Parody Nails The Absurdity Of Women's Magazines

This spot-on parody shows the ugly truth about women’s magazines

If you ever want to feel like total crap, just check out the cover of a women’s magazine, right? Weight loss tips, fashion must-haves you can’t afford, a brief list of all the ways you’re failing in the bedroom – oh, and in the middle of it all, some gorgeous, scantily clad model who’s been Photoshopped beyond recognition. It’s enough to make you want to curl up in bed with a box of donuts and never leave your room again. That’s why one Boston cartoonist named David London created a hilarious parody reminding us the stuff we see on magazines is complete and utter bullshit.

The hand drawn magazine parody was shared on London’s Facebook page just a few days ago, and already it’s been viewed almost three thousand times. Check it out:

On it is a half-naked model who looks a lot like Chrissy Teigen, as well as hilarious article teasers, like: “Didn’t Think You Were Fat? You Are,” “31 things You Can Buy To Make Men Like You More (Then You’ll Be Happy),” and my personal favorite, “Build A Sand Castle Around His C*ck & other weird f*cking sex tips you would never seriously attempt — and all for his pleasure!”

As ATTN points out, the cover is a pretty obvious parody of this September 2015 issue of Women’s Health:

Of course, the issues the parody brings up aren’t necessarily reserved for one specific magazine. Rather, they’re a caricature of an entire industry that makes money by telling women they don’t measure up and the true path to happiness comes from losing weight, buying the right shoes, and learning how to give a man a blowjob while cooking a five-course dinner and folding laundry with your toes.

Some brands and magazines have made small efforts to change the way they engage with their female audience. Women’s Health itself actually made headlines earlier this year when it announced a ban on the term “bikini body” in an effort to promote more body positivity. Sports Illustrated also got a standing ovation when it opted to put gorgeous plus-sized model Ashley Graham on the cover of the swimsuit issue.

Still, it’s kind of depressing that these strides towards inclusivity are the exception and not the rule. You’d think magazines that are supposedly created for women and meant to inspire women to live their best lives would spend a bit more time encouraging different kinds of women to love themselves for who they are.

Alas, I guess that’s too much to ask, and that’s why this hilarious parody rings so damn true. Women’s magazines might make you feel terrible, fat, poor, miserable, and unsuccessful, but hey — at least you’ll be able to build a sand castle around a penis like nobody’s business.