I feel bad about my thighs
On hating the game, not the player
Hello, and welcome to Mag Hags - the culture and history newsletter that every modern woman should know. Join us as we dive even deeper into the glossy archives of women’s magazines to find out what's still hot and what's definitely not.
Mag Hags is an independently produced podcast and we set this newsletter up as a way for our listeners to support us. Come and discuss the features we talk about in the show, marvel at the adverts, enjoy vintage fashion, beauty and lifestyle tips, and get access to loads of other bonus bits. Plus episode transcripts straight to your inbox.
Are you Summer-Body Ready? Perhaps you thought we, as a society, had evolved past that tired call to action. But unfortunately, we’re in 1987 and the body acceptance of 2025 is but a pipe dream. Have you listened to the episode yet?
As is the way, 1980s beauty ideals reflected the cultural movements of the day. In this case, the birth of fitness and leisure culture meant the glorification of athletic physiques, taught stomachs and toned limbs. Lean, yes, but with a soupçon of strength. It’s Jamie Lee Curtis in Perfect (1985). It’s Elle McPherson.
The July 87 issue of Elle is packed full of these lithe babes. It’s the high summer issue, so we’ve got a swimsuit fashion editorial (eight pages) as well as a two-page feature on how to eliminate cellulite in order to perfect your hips and thighs for the summer season (gross).
That’s not to mention the ads. We’ve got several for suncream and fake tan – naturally requiring as much skin on show as possible – and not forgetting our iced coffee DPS. All of which is to say that this magazine is full of pictures of gorgeous, athletic, genetically blessed babes with perfect golden skin, showing an exquisitely curved bum cheek and reminding me of the shortcomings, literal and metaphorical, of my own body.
Want to hear what we had to say about this magazine? Check out the episode here.
Body standards
One of the most common sentiments we’ve come across when mentioning the premise of Mag Hags to people is “women’s magazines? What about that problematic diet culture and body image stuff??”