So, we frankly and humorously discussed vibrators and other stuff.

Can you imagine an Esquire or some other men's issues magazine having a blow up doll or plasteic vagina of the month being reviewed?

Why are women so obsessed with objectified men's body parts by using anatomical sex toys? Why are women then blasting men for also having an interest in sex toys?

Then again, maybe Maxim SHOULD carry an orgasmatron of the month for men too-- reviewing the latest 'female substitutes' for the loser men who cannot get any or whose libido exceeds their girlfriends'.

I would call myself a "humanist" or an "equalist," as if those weren't euphemistic ways of saying that I did, in fact, support women's rights.

As a progressive male who supports women's rights (equal pay for equal work, pro-family planning and pro-choice), I call myself an "equalist" or "egalitarian". Why not just say "feminist"? I would like to, but there are a couple key points on the feminist platform that renders me unable to wholly join/subscribe to the movement:

--Divorce outcomes in the U.S. for (ex-)husbands

--View of fathers (more specifically: positive adult "father figure" male role models in kids' lives...biological or not) as being irrelevant and unnecessary

--Unquestioned, unchallenged racism on the part of some white feminists, e.g. Steinem & Ferraro. (Yes, I am an ethnic minority living in the US.)

So for me, at any rate, calling myself an equalist is not about euphemistic hedging. It simply symbolises my support for the majority of a progressive agenda...but not the platform in its entirety.

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As for "Bust"? Well, any woman's mag that chooses to feature Iggy Pop in it is all right by me.

When self and home improvement took over the ad space, and then crept into the editorial space. Way too many beauty products, and articles on how to be "crafty". I now get Bitch magazine (feminist response to pop culture) instead, and never looked back.

I've found Bust to be way too commercial and seems to reinforce the same old sad stereotypes about body image and is all about pushing consumerism. So-called "indie" consumerism, but buy, buy, buy nonetheless. It's all just too twee. I much prefer good old black and white Bitch for my feminism and pop culture fix.

Are you seriously asserting that Maxim, to say nothing of Playboy and its hard-core cousins, is not full of "female substitutes" from cover to cover, serving a generally similar function for men to that served by vibrators (and written erotica) for women?

...though I think I have read a humorous account of a guy testing out something called the FleshLight in some men's magazine laying around the laundromat. It was a while back, though--I don't remember which magazine it was.

Cosmo has dildo ads too--check the classifieds at the back.

Sorry, BUST--I'm just not going to buy that sex toys are anything more or less than sex toys. I'm not threatened by blow-up dolls or rubber vaginas or anything like that, but let's not pretend the female-marketed equivalents are much more than masturbatory aides either.

I haven't read Bust, so it's unfair to criticize, but I do read each issue of Bitch cover-to-cover gleefully! I'll check out Bust.

forthCOMING (heh heh)

That Bust and, frankly, nearly ALL female centric magazines seem to visit and revisit female sex aids all the time, in contrast to men's magazines, says quite a lot about men, women, roles, freedoms, obligations.

I notice, for instance, that a lot of women's marketing is directed at women enjoying their bodies sensually as much of the day as possible, preferably ALL of the time. "You deserve it!" I do not see this same attitude in men's ads.

Men are the TRUE slaves of the culture. It is not for them to enjoy their bodies, except, ideally at preordained times, preferably in the company of a woman, and preferably one who is his officially sanctioned, state licensed, 'wife'.

One, I, can argue that men being more in tuine and encouraged to take pleasure in life would solve many current societal problems. For one thing, men would be discouraged from USING women for their pleasure. Men would gain more insight into their own sexuality, one unhinged from being tied into the pressure of 'performance' or 'achievement', and more in tune with the other hungers of life. A more subtle, nuanced male would certainly be a more equitable companion to any women lucky enough to be with him.

But alas, multiple threats and stops exist to deny men this-- to the point that it is considered obscene or taboo for men to be proposed as being engaged in this way.

Certainly, a free man would also be freethinking, endangering organized [female controlled and owned] society, maybe making men begin to demand LITTLE things like being treated FAIRLY

- by society

- by courts

- by companies

- by the military/industrial vacuum

God help us all, sexually free men are the TRUE danger to society, women having nothing on us.

Where is the MEN'S version of BUST? Maxim or Playboy is not it. They only exist to titillate but not to empower the men in any significant way. Esquire and all the men's society rags are nothing more than slave training manuals.

I posit that a true men's empowerment tract would be far more attacked and demonized than any mere Bust.

Where is the MEN'S version of BUST? Maxim or Playboy is not it.

Have you actually seen BUST? The whole thing is not "rahrrr, we're angry and prosecuted and let's empower ourselves," it's just about things women would enjoy. I always thought it was a great equivalent to Maxim, because Maxim is very funny and doesn't take itself so seriously. Traditional women's magazines are very stern, like "ladies (insert finger wag), you must never EVER pull the skin under your eyes" or "replace your makeup every two months!" That kind of stupid garbage that is ultimately all about being more attractive or buying more crap.

BUST has one page (Notes from a Broad) about current women's issues. The rest is crafts, travel, quirky artist profiles, etc. And yep, sex toys, erotica and a Betty Dodson advice column. So what? Why does that have to be a big thing-- that we get off? I think it is lovely and refreshing.

I am all for men being treated fairly by the courts, etc., but stop this nonsense about men being true slaves. That is just plain ridiculous. We're just talking about a magazine here.

For the record, I've subscribed for years and I think it's the best magazine ever. My husband even likes it. Yes, there are a lot of ads, but they're not exactly hawking Coke or Disney or Slim-Fast. It's almost all small independent businesses and artists selling handmade jewelry, clothing, etc.