While many parents think of Teen Vogue as just a fashion magazine, we have a big warning for you. Teen Vogue is giving your kids sex advice. In their latest article, “Anal Sex: What You Need to Know,” featured on the front page of their website for days and printed in their June 2017 edition, the fashion magazine is giving step-by-step instructions on how to engage in anal sex. Note that their target audience is teenagers aged 11-17.
There are a number of concerns we should have about this article:
Teen Vogue is Now a Sex-Advice Magazine
This magazine is marketed as a TEEN FASHION magazine that parents trust as being just that.
Even Common Sense Media, who millions of parents rely on for advice about media their kids are consuming, has been tricked. Their advice: “Parents need to know that the online home of Teen Vogue magazine is an appealing — and safe — destination for teens with an interest in fashion and style.” Common Sense Media even noted that it’s not even applicable to be worried about Teen Vogue discussing sex. They clearly don’t realize that Teen Vogue has changed its tactics and has moved into the world of magazine sex tips, joining the ranks of Cosmopolitan Magazine. This is not the only article discussing sexual themes – they have started to share many sex tips, discuss masturbation, and more.
ACTION ALERT: Urge our helpful allies at Common Sense Media that they need to update their assessment of Teen Vogue. Then write a personal review on their page here.
This Teen Vogue Article is Anti-Woman
This article labels women as “non-prostate owners” which literally defines women in light of male sexuality. This is the same thing the pornography industry does every day. Female sexuality should not be defined and perceived as a mere conduit of male sexual use, without regard for the potential risks or pain associated.
ACTION ALERT: Read more about this concern in this article from the The Independent and then take to social media to call out the anti-woman tone this article takes.
This Teen Vogue Article Normalizes Porn Culture
A major concern the National Center on Sexual Exploitation has with this article is that it is another major step towards the mainstreaming of porn culture and adds to the already mounting pressure on young women to give into that message.
Thanks in large part to the pornography industry, many women experience undue pressure from boyfriends or husbands to engage in anal sex despite their discomfort or concerns about health risks. Mainstream pornography today commonly depicts extreme anal sex practices. It is no longer a fetish or fringe genre but rather depicted in a lot of mainstream pornography. These porn scenes often sexualize and glamorize common health risks like anal prolapse – a medical condition in which the inner walls of your rectum collapse and slip out of the anus.
Many pornography users are experiencing a shift in their sexual template as they become sensitized towards seeing and being turned on by these extreme practices. This porn-informed version of sex then seeps into their perception of healthy sex and often into their real-life relationships.
It’s a shame that Teen Vogue is legitimizing the pressure many teenage girls experience to engage in anal sex.
ACTION ALERT: Reply to Vogue’s Editor, @pfpicardi, who is claiming this article is just about what it means to be a young person today, with the reality of what young people are facing.
Other articles that we encourage you to share online:
- Op-Ed by our ally, Enough Is Enough President, Donna Rice Hughes
- The Independent
- Fox News Opinion
- Christian Post
