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The Vagenda: A Zero Tolerance Guide to the Media
HAVE YOU EVER…
Obsessed over your body’s ‘problem areas’?
Killed an hour on the Sidebar of Shame?
Wondered whether to try ‘50 Sex Tips to Please Your Man’?
Felt worse after doing any of the above?
Holly and Rhiannon grew up reading glossy mags and, like most women, thought of them as just a bit of fun. But over time they started to feel uneasy – not just about magazines, but about music videos, page 3, and women being labelled frigid, princesses or tramps.
So, following the amazing success of their Vagenda blog, they wrote this book. Welcome to your indispensable guide to the madness of women’s media.
Obsessed over your body’s ‘problem areas’?
Killed an hour on the Sidebar of Shame?
Wondered whether to try ‘50 Sex Tips to Please Your Man’?
Felt worse after doing any of the above?
Holly and Rhiannon grew up reading glossy mags and, like most women, thought of them as just a bit of fun. But over time they started to feel uneasy – not just about magazines, but about music videos, page 3, and women being labelled frigid, princesses or tramps.
So, following the amazing success of their Vagenda blog, they wrote this book. Welcome to your indispensable guide to the madness of women’s media.
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 6, 2014
27 people are currently reading
1022 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
April 29, 2014
My full review is up on Huffington Post of this book so I don't want to replicate it here but I found this book patronising at best, offensive at worst. It gives little attention to women who aren't white or straight, it runs down women they don't agree with eg Kim Kardashian, women who like lacy knickers, and plays fast and loose with facts.
This book brings nothing new to this subject, which has been covered better before, and in this age, surely the issue for the Vagenda generation is the internet, not the dwindling circulations of beauty magazines?
http://m.huffpost.com/uk/entry/520810...
This book brings nothing new to this subject, which has been covered better before, and in this age, surely the issue for the Vagenda generation is the internet, not the dwindling circulations of beauty magazines?
http://m.huffpost.com/uk/entry/520810...
May 13, 2014
It's a rare thing for a book to make me laugh aloud, and fear for the safety/sanity of men and women alike.
They write like my friends talk, they don't shy away from rude stuff, they swear like real women in the real world swear.
The conclusion is rightly harrowing. The best entertaining but very serious writing on this topic I've found. Will be insisting everyone I know reads it...
They write like my friends talk, they don't shy away from rude stuff, they swear like real women in the real world swear.
The conclusion is rightly harrowing. The best entertaining but very serious writing on this topic I've found. Will be insisting everyone I know reads it...
November 30, 2016
I came across 'Vagenda' in the library whilst hunting down Unspeakable Things: Sex, Lies and Revolution. I opened it and found it so readable and entertaining that I finished it within a day. As it is based on a blog (which I’ve read intermittently), this isn’t surprising. I wasn’t expecting ground-breaking feminist theory, as that isn’t what the book is for. It’s a litany of amusingly-expressed criticism of women’s magazines and their business model of making us feel fat and ugly in order to push products. I used to read such magazines years ago, before I realised that I could find pretty fashion pictures on the internet without advertising (Adblock Plus is a wonder) or asinine editorialising.
Despite the deliberately casual tone and detailed mockery (uncomfortable underwear gets a lengthy takedown), the underlying points are not ignored. There is a certain overlap here with Living Dolls: The Return of Sexism, which also decries the way that traditional gender roles and sexual objectification are being sold back to women as 'empowerment'. However, that book never quite had the courage to blame capitalism for it. 'Vagenda', by contrast, baldly states: ‘All you have to do is look around you to see that capitalist feminism has been a resounding failure. Capitalism has never looked kindly upon its underlings, and unfortunately that’s what women still are.’ The book ends without any scheme of feminist economics that would deal with this (the search continues), but that isn’t within its remit. Instead, there is a description of the ideal women’s magazine, one that treats women as people rather than as ugly dolls in need of fixing. Encouragingly, print magazines are going downhill and better online magazines are emerging. The underlying issue of commoditised female insecurity remains, though. As long as you don’t expect more than it promises, a dissection of UK women's magazines and some limited elements of media sexism, this book is a good read. I can’t say it told me anything really new, but it was an entertainingly-written reminder.
Despite the deliberately casual tone and detailed mockery (uncomfortable underwear gets a lengthy takedown), the underlying points are not ignored. There is a certain overlap here with Living Dolls: The Return of Sexism, which also decries the way that traditional gender roles and sexual objectification are being sold back to women as 'empowerment'. However, that book never quite had the courage to blame capitalism for it. 'Vagenda', by contrast, baldly states: ‘All you have to do is look around you to see that capitalist feminism has been a resounding failure. Capitalism has never looked kindly upon its underlings, and unfortunately that’s what women still are.’ The book ends without any scheme of feminist economics that would deal with this (the search continues), but that isn’t within its remit. Instead, there is a description of the ideal women’s magazine, one that treats women as people rather than as ugly dolls in need of fixing. Encouragingly, print magazines are going downhill and better online magazines are emerging. The underlying issue of commoditised female insecurity remains, though. As long as you don’t expect more than it promises, a dissection of UK women's magazines and some limited elements of media sexism, this book is a good read. I can’t say it told me anything really new, but it was an entertainingly-written reminder.
March 20, 2015
The tone is patronising and the view of women and the media they consume narrow. It's repetitive and offers nothing new (models are airbrushed, editors are influenced by fashion and cosmetics industry PRs, dieting advice is dangerous...). The book ignores new media completely and looks mostly at Cosmopolitan and other women’s monthlies and lad mags like Loaded, making it sound like it was written in the 1990s.
Something I found particularly problematic was the way the authors criticise Cosmopolitan’s '50 sex tips' type of articles with the argument that 'let’s face it, there are only really about 10 sexual moves in existence' – upholding the same narrow view and control over women's sexuality that they are supposed to be critiquing. Needless to say it is very heteronormative (lesbianism referred to in one sentence as 'something you do with your genitals') and doesn't really look at representation of race.
I hate to be so critical of a popular feminist initiative and certainly don't want to see feminist writing restricted to the ivory towers of gender studies departments but we need something better on the market than this.
Something I found particularly problematic was the way the authors criticise Cosmopolitan’s '50 sex tips' type of articles with the argument that 'let’s face it, there are only really about 10 sexual moves in existence' – upholding the same narrow view and control over women's sexuality that they are supposed to be critiquing. Needless to say it is very heteronormative (lesbianism referred to in one sentence as 'something you do with your genitals') and doesn't really look at representation of race.
I hate to be so critical of a popular feminist initiative and certainly don't want to see feminist writing restricted to the ivory towers of gender studies departments but we need something better on the market than this.
June 8, 2014
A good read, an interesting read, often stating the obvious, but sometimes the obvious needs to be stated. Sadly it's not offering many solutions to the issues it summarises so well.
September 19, 2021
3 Stars
I am huge fan of feminism and sexism awareness books. I wish I could read every single one that deals with it. So far, all books I read were a hit for me, The Vagenda, however was a miss. Well, it wasn't a total miss but I expected something different.
The first few chapters were really interesting and I liked their approach to the topic and their references to certain media outlets, mostly newspapers and magazines. They really did their research. However, their newspaper and magazine references soon became repetitive. It seems like they were repeating their findings in every chapter which made me start to lose interest. I was so bored, I even took a six-week break from the book.
I hoped it would be better after the break but I was wrong. I still powered through because I didn't want to DNF this one.
Throughout the book, the authors made some really strong points. I learned things that I haven't noticed before, but it was mostly the same explanation for every chapter.
I also couldn't warm up to Cosslett and Baxter's humor unfortunately.
I am huge fan of feminism and sexism awareness books. I wish I could read every single one that deals with it. So far, all books I read were a hit for me, The Vagenda, however was a miss. Well, it wasn't a total miss but I expected something different.
The first few chapters were really interesting and I liked their approach to the topic and their references to certain media outlets, mostly newspapers and magazines. They really did their research. However, their newspaper and magazine references soon became repetitive. It seems like they were repeating their findings in every chapter which made me start to lose interest. I was so bored, I even took a six-week break from the book.
I hoped it would be better after the break but I was wrong. I still powered through because I didn't want to DNF this one.
Throughout the book, the authors made some really strong points. I learned things that I haven't noticed before, but it was mostly the same explanation for every chapter.
I also couldn't warm up to Cosslett and Baxter's humor unfortunately.
May 30, 2014
I have to be honest, I think this book suffers for the fact that I read it straight after Laura Bates’ Everyday Sexism. Whilst Everyday Sexism was a hard-hitting read, examining sexism from street harassment, through workplace discrimination, media impact, women in the professional world, and more, with Bates supporting her arguments with referenced facts and copious reports made to the Everyday Sexism Project, The Vagenda felt like it suffered in comparison, making a few unsupported statements and, surprisingly, failing to utilise the many contributors to the website. Whilst Everyday Sexism has media influence as one of its chapters in which it examines the presence of sexism in media and influence of media on sexism, amidst a much wider serious discussion about sexism in many different areas of society, The Vagenda does it the other way around, the main focus of the book being on how consumerism in the media has promoted sexism, with a conclusion briefly touching on the wider societal implications. Simply put, it left me wondering how many times I needed to read about how pointless magazine articles ruthlessly denigrating a celebrity’s appearance are, when Bates’ chapter on the same topic achieved the same effect of highlighting this noxious blend of sexism and consumerism much more succinctly.
The Vagenda is also written in a chatty style that didn’t work for me; Everyday Sexism’s serious tone helped make the impact of the information it was trying to get across, whilst reading The Vagenda I wondered when the authors were going to get down to the point and match its tone to the seriousness of the issues (the subtitle of the book is, after all, “The zero tolerance guide to the media”, which rather implied some hard-hitting discussion within). I found myself agreeing with some of the sentiments within, but felt that the jokey tone detracted from taking it seriously. Others have pointed out that The Vagenda lacks any sort of “double discrimination” discussion about the challenges faced by those who are not only women but non-Caucasian, disabled, bi- or homosexual, and transgender – Everyday Sexism includes such a discussion, with the admission that it can only scratch the surface of such issues – whereas The Vagenda appears lacking in its failure to touch on the topic.
I also had a slightly bizarre experience with the book. In the introduction, the authors describe how:
“we had consumed an awful lot of glossy trash over the years – glossy trash that had been telling us how to look, think and behave since we first left the local newsagent’s clutching a copy of Mizz in our sweaty little sherbet-covered fingers… As tweenagers, we graduated from the romance comics, spooky stories and ‘I kissed a boy during my first period, am I pregnant?’ problem pages in Shout, Mizz, Sugar or Jackie, dependent on your age, to those with a more mature demographic such as Just Seventeen (later rebranded as J-17). For our own generation, J-17 (which everyone knows you read when you were 13 and hid from your scandalised mother, lest she find the bit about 69ing) was the go-to magazine for sex advice, trading as it did primarily in information and revelations about boys in the same way that Jackie traded in romance and engagement stories in the 1970s. But these sorts of stories have a sell-by date, and by the time you’re a teenager, you’re being steered headlong into Cosmopolitan, Company and Grazia. An addiction that lasts a lifetime is born.”
Why was this bizarre for me? I’ve never read a magazine (and I'm the same generation as the authors, incidentally). The authors describe a personal experience being ‘hooked’ into magazines at a young age and progressing to more adult versions as part of the process of growing up as a young female, and its clear from reading the book that many women have been through the same experience, to the point where the authors sweepingly address all women in the book, urging our gender to put down the magazines and not to buy into their consumerist crap. I seem to be some sort of abnormality; a female that wasn’t sucked into magazines at a young age and has always been baffled as to why anyone would pick them up in the first place. As I read through the authors’ exhortations and revelations that the magazines are out to make women feel bad about themselves so they will buy the products advertised, I found myself thinking “well duh!” Surely I can’t be the only woman who’s always thought that such ploys by magazines are transparently obvious and there’s absolutely nothing worthwhile within to ever warrant my reading let alone spending money on one of these publications? Yet Cosslett and Baxter seem to describe women regularly falling for the nonsense magazines pump out, and then realising, as the authors do at some point during their twenties, that, hang on just a minute, this is all bullshit!
I’m actually rather surprised that I didn’t like this book more than I thought I would. Coming off Everyday Sexism I thought The Vagenda would be the perfect follow up, and just a fortnight ago I was chuckling and mentally applauding The Vagenda website for lampooning the ridiculous gossip rag and tabloid celebrity “headlines” such as “Celebrity A flashes cankles during walk to shop – eating too much cake?” and “Celebrity B snaps selfie of trim figure – what a show off!” The Vagenda still highlights such ridiculousness here, and rightly so, and for the magazine addicted woman who’s never quite been able to figure out her love-hate obsession with magazines, the authors point out that their only objective is to take your money through whatever underhanded, body-shaming tactics they possibly can. But for me the chatty tone detracts from discussing the issues seriously, the authors make a big mistake by not utilising the great resource of contributors to their website, and all in all the book just comes off poorly next to the far better Everyday Sexism, where Laura Bates’ scrupulous referencing of facts, utilisation of her contributors, succinct chapter on sexism in the media, and serious discussion of almost all the other areas of sexism at least briefly, makes for a compelling, impactful, resonating read that is simply superior. I feel bad marking down a book whose authors have goals I basically agree with – yes, sexism in magazines is bad, and silly, and people should be more aware and stop buying them – except, in their conclusion, Cosslett and Baxter don’t say people should stop buying magazines (which, as another reviewer pointed out, would force magazine editors to sit up and pay attention), they just vaguely outline their ideal-world magazine (one with women of all shapes and sizes and a distinct lack of body-shaming), and encourage women to join other campaigns against sexism. Bates’ Everyday Sexism book actually provides clear advice on how to help in situations of sexist discrimination, what the legal definitions of sexual assault and unfair workplace discrimination are and encourages people to report such occurrences to the police, and share their experiences with others to spread awareness. In the acknowledgements, Cosslett and Baxter thank “everyone at Elle, who, despite being a women’s magazine, were chilled enough to still want to work with us on a brilliant feminist campaign”. Really?! Despite blasting Elle, amongst other high-profile magazines, the authors endorse them in the acknowledgements? One can't help but think that looks odd in a book whose primary purpose is to blast the sexism and consumerism in publications including Elle.
5 out of 10
July 14, 2015
This is a great introduction to feminist issues in the media, and especially in women's magazines. At times laugh-out-loud hilarious, and others sombre and serious, The Vagenda was great to read as a young woman trying to make sense of the shit magazines try to feed us.
After reading this, I'm not sure I'll ever look at magazines the same way. I feel weirdly guilty about the collection of Seventeen magazines under my bed, and my recent Victoria's Secret haul. I simultaneously feel more educated about the issues present, and better for reading this book. It usually takes an open-minded approach (although the attitudes to women only enjoying gentle, vanilla sex seemed to prevail until the last chapter, which was a bit better) and mostly made me feel better about myself. The conclusion was a hopeful one, which I liked, but some of the dieting sections, especially relating to 'fat women' getting paid less in jobs made me hate my own skin.
Still, a nice read as an intro to the topics raised. I checked out the blog, too, having only heard of it from the book, and I like it.
Four stars.
After reading this, I'm not sure I'll ever look at magazines the same way. I feel weirdly guilty about the collection of Seventeen magazines under my bed, and my recent Victoria's Secret haul. I simultaneously feel more educated about the issues present, and better for reading this book. It usually takes an open-minded approach (although the attitudes to women only enjoying gentle, vanilla sex seemed to prevail until the last chapter, which was a bit better) and mostly made me feel better about myself. The conclusion was a hopeful one, which I liked, but some of the dieting sections, especially relating to 'fat women' getting paid less in jobs made me hate my own skin.
Still, a nice read as an intro to the topics raised. I checked out the blog, too, having only heard of it from the book, and I like it.
Four stars.
October 26, 2014
This book was entertaining and informative but I admit the more I read the less the rating I was contemplating being generous with, became.
To combat girls being looked down upon by 'morally loose men' let us become.... Morally loose our selfs.
I mean what else is a sentence like this supposed to inspire:
'Perhaps it's time to stop using the word 'slut' altogether, because if we want women to make their own sexual choices without fear of society's judgement, then the word shouldn't really exist at all'
REALLY? I can't even...
Instead, here's a thought; why not make men feel ashamed of their 'loose morals' by actually having standards and integrity. Because at the end of the day an average 25yo woman has no respect for a 'player' not even these 'players' want their daughters to end up with players and why in the world would I want myself to emulate something or someone I don't highly regard
To combat girls being looked down upon by 'morally loose men' let us become.... Morally loose our selfs.
I mean what else is a sentence like this supposed to inspire:
'Perhaps it's time to stop using the word 'slut' altogether, because if we want women to make their own sexual choices without fear of society's judgement, then the word shouldn't really exist at all'
REALLY? I can't even...
Instead, here's a thought; why not make men feel ashamed of their 'loose morals' by actually having standards and integrity. Because at the end of the day an average 25yo woman has no respect for a 'player' not even these 'players' want their daughters to end up with players and why in the world would I want myself to emulate something or someone I don't highly regard
July 10, 2014
I give this 4*s because I think it would be great for young adults. It's pretty hilarious in places and some of it was still shocking to me (the extent of the rape normalisation in university publications for instance). It was as someone else said quite 'young'. I don't see that as a bad thing. I'm in my 30s and still got something out of it but would say it's a great book to buy a teen or someone in their 20s if they're new to this kind of thing.
August 2, 2017
When I first started this I loved it - witty and yet powerful, fact-filled yet an easy read. It made me think once more about the power the media hold over us, and how women are portrayed in magazines, adverts and on TV. However, the further I got into this book the less I enjoyed it - I don't know if that was because the same ground was being covered or if it was because the tone changed in later chapters, becoming more subjective. Still, a thought-provoking feminist read with a touch of humour.
October 2, 2014
Having attended Rhiannon and Holly's event at the Edinburgh Book Festival I really wanted to like this book. Unfortunately, I found it incredibly patronising and extremely heteronormative. Whilst I agree completely with the premiss of the book - women's magazines are pretty shitty - I don't enjoy the way in which they've approached the subject. They complain that magazines and the media make women feel stupid (something worthwhile complaining about) however, they treat their readers in a similar fashion. They presume all women thumb through magazines crying unable to generate a thought that doesn't revolve around how they look. This alone is pretty shitty but throughout 'The Vagenda' there are also jeers and 'funny' remarks made at women who are models (aka. too skinny) or declaring that no women looks good in disco pants (I beg to differ, lol). They repeat themselves a lot, which after a while gets incredibly boring. I don't feel I learned anymore than I had done from reading their blog (which I happen to quite like) - it didn't add anything. I usually enjoy satirically written books but felt that this just took things too far and was way too judgemental of people who may not feel the way they do about certain aspects of feminism. I think it's a shame because having sat through a discussion - enjoying most of what the girls had to say - I wanted to enjoy what they had written. Whilst I believe a lot of what they talk about is true (if not all of it) I don't think they've managed to put it across in a way that's enjoyable to read - plus, it really didn't detail anything new.
That being said I feel that this book would possibly be a good, easy starting point for young girls (in their mid teens) who are interested in reading about feminism in an accessible and easy to understand manner.
That being said I feel that this book would possibly be a good, easy starting point for young girls (in their mid teens) who are interested in reading about feminism in an accessible and easy to understand manner.
August 26, 2014
The Vagenda first sprang into being back in 2012 when Holly Baxter and Rhiannon Lucy Coslett began a blog, borrowing the term 'vagenda' from a broadsheet article about 'women in the workplace with a hidden agenda'. There are many, many, oh so many portmanteau terms which burst into life via the pages of magazine (my personal bugbear is staycation - why not just say you're on holiday?) but Baxter & Coslett felt that 'vagenda' was 'both pleasing to the ear [and] perfectly encapsulated the aims of the blog: to expose the silly, manipulative and sometimes damaging ulterior motives of women's magazines.' They quickly realised that they were not alone in this and two years on, they have produced this intelligent, quick-witted and highly readable book.
For my full review: http://girlwithherheadinabook.blogspo...
For my full review: http://girlwithherheadinabook.blogspo...
June 30, 2014
I am really wanting to like this book, however, I'm struggling. Lots of great sentiments but the tone is pretty patronising. The agency is completely removed from the individual and I am left feeling like an idiot just because I sometimes read Glamour and Grazia. Do the authors really think that any one who ever picks up a woman's mag automatically feels compelled to run out and get botox to please 'their man'?!? I read these magazines as a bit of light relief particularly on long train journeys. To be honest they lost me at the bit where they compared a tired shopper to a veteran from 'Nam'. I identify myself as a feminist unequivocally but I'm going to struggle to finish this book.
June 14, 2015
I enjoyed reading this book - it's interesting and very thought provoking. It's clear that the authors are very passionate about the topic of women's glossy magazines, and the way women are portrayed in the media. It was funny in places too, perhaps not 'laugh out loud', but still. I didn't find the tone of the book to be particularly patronising, it is, however, quite vulgar in places (but hey if the shoe fits..).
Overall, I enjoyed The Vagenda. There is nothing ground breaking or revolutionary to it, but it is does bring some of the highlights (or lowlights) of the media to your attention.
Overall, I enjoyed The Vagenda. There is nothing ground breaking or revolutionary to it, but it is does bring some of the highlights (or lowlights) of the media to your attention.
September 22, 2014
I think this book is perfect for young women who are negotiating the minefield of contemporary media. The authors of this book are saying we are on your side and you really don't have to take this crap any more. I gave up reading women's magazines in my 20s because I found them depressing, but luckily I didn't have to deal with pornofied music videos, mainstream comics doing rape jokes and sites like Uni lad. If you're a young woman read it and feel empowered. If you know a young woman buy this for them.
November 23, 2015
Everyone should read The Vagenda. I wish I had read the Vagenda when I was 13 years old, before I started taking an interest in my sister's fashion magazines. I wish my sister had read the Vagenda before she started collecting and reading fashion magazines. I wish my parents had read the Vagenda before they let my sister spend her allowance money on fashion magazines.
If you've ever wondered whether you're going crazy because of the seemingly endless contradictory bullshit thrown at you about female sexuality, you need to read the Vagenda! It will make you feel sane again.
If you've ever wondered whether you're going crazy because of the seemingly endless contradictory bullshit thrown at you about female sexuality, you need to read the Vagenda! It will make you feel sane again.
July 22, 2015
Everyone needs to read this book. I'm currently sitting on a train and want to pass a copy to every other passenger so they can start immediately. Though absolutely everything will have flaws at points, The Vagenda is an incredible summary and discussion on some of the biggest and most important issues women are forced to face daily in the 21st century. A perfect introduction to the necessity of feminism, for misogynists to Misandrists, and everyone in between.
November 5, 2014
I love this book! So much better than "how to be a woman": It causes laughter and anger in the same sentence.
I would personally have edited the book so the hardest-hitting (for me) chapters towards the end were perhaps cushioned by humour, as it left me feeling more depressed than inspired, but your mileage (and triggers) may vary.
I would personally have edited the book so the hardest-hitting (for me) chapters towards the end were perhaps cushioned by humour, as it left me feeling more depressed than inspired, but your mileage (and triggers) may vary.
June 30, 2015
Don't let the slightly breathless, blog-style writing of this book belie its serious content - a young person's view of women in the media. Knowing that my weekly Grazia goes for a 'distress-in-a-dress' cover headline has made me not want to read it this week. I've already given up on Red magazine because it made me feel shit about my life. This book examines why.
February 24, 2015
The style of writing seems to be to aimed at younger people and the book would make a really great gift for a fledgling feminist. I must admit that although I laughed out loud several times, the book wasn't quite insightful as I'd've hoped.
November 1, 2014
Didn't finish, not going to.
Patronising, crude, vulgar, factually inaccurate, repetitive, badly researched, badly referenced, and badly written.
There's better material online. For free.
Patronising, crude, vulgar, factually inaccurate, repetitive, badly researched, badly referenced, and badly written.
There's better material online. For free.
July 28, 2016
AMAZING. Pointing out all the things I have suspected or realized, but didn't have the capacity to voice. Yes. Thank you. :')
November 24, 2017
I have always been of the opinion that both women's and men's magazines are wrong in every aspect. It has always been about making you feel ashamed for who you are and that you are not good enough and selling you things that you don't need and don't work. I have not read them for years due to this. The history of media doing this was very interesting to read however and most shocking aspect is that the sexism and shaming continues today.
I felt that the way this book is written is just on the right side of humourous despite it sometimes being a bit repetitive. It is also quite angry in places which I agree with where its warranted but some parts were a bit over the top.
(Can I also suggest to everyone that reads this book and wants to stop reading magazines to turn to Sarah Millican's publication The Standard Issue - online publication. Proper reading for ordinary, intelligent women where shaming does not exist).
I felt that the way this book is written is just on the right side of humourous despite it sometimes being a bit repetitive. It is also quite angry in places which I agree with where its warranted but some parts were a bit over the top.
(Can I also suggest to everyone that reads this book and wants to stop reading magazines to turn to Sarah Millican's publication The Standard Issue - online publication. Proper reading for ordinary, intelligent women where shaming does not exist).
December 18, 2017
This book was quite informative, it served its purpose well covering a variety of issues that women face and how the media plays on stereotypes and bad gender bias. It is more of a starter book for someone interested in learn about feminist based topics, however, if you are slightly more knowledgeable on the subject, you may find this book slightly repetitive.
On a plus side, I did at some points in the book to be quite humorous and very relatable. I've even underlined a few points made in the book. This book is a fairly easy read. (Even if it did take me nearly a month to read) and is a reasonable length (each chapter covers a topic like lad culture, fad dieting, lady language etc)
On a plus side, I did at some points in the book to be quite humorous and very relatable. I've even underlined a few points made in the book. This book is a fairly easy read. (Even if it did take me nearly a month to read) and is a reasonable length (each chapter covers a topic like lad culture, fad dieting, lady language etc)
April 20, 2018
I would say that this book is definitely a beginning into the magazine and media industry and how this feeds into a women's self worth, convincing us that we are not enough, we should buy certain products, be a certain size and wear particular clothes/underwear etc. It didn't contain much in terms of academic facts or studies and it was a little repetitive. In saying that, I did enjoy it and laughed out loud many times. The message is loud and clear and i definitely wont be buying into magazines and the culture that they feed into.
July 12, 2025
I think you’ve got to be in at least one of the following two demographics to fully enjoy The Vagenda: A Zero Tolerance Guide to the Media: be female (which I, presumably unusually for having read this book, am not); or to have been sentient in the 1990s and 2000s (which I was). Being both is surely the sweet spot.
Those who tick just one of the boxes will get a lot out of this though. For us men, I think books like this should be required reading to give a bit of insight into the pressures women face that men simply don’t. That’s from the obvious body image things like:
If you are a gen Z woman, this book should be required reading as well so you can find out where your wardrobe came from and that absolutely nothing is new: intermittent fasting has been around for a while apparently. And while I doubt anyone younger than 25 would be shocked at the existence of idiotic diets in the (distant) past, perhaps the fetishising of ‘raw’ and use of the concept ‘mindfulness’ is less expected:
This book is absolutely chock full of this kind of vitriol, made less draining by the fact that it is just so funny. I can open almost any page and find something to make me laugh, like the following quotation which I can’t resist inserting in full.
This is another nice illustration of ‘nothing is new’ in the world of female expectations: as my partner pointed out to me, this is just the prior iteration of what today goes on Instagram as someone describing their 5 to 9 before their 9 to 5, a phrase I now can’t unhear!
This book analyses the dying years of print media and the somewhat abusive relationship women, certainly the authors, appear to have had with it. It is depressing how little has changed conceptually, even if the vehicle has moved from magazines to social media. Despite this, the book is a hugely enjoyable read with a laugh to be had on almost every page. I only did not rate this higher because the book is overly focussed on print even in its day (it was published in 2014), and is more a history book than a much-needed prophylactic to today’s media landscape. Unfortunately, the authors don’t seem to have published much since and no 2025 Vagenda that takes on today’s challenges – like ‘civilian’ women publishing a lot of the type of material described in this book's pages themselves – has been released. Holly Baxter and Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett, if you are reading this, please write another book.
Those who tick just one of the boxes will get a lot out of this though. For us men, I think books like this should be required reading to give a bit of insight into the pressures women face that men simply don’t. That’s from the obvious body image things like:
Magazines are “always trying to ‘teach’ you how to dress for your shape by categorising you as an apple, a pear, or a sodding butternut squash (and that’s the polite ones – one issue of Jackie bluntly asked its readership ‘Are you a skinny, a normal, or a fatty?’)”.Then there are the the less obvious (to some men at least) expectations that no woman is immune from, as Hilary Mantel points out of Kate Middleton, who is “supposed to be ‘capable of going from perfect bride to perfect mother, with no messy deviation … without quirks, without oddities, without the risk of the emergency of character’ … Welcome to the twenty-first century.”
If you are a gen Z woman, this book should be required reading as well so you can find out where your wardrobe came from and that absolutely nothing is new: intermittent fasting has been around for a while apparently. And while I doubt anyone younger than 25 would be shocked at the existence of idiotic diets in the (distant) past, perhaps the fetishising of ‘raw’ and use of the concept ‘mindfulness’ is less expected:
Gone are the days when celebrities were the only ones who had to worry about having their eating habits laid bare; ordinary civilians have to face the nutritionist's food-shaming too … Natasha, a lady with a healthy BMI of 21.3, was told to 'swap chocolates and biscuits for a raw bar', while Katie, a gym bunny … was told to ditch the biscuits in exchange for crudités and houmous, because she won't get pregnant unless she loses weight. Pages later, the reader was informed about mindful eating and instructed to eat like a calm person. How the hell can one eat like a calm person when the rules are constantly changing, thus placing you in an endless state of nutritional panic? Poor Katie probably read Mireille Guiliano's bestseller French Women Don't Get Fat and thought a little bit of chocolate was OK, but now she’s being told by some twat in a national magazine that she's basically a pig in knickers, and a barren one at that. Where do these people get off?
This book is absolutely chock full of this kind of vitriol, made less draining by the fact that it is just so funny. I can open almost any page and find something to make me laugh, like the following quotation which I can’t resist inserting in full.
It's not often that women's magazines concern themselves with your career, but when they do, they're pretty sure that it all starts with granola. ‘I begin the day at 5 a.m., with a spot of Bikram yoga', the standard life in a day article will read. 'After that, I really need to set myself up for a hard day in air traffic control, so I make sure that I boil my semi-skimmed milk to exactly 35 degrees - the optimum temperature to complement my home-made multigrain porridge. I go out and do a bit of redirecting aeroplanes, which is stressful but I'm dressed for success. At midday, we eat jacket potatoes, which I know that I can work off at my 5k jogging class round Hyde Park in the evening. If I didn't look the part, then nobody in this male-dominated environment would respect me.’
'Some days, there might be an unexpected occurrence; for instance, a plane crashes on to the runway, engulfed in a huge, searing fireball. I slip off my court shoes, don pumps, and get stuck in, clawing through the wreckage for possible survivors. My flotation therapy might have to be rescheduled on a day like that, if I really want to be home to pick up my two beautiful children from Gifted and Talented class by five. I don't beat myself up about it - after all, what's really important now is the precious "me time" I get while moulding my greenhouse-grown organic chickpeas into falafels for dinner.’
This is another nice illustration of ‘nothing is new’ in the world of female expectations: as my partner pointed out to me, this is just the prior iteration of what today goes on Instagram as someone describing their 5 to 9 before their 9 to 5, a phrase I now can’t unhear!
This book analyses the dying years of print media and the somewhat abusive relationship women, certainly the authors, appear to have had with it. It is depressing how little has changed conceptually, even if the vehicle has moved from magazines to social media. Despite this, the book is a hugely enjoyable read with a laugh to be had on almost every page. I only did not rate this higher because the book is overly focussed on print even in its day (it was published in 2014), and is more a history book than a much-needed prophylactic to today’s media landscape. Unfortunately, the authors don’t seem to have published much since and no 2025 Vagenda that takes on today’s challenges – like ‘civilian’ women publishing a lot of the type of material described in this book's pages themselves – has been released. Holly Baxter and Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett, if you are reading this, please write another book.
September 15, 2017
This book takes a look at the women's magazine industry and the comedy there is inherent in most articles. I loved their point that every successful business woman seems to start her day with a nutribix bar and a 6am run and that is 'The key to her success' not her hard work or brains! it's not saying never buy a magazine again but that we should question the inherent unhealthy ideals presented to us.
May 3, 2018
A humourously written guide to women's magazines and the complete tosh they advise their readers on fashion, relationships, diet and many other topics. Find out what your man is really thinking by analysing his clothing, how to get this seasons must have lip shape and 33 ways to use your boobs during sex. They're preaching to the choir with me but it was a fun read nevertheless.
January 28, 2019
Fascinating, amusing, shocking, depressing. Good to have clarified the disgusting attention that women and their bodies receive in the media; but what to do about it? I despair. Read this book if you want to despair too! Probably we all need to in order to gather sufficient momentum to stop the colonisation of women’s bodies and the patronisation of our minds.
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