Inever read beauty or fashion magazines. Usually, I would rather read independent magazines or weekly news magazines that shorten the wait in doctors offices. But the other day I bought a Vogue. The cover was so glossy and charming with the pretty actress in a provocative pose, her sweater hanging jauntily off the shoulder. Something else also caught my eye on the cover of the magazine – on left side was copy that read, “I’m Worth It.” And you know what, I thought to myself: I am worth it. I am worth the $3.99 plus tax to feel singled out by the large, mass-marketed magazine. The closest I’ve gotten to Vogue in many years, besides knowing of its sheer existence, was my recreational read of “The Devil Wears Prada” this year and its cute humanization of the fashion world. I leafed through the first 40 pages of advertisements for fancy designers like Prada, Oscar de la Renta and Gucci interspersed with makeup advertisements telling us how to be more beautiful. The pictures of the models were all perfect. They had perfectly coiffed, long legs and were flawlessly made-up with the modern emotionless model face, their lips slightly parted. I finally got to the Editor’s Note. It was articulate and enthralling. Anna Wintour, the editor of Vogue, wrote about a recent New York Times business section article that examined the power of women as consumers making their own large-purchase decisions, like buying houses and vacations. She also touched on how women’s values are dominating typically male sectors. The note went on to say that this was not new at Vogue, but this issue was a celebration of women leading their own professional and economic lives. However, immediately following this statement, she credited two males, a fashion editor and a photographer, as the creative geniuses behind the fashion spread that was going to be the pinnacle of the celebration. This news was simultaneously thrilling and upsetting. Here was Vogue, the trendy magazine for modern women, telling me that I’m worth it, that I can take charge of my future – even alone if I wanted to – however, only from under the framework of men. In a way, it is a funny metaphor for reality – women are continually defined in relation to men. This magazine is advocating that women finally and openly take complete control of their economic lives, but only under the direction of men. Maybe these men were the best for the job and are able to identify with the female cause, but according to the aforementioned New York Times article, many men cannot. For example, a man who made manufactured homes in Canada had to change his entire design once he sought feedback from women. In his blueprints, the kitchens were too small and the laundry room/mud room combination was not a popular choice. Citing this example indicates that the majority of men probably do not think the same as women, or share the same values.

I must admit, I was surprised to see this point being made in Vogue. Wintour is a strong woman who had the drive to get a powerful magazine editing position. The supposedly fictional depiction of her in “The Devil Wears Prada” shows her as a heartless bitch, the stereotypical description of a no-nonsense woman. Suddenly, women are dominating a few sectors of society. But instead of reveling in the purchase power and academic prowess, some women are pussyfooting around any decisions that show they are dominating. Printing this issue Vogue isn’t going to offend its target audience, but in practice, it isn’t implementing its own message. It’s OK for a moment while reading this magazine to think you’re worth it, but the moment you realize the whole magazine is supporting the male-dominated infrastructure of our society, the illusion ends. Instead of helping fellow women work their way up the corporate ladder by showing a little female solidarity, like Wintour could’ve done when hiring women for the “I’m Worth It” issue fashion designer and photographer, women are having all the ideas and giving all the credit to men. It’s a submissive battle.