The author expresses their hatred for Cosmo magazine in a letter. They feel Cosmo adds unnecessary stress and worries about physical appearance and sex. The unrealistic images of women featured make the author feel judged. Cosmo also promotes stereotypes that demean women by focusing too much on looks, weight, and relationships. The author wants Cosmo to provide more worthwhile content instead of what it currently stands for.

1. Dear Cosmo,
I hate you.
I have enough things to worry about in my life. Crushing student loan debt, a
mild case of agoraphobia inherited from my grandmother, health issues, making my
monthly bill payments, and praying I don’t get scurvy from my current once a week
vegetable diet.
I don’t need to worry about my face and whether or not I am using the latest
eye makeup trick to lure in every man on the street. Or if my big butt is too big or
too cellulite filled to be considered attractive. I don’t want to look at your starved
and photo shopped starlet on the cover with her ginormous breasts and Barbie
sized hips and have to wonder whether or not I am being compared. I can’t look like
that! My hips are wider then my shoulders and if I suck in too much my ribs stick out
like one of those African children on the cover of Time. I don’t want to read about
how “she doesn’t really exercise” and sits around eating chips and bon bons-
because it’s a lie. She has a personal trainer named Sven and hasn’t had anything
over 100 calories pass through those lips in a decade.
I don’t want to read how to lose weight because I already look in the mirror
and judge myself enough. My cupboards are filled with recommended beauty
products that tone my flab and moisturize my skin and protect me from sun damage.
And your sex tips? REALLY?! Who wants to learn how to have sex using an
ice cube? Anyone ever written in talking about choking and having CPR and the
moment completely ruined? Because that is all that runs through my head when I
see that stupid tip show up in EVERY OTHER ISSUE.
I hate what you do to women. I hate how you demean them with your
seventy six tips to be a better girlfriend or how to know what a man’s thinking by
how he shaves his chest. I hate that you help perpetuate the idea that women are
hapless idiots walking around talking about this nonsense all the time. I hate
everything you stand for.
I am not naïve enough to think you will ever change your ways, but I am
hopeful that you will at least put WORTHY content within your glossy, over-sexed
pages.
Sincerely,
Kerith Rae