Magazines For Her

What f-word would you never use to describe Seventeen, Teen People and the like? For me, that would be feminist. Their editors and publishers would probably cringe at the thought of being described as such for it has become such a meaning-laden word in society, usually with an intensely negative connotation. Surely there must be an alternative teen magazine to fill in this gap, one more concerned with empowering young women than helping them find out if they’re a summer of fall? There is, and it’s Canadian.

Shameless is an independent magazine with the slogan “For girls who get it.” A relatively young magazine, its first issue was in the summer of 2004 and it has seemingly been plagued by financial difficulties ever since. While Shameless is supposed to be published three times a year, it has often only been able to publish twice, a real *ahem* shame because of the tremendous quality of the magazine, especially when compared to the majority of teen magazines.

The content is incredibly different, in many ways, from the glut of teen magazines available. There are no makeup tips or posters of the Jonas Brothers inside. It won’t tell you how to get the guy. Instead, Shameless tackles issues such as gender norms and sexuality with the frankness and clarity that others would never dare. What surprised me most when reading the latest issue was the fact that the articles, ranging from subjects of native culture to female characters in movies, were not toned down or diluted for a teenage audience. The magazine is smartly written and shows a level of respect for the reader.

I always wonder how many teens actually read Shameless. Their history of financial problems would suggest that not many do. Perhaps too few know about the magazine or it is too radical for most teenagers and the issues simply don’t speak to them. But if we as readers and/or librarians demand teen fiction with strong female characters, ones who battle with the issues mentioned throughout Shameless magazine, then why can’t we demand that teen magazines tackle the same subjects in a similar fashion?