A comparison between Maxim and Cosmo.

Maxim is a magazine for men. It is Guys' ultimate Guide to women, sports, TV, music and stuff. Cosmo. is a womens' magazine that talks about beauty, love, sex, advice, style etc. Both of these magazines right off the bat are very different. Lets start by the cover of the magazine. Maxim will always have a sexy, half naked dress women on front of the cover - simply dripping with sex appeal, whereas cosmo. will also have a photo of a woman only this time she 'IS' dressed, and more often than not, in something very stylish - (or so they say). So when you first open the magazine, just like many others you will find a heap of advertising before you even get to the contents of the magazine. Most of the ads that go into cosmo. are beauty ads - marketing cream products, fashion ads, perfume ads, birth-control ads, shape-up - dangerous looking pill ads, whereas in the Maxim magazine, you will have car ads, sports advertising, alcohol ad (as seen in this months issue of maxim "Fat Ass Tequila". Who doesn't want a shot of Fat Ass Tequila?

One thing I have noticed that was a great different in both magazine was the way things were written. In the gentlemens' magazine it was very factual. Articles weren't as long, and things were very organized in terms of the editorial layout. With cosmo, there were several long articles, usually to do with 'sex scandals', or how in '10 steps you could make a guy like you'. that had to extend to the spare pages in the back. The layout design was a little more playful and there was definitely a lot more colour in the pages. 

Women are obsessed with how they look, or how to turn on a guy in bed - which is why week after week it is the same thing. 'Confessions', 'life advice', 'the next best anti-wrinkle cream for under $100'. Its the same as the fact that there is always some girl in lingerie or a swimsuit on the cover of Maxim - because this is what (for the men that buy this magazine) want to see. Ew to both of these magazines, I am surprised that in this economy they are both still sitting on the stands.