Outstanding that a freelance journo for one of Murdoch's least readable tabloids (The Sunday Mail) should worry about lads mags. For all we know Murdoch could own The Zoo. I reckon seize the day Ms Apple, storm editorial and tell News Ltd to lift it's game and have a shot at reporting the news.

JamesH: "One thing which stands out from the book is that the women of the media think that all women should think exactly like them."

Ironically, it appears feminists think this way too. After all, the feminists would never want a breast implant therefore any woman 'wanting' a breast implant has clearly been brainwashed.

HRS: "But if feminists are so concerned with equality and respect, then I am puzzled as to why feminists have not complained about the widely read women’s magazine that recently described men as being the latest “fashion accessory”."

Oh they do complain about women's magazines too. I used to think that the magazines were partly to blame. However looking at the never ending stream of email forwards, facebook/myspace/etc applets, on-line quizzes, and all manner of independently generated content that becomes popular, it is clear that people will seek out this trashy magazine type material whether its in magazines or not.

HRS - "I think women’s magazines are now showing more than a head and shoulder shot of men.

http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/index.php/landing/9069
http://cleo.ninemsn.com.au/cleo/hotmen/hotbabe/profile155.asp

You can “rate” these centrefolds if you wish, by registering and then casting a vote."

Hmmmmm ... Too many muscles for my taste (and you'd never see them because they'd always be at the gym). I'd give them about a 6 out of 10. If they can cook - 7 and and a half.

PS, Waddya mean 'now showing'? Cleo has been doing male centrefolds since the early seventies. Just ask Jack Thompson.

Desipis,
Perhaps Zoo magazine is trying to cash in on the lucrative “inane” market. It doesn’t require much journalism or even thought, with articles such as

“In bed try imagining you're the man & he's the woman: this secret head trip will make you behave in a sexy new way & he'll never know why...”

Or

“We believe in Britney Spears!”

Or
“10 resolutions to make… then break by February”

Or
“Eat more and actually get skinnier”

Or
“Want to big up your boy? This is the place to share your slushy stories”

Next women’s magazines will be telling women that they are oppressed and abused, or perhaps they have done that already.

SJF,
I cast a vote of 1 out of 5 for the centrefold, but then I’m not female, so I really can’t form much of an opinion about “big boys”.

However over 36,000 readers did cast a vote, which is about the size of a medium town in Australia, or possibly the entire readership of Zoo magazine.

It is pleasing to see that feminists have their priorities right once again.

HRS,

They are indeed cashing in on it, but why does entertainment have to be thoughtful or have journalistic integrity? If you were commenting on the sorry state of the news media then you'd have a point.

I guess my point is that the magazine's aren't dragging down the level of society. They are merely reflecting the level that society has always been at. I'm guessing the feminists are frustrated that such a significant portion of society are gossip-hungry, sex-driven simpletons. It's such as shame that we can't all shrug off our humanity and become a homogeneous society of intellectual idealists.

Judging by the readership numbers of magazines such as Cleo or Marie Claire (with its $250,000 prize of handbags and shoes), then I would think that there is definitely a demand for inane and highly commercialised trash journalism.

However I agree with JH, that women’s magazines are at the forefront of creating this demand.

Save the males and females (from themselves and from feminists).