The Bottom Line

Article from The Age in aussieland which looks at the weekly magazines and how the lowest common denominator sells magazines. Sales of mens and womens weekly celebrity-focused magazines are strong. The article looks at why men and women buy these magazines.

An interesting analysis by Andrew Singleton, a doctor of philosophy specialising in gender issues at Monash University on why men buy these mags:

"For the male reader it's analogous to sexual conquest. You might not be able to pick her up in a bar and have sex with her, but if you can get her in the pages of a magazine it's like owning her sexually. These magazines are the ultimate form of objectifying women. They're just lying around in their underwear saying 'Look at me'; it's so passive. At the end of the day, Ralph and Zoo do nothing positive for women in any way. The fact that the mass-market magazines are so out-and-out sexist makes me pessimistic about the goals that feminism has kicked."

The article feels that women's magazine actually treat women more harshly than the lads mags. Definitely an interesting read.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/in-depth/the-bottom-line/2006/09/10/1157826810975.html

On The Prowl

Playboy are launching a new range of men's clothing. The "On The Prowl" range will be available in Spring 2007. Apparently sex doesn't sell men's clothing so the range will be marketed as cool and trendy with a 70's retro feel.

"If they (young males) can't gain access to the Playboy mansion, then they'll buy a T-shirt that makes them feel like they're affiliated with the lifestyle," said Aaron Duncan, Playboy's creative director of licensing.

The licensing division of Playboy is growing fast and retail sales are expected to be worth $650 million in 2006, up 8 percent from 2005. Licensing accounted for $28 million in revenue in 2005, compared with $106.5 million for publishing and $203.4 million for entertainment. This division is growing and has margins of about 45% compared to 10% in the entertainment division. Money talks, so we can expect to see the licensing division expand over the next few years. Already there are plans for a playboy fragrance.

The increased emphasis on licensing as a revenue source is due to slumping revenue in its publishing business amid declining ad sales and higher paper costs, and second-quarter results were also hit by sales shortfalls in its domestic television business.

Oh well 2007 is looking bad already, men in playboy "On The Prowl" T-shirts will be hitting our streets. The only good thing is as stated on the RealMenAreNot blog is that it will make easier to spot the idiots.



http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/01/AR2006090101032.html