Problem
Cosmopolitan Magazine glamorizes things like public, anal, group, violent and risky sex in nearly all of their monthly issues throughout 110 countries across the globe in 35 languages. We are asking that Cosmo be sold to adults only and have the cover wrapped like all other porn magazines in retail shops.
Results from a 2015 nationwide survey indicate that many Americans agree.
This staple of the supermarket checkout line is as pornographic as Playboy magazine. While it may not have many nude pictures (though they have started throwing them into recent issues), this publication has steadily declined from a somewhat inspirational women’s magazine to a verbally pornographic “how-to” sex guide. Cosmo is leading the way in further desensitizing young women and girls to accept and participate in the pornified and sexually violent culture around them.
Pornography desensitizes and entices the user to try harder and more deviant material. Cosmo, like Playboy, Hustler and other mainstream porn, is trying hard to keep up with this fact by writing even more provocative and explicit articles. Common themes of the last year include repeatedly inviting women to participate in anal, oral, public, and violent torture sex and each issue tauts that it has more and better sex tips than the previous issue.
In recent years, Cosmo has started to blatantly target young girls to expand their audience and increase profits. Many of their covers feature teen idols, meant to entice young girls into buying the magazine. They include feature stories from Disney stars and teen icons. A search of #MyCosmo or #CosmoGirl on social media yields pictures, tweets and comments from teen girls around the world gushing about trying Cosmo’s tips and trying to be like women of Cosmo Magazine.
Join us in the fight to get supermarkets and other family-oriented stores to put wrappers on Cosmo Magazine and to stop selling it to children and teens.
NOTE: Cosmopolitan Magazine is also listed on the 2015 Dirty Dozen List
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Proof
Warning: The content in Cosmopolitan Magazine is pornographic. We have not edited the material.
Take Action
Thank Retailers who Changed Policies
Email the Retailers
Email the Editors
Print This Flyer
Print this flyer, cut it in half and leave it in front of the Cosmopolitan Magazines in your local retail checkout lines or hand to a store manager.
If you can, snap a picture of it and post it on social media using hashtag #cosmoharmsminors
Share Your Story
How has Cosmopolitan Magazine affected your life? How old were you when you first read an issue? Do you know girls who have been impacted by the magazine? All will be shared anonymously. Click to here to submit or send an email to public@ncose.com.
Share your STORY
Personal stories help elected and business leaders to see the grave harm associated with this material and can be very helpful in getting them to change their policies. All will be shared anonymously. Please email your story to public@ncose.com.
Updates
Video: Cosmo is Pushing Porn Onto its Readers
The 2016 Dirty Dozen List yet again includes Cosmopolitan Magazine. The Cosmo covers are offensive and often shock people in the checkout aisle, but sadly what is inside the covers is even worse. WATCH OUR VIDEO ABOUT COSMO HERE: Graphic depictions and descriptions of sex acts are regularly featured in this magazine, and the effects […]
An Evolution from Selling “Sex Tips” to Selling Porn: Cosmopolitan Joins Forces with the Porn Industry
The premise of Sex and the Single Girl, Helen Gurley Brown’s best-seller that shocked the American public in the 1960s, was that a young woman didn’t need a ring on her finger to have and enjoy sex. Fifty years later, that notion is as culturally acceptable as a daily dose of caffeine. Gurley Brown distinctively […]
Cosmo Calls a Torture Porn Site “Ethical”…
This last December, Cosmopolitan published an article about how to know if the porn are watching is “ethical.” This isn’t the first time that Cosmo has promoted pornography, but its attempt to label porn as “ethical” reaches a new level of social irresponsibility. Let’s get one thing straight: no industry based on an individual being […]
Cosmo Came for Christmas: Now Join Our “Cosmo-X-Vent”
By Lisa Thompson with Dani Bianculli Few people following the news could have missed the controversy brewing around the Starbuck’s “Christmas” coffee cup. Conspicuously missing from the bright, red cup is any greeting referring to Christmas or any of the holidays associated with this time of year. Whether you take issue with the Starbucks cup or […]
Change Is Happening! #CosmoHarmsMinors Campaign Is Making a Difference
Your voice is making a difference! The #CosmoHarmsMinors campaign is having huge successes! We have confirmations from Walmart, Rite Aid, and Food Lion that they are moving this pornographic magazine to be behind blinders and we are hearing from dozens around the country that their local stores are following suit. Our Executive Director, Dawn Hawkins, stopped by Safeway […]
The Hill: Retailers to shield customers from Cosmopolitan magazine
By Lydia Wheeler Original Source: The Hill Cosmopolitan magazine has proven to be too risqué for some retailers. Late last month, Rite Aid and Food Lion announced they were working to shield customers from the content on the magazine’s cover. In a statement, Rite Aid said it is still going to carry the publication, but future […]
Experts
PRESS CONFERENCE: Cosmo Harms Minors
Harmful to Minors Laws a tool to protect kids from hyper-sexualized material – Patrick Trueman
Dawn Hawkins on the public health crisis from pornography
Cosmopolitan Magazine to Girls: If you’re not sexual, boys won’t want you – Victoria Hearst
What is the impact of hyper-sexualized media on the family?
Are children physically, mentally, and emotionally able to process hyper-sexualized content?
How does sexually explicit content, like Cosmo, affect youth development? – Dr. Judith Reisman answers
What are the major effects of pornography on marriage – Joe Beam, founder of Marriage Helper
How does Cosmo Magazine harm minors? – Day Gardner from National Black Pro-Life Union
Why are you taking on this campaign against a magazine your family publishes? – Victoria Hearst
Why should we care about the impact of magazines like Cosmo on girls? – Alveda King, Civil Rights Activist
Tools
Contacts
Cosmopolitan Magazine
Cosmopolitan Magazine
Joanna Coles, Editor-in-Chief
300 W 57th St
New York, NY 10019
Phone: (212) 903-5000
Email: joannacoles@
Facebook: Facebook.com/
Twitter: @JoannaColes
Press Inquiries
Please contact Amanda Smith with any press inquiries at haley@ncose.com.
To interview Victoria Hearst, please email cosmo@brimstoneservices.com.
You can download the Cosmo Harms Minors Press Kit here.
See excerpts from the magazine here.
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