that, Come the Revolution, the journalist herself will be considered hotter-looking."

[CH-Toronto]

(06-03-2015 04:04 AM)Grizzly Bear Wrote:  

Coincidently, where was the ground zero moment for this grey hair trend?

I want to say Lady Gaga/Katy Perry. Granted it was a wig - and if we go by that definition it would probably be Madonna--- but, they helped popularize "bad hair".

[Nonpareil]

If Maxim and the writers had any balls they'd be writing stories about how to set up a passive-side income selling shit online and how to emigrate to the Philippines.

Maxim has always been a faggy magazine geared towards rich-but-gameless chodes who don't have a woman in their life to help separate them from their money - too-expensive gadgets (who would spend 9 grand on some remote-control helicopter? Someone not getting laid), provider-game pickup tips (take your girl to Colorado and spend $500 a night at the Broadmoor and another $2000 that weekend and you MIGHT get laid!), sensationalistic cover stories stressing emotions over facts, photoshoots of models who have much tastier pics out on Google...'Men's' magazine or not, Maxim was not some vestige of manliness that the toppling of is going to make some kind of difference in the world.

Chick looks like and acts like she's doing a poor Anna Wintour impression. WNB and WNBYM (Would Not Buy Your Magazine)...all the best stuff is available online, where have you been since 2008?

[Kid Strangelove]

Hey Princeton, good observation, but essentially Maxim has been dead for ages.


It's formula of hot chicks, articles on random topics, quick humorous blurbs about other topics should sound familiar to all of us - it's High Speed Internet ADD- the magazine.

Think about most mens browsing habits, including your own. Hot chicks, occasional deep meaningful article, and a lot of "twitch" behavior - enabled by the high speed of your internet connection, especially relative to what it was in the past.

Remember internet in the late 90s? Remember the internet 10 years ago? People still had dial up 10 years ago.

But essentially now - ever man is creating their own version of Maxim every time they browse.

The one defining feature of Maxim has been the Hot 100 - but it was never really a true "Hottest women in the world" list - it was always swayed by accomplishments, PR, popularity, etc. Remember when the forum got their hands on that smokeshow 18 year old Latina from Miami Justin Beiner was fucking? She is arguably hotter than every girl on those hot 100 lists - but shes just a Miami ass model, not a singer who released an album, an actress who released a movie, etc. It has always been that way.

Also, since everyone is gonna ask:
   

To be honest - I can't even fault them for trying something new. I assume their subscription numbers are shit because men found better entertainment anywhere else. This is a desperation play.

And I'm not really surprised. Loot at more "high end" mens magazines like GQ or esquire - do you know anyone that reads then or is subscribed to them? I don't

On the flip side - women want to penetrate everything male in the misguided idea of empowerment - even if the male space is abandoned. Like men's magazines.

[Drazen]

I've always enjoyed the international versions of GQ, Esquire, etc., even Maxim or FHM from Asia. They seem manlier than the American versions. To me, it seems they value content rather than just spitting out marketing and social justice crap.

[The Father]

Kate Lanphear. Eek. She looks like a "white walker" from Game of Thrones :/

[Peregrine]

Maxim is owned by a businessman named Sardar Biglari. This is no doubt a business decision. I'd bet that women greatly outnumber men when it comes to magazine subscriptions (or in just about any other kind of consumption). You sell to women or to extremely rich men, not to the average male.

[Hotwheels]

(06-03-2015 09:37 PM)Peregrine Wrote:  

Maxim is owned by a businessman named Sardar Biglari. This is no doubt a business decision. I'd bet that women greatly outnumber men when it comes to magazine subscriptions (or in just about any other kind of consumption). You sell to women or to extremely rich men, not to the average male.

He's not a very good businessman buying a print mag these days.

[Saweeep]

The writing was on the wall for these magazines as long as 10 years ago.

It's easy to whinge about the change in tone but at the end of the day guys like us stopped buying magazines.

[Days of Broken Arrows]

What the hell is she thinking trying to sell Maxim to women?

Maxim is the kind of mag that if you had it in your dorm room, your girlfriend would get offended and say "I'm not gonna sit here and make out with you so long as *that* is on the table."

Trying to sell this brand to women is like deciding you want to sell Modern Bride to men. Worse actually, because you could argue that some men would get off fantasizing about all the hot models in Modern Bride. There is no such equivalent for women and men's mags.

Women like to pretend they're indignant about "lad's mags." Hell, some actually are indignant. They consider it a rung below Playboy because at least Playboy is artsy and has intellectual pretensions.

You're not gonna sell a mag to anyone whose persona is built around getting offended over that very mag.

[Dan Woolf]

----------------------------------------