If Hermes Can Sell A Birkin...

Alex Blimes, editor of 'Esquire' magazine said at the Advertising Week Europe conference on Tuesday that, and I quote,  "The women we feature in the magazine are ornamental. I could lie to you if you want and say we are interested in their brains as well. We are not. They are objectified."

Wonderful.

Mr Bilmes then went on to say how when he moved from GQ to Esquire in 2010, he promised to be more truthful and is doing so. He claims his magazine is more diverse than most women's magazines as they use women of different shapes, sizes and ages. Noting how Cameron Diaz (who is in her 40s) was a recent cover star. Something RARELY seen in Women's mags. 
Oh yes, because, I COMPLETELY FORGOT that Cameron Diaz is your average 40-something! How absent minded of me...

I went ahead and done me a little digging and it turns out that last year, the lovely Ms Diaz was on the cover of In Style, Elle, Bazaar and Cosmopolitan to name a few, and they were editions of the magazines all over the world. So, no, Mr Bilmes, I am afraid you have not done women kind a massive favor in liberation by sticking Cameron Diaz on your front cover. 

He talks about how, women, much like the cars featured in the magazine are there because they look good, and help sell, and about how men (and this is another quote for you all) "at certain times we like to see them [women] sexy". We like to see men sexy too, thank you very much, but if Vogue manages to give us Chanel Haute Couture, and Hermes can sell a Birkin, a handbag with a price range from £6000 to £100,000, without a half naked man in the background, then Esquire sure as hell can bring us a Ferrari without a girl in a bikini on it's bonnet.

I know that sex sells. It's a fact. We want to obtain and acquire the things we don't have in life, these luxury goods; these luxury people. But being open about the fact that you're willing to objectify another human being in order to achieve them isn't the step forward I'd hope equality would be taking in 2013.
When is the media going to wake up and realize that it's action's, it's Page 3's, it's girl-with-iPad-dipping-wet-just-out-of-a-pool, have an effect on the way women are seen. That their action's have consequences. They create smoke, with their provocative images, their lucrative pull and then act surprise when so many women feel unable to come forward after they've endured any form of abuse.

Women's magazines may promote all sorts of unhealthy idea's when it comes to weight and body shape... But I've never seen Beyonce oiled up and bent over a pair of Louboutin's.

We make it ok to see woman as ornaments, and, thank you ever so kindly Mr Bilmes, we get treated like them too.

I want to be a journalist, some days, it's just about the only thing I'm sure of, but I want the industry to have grown up by the time I get there or so help me God, I'll be raising hell from my London office.

- xo