Money Where Your Mouth Is

Jordan Greene

Honolulu, Hawaii  

98-885 Ainanui Loop

Teen Vogue Magazine

4 Times Square

9th Floor

New York, New York 10036

To the Writers, Editors, and Publishers of Teen Vogue Magazine,

I am just one of the millions of customers that enjoy reading Teen Vogue for fashion tips, relationship advice, boy bands to obsess over, and the plentiful coupons embedded in the pages of your magazines (those are greatly appreciated). I have been subscribed to your magazine ever since I started high school and I truly look forward to getting one in the mail every month. However, there is one thing that makes a little uneasy about continuously paying money for your magazine. I realize that the ads in your magazine provide money and profit for your business. Even still, your advertising pages have increased by a significant 8.3% and although the ads are pleasing to the eye, the impact it has on your readers, can be demeaning and cause self consciousness. 70% of teen girls are strongly influenced by what they believe is the ideal body type and most of your ads feature skinny, flawless models. I understand you can’t dictate the subjects that products such as Gap or Abercrombie and Fitch are printing, advertising, and promoting. However when Teen Vogue then prints those images in the magazine, I believe you too are promoting the idea that every successful girl is skinny and flawless. On the other hand, if ads were printed were models with diverse and unique body types were featured, I would believe that Teen Vogue promotes and different body types positively. I also understand that your magazine has articles that encourage loving your body and being happy with your size. Yet, they are only every few issues, where the thin and picture-perfect models can be found in roughly 17% of your magazine. As a film student I also know that glittering generalities is a very popular advertising technique amongst large businesses, especially for makeup and clothing ads. Even still, beauty comes in more forms than just physical attributes, such as how much you weigh. That should absolutely be highlighted to every girl reading.

From personal experience, of one of my closest friends suffering from body images and eating disorders in the past, I feel very strongly about the content in magazines and feel a sense of worry and protectiveness whenever she sees an ad and replies with “I wish I looked like them.”  And with my younger sister approaching teen years in no time, I would like for her to enjoy reading Teen Vogue without worrying about what size she is or if her looks are good enough.

I hope my suggestions are taken into consideration and they did not cause offense to an outstanding company like yourselves. I enjoy reading your magazines, my only objection would be to add diversity to the ads your magazine prints in order to advocate self- love because every girl reading, should feel comfortable and perfect in their own skin.

Sincerely,

Jordan Greene