Rating:  Summary: An unfortunately mixed message Review: The author succeeds on one point, and fails on another, which makes it unfortunate that she tackles both with such fervor. The first point is that media aimed at women, by women (women's magazines and news magazine shows like Dateline or 20/20) is filled with messages to make you hate your body and fear for your and your family's lives. It's an important pep talk to remind us that we don't need to follow these messages to buy make-up and clothes to be beautiful, that worrying about that new rare disease or how to juggle everything to be the perfect woman is almost never worth it. I appreciate her thoughts on this, and the reminder that "hey, we're doing just fine without that wrinkle-removing mask, and I don't need advice on how to pack the perfect kids' lunchbox!" Unfortunately, her second point, that all of this is controlled by the disdainingly liberal-hidden-message-sending "perfect" women such as Katie Couric and Diane Sawyer, is not only poorly examined but delivered in a catty and women's-magazine-style. She refers to her enemies "frequently changing hairstyles" as a reason to hate them. She tries to undermine quotes from those she disagrees with by pointing out their support for Bill or Hillary Clinton, which is such a one-note argument that this reader wearied of it one chapter in. Unfortunately, her extensive time as an editor of a woman's magazine herself before writing this book makes her style as gossipy and fashion-focused as the articles she decries. And occasionally her comments come across as bemoaning the passing of earlier days when housewives trapped at home gritted their teeth, kissed their husbands and told the world they were just fine; satisfied completely by their feather duster and washing machine. She even remarks with wistfulness, "When I was growing up...[being] unmarried and pregnant...got you a fast ticket out of town while your parents concocted a lame story explaining your sudden absence." Boy, if young women in need were still treated this way, I'd be pained to see it. From attacks on the founder of the Million Mom March to characters from The West Wing (which confused me, as arguments based on fictional characters seem to me illogical), the partisan sniping in this book turned me off. Other potential readers would be better suited using their time to remind themselves they don't need to listen to women's advertising or scare-based news stories, and spend more time with those who love them for who they are.
Rating:  Summary: Self-Serving Tedium Review: The author, known as a magazine editor only for her unfortunate personality, tries to create controversy and fails.
Rating:  Summary: YOU are Self-Serving and Tedious!! Review: The cheap-shot artist who wrote the review above, due to a lack of intelligence and wit, tries to be clever, but fails.
Rating:  Summary: Repetitive Review: There is no need to read past the first chapter -- she just says the same thing over and over. She had a kernel of an idea that she fails to flesh out. Poorly written and thimble deep. Lots of clever sound bites that add up to nothing.
Rating:  Summary: Talk about selling women short! Review: This author certainly does, as if women haven't read these magazines and laughed over 80% of content for decades! Also feeling sorry for that Cosmo Single Girl editor and her sad life. It's pure escapism and fun to look at trends and fashion. I see a lot of "that jealousy is unattractive in you." She takes herself and her role far too seriously.
Rating:  Summary: Required Reading for Women and the Men Who Love Them Review: This book was fantastic. It's almost as if Myrna Blyth collaborated with me when she wrote the book. The author very succinctly captures my thoughts and emotions regarding the topics she covers. It is such a relief to know that I am not as alone as I thought, that my morals, beliefs and ethics regarding traditional values are shared by alot of people. I recommend this book to all women and even venture a little further and recommend it to all husbands and fathers. Myrna Blyth defines the path the media wants you to travel down and then offers you the path less traveled but more rewarding.
Rating:  Summary: Not easy to find in Bookstop! Review: This book was real worth the trouble it took me to locate it in my local bookstore. First of all, I went to the new "non-fiction" area, expecting to find it. After spending several minutes looking at All of the newly published non-fiction books, I finally asked the customer service employee "where might I find this book"? She looked in the computer, and lo and behold, it was located in an obscure area of the bookstore under "Woman's Studies"! I kid you not! What makes this book any different than "Useful Idiots", and "Slander", which are just a couple of books written by other women with a conservative agenda? Anyhow, the book is VERY enlightening, and well worth your effort to locate it! I loved every minute reading this book, and it really put me in a good mood! To all of those "woman media giants", "Gotcha"!!! Now, if only someone would do the same for the male media giants! I could use another laugh!!
Rating:  Summary: Great Review: This book was very informative and entertaining. I found it to be a very thorough analysis of the attitudes and idealogies of many of the power women of the media. I was shocked at how desparately Katie Couric wanted to interview the Unabomber on the Today show. I totally agree that the lifestyle of Katie, Diane Sawyer, Susan Sarandon, Faith Hill, etc. is alien to the majority of women in this country no matter how hard they like to pretend otherwise. The book is excellent!!
Rating:  Summary: No Learning Curve(s) Review: This poor woman cannot learn. After years of selling women a bill of goods about their looks, age, and health, she now further divides us with partisan politics. She falls back on the old liberal media myth, conveniently forgetting things like Reagan speech-writer Peggy Noonan's long-running commentary page in Good Housekeeping or the fawning profiles of Barbara Bush, Nancy Reagan, Laura Bush, et al. in every mainstream glossy women's magazine. We deserved better then and now.
Rating:  Summary: It's a drag! Myrna's got a brand new bag! Review: This shrill, silly, thinly argued book obviously is intended to launch Myrna Blyth's career change from women's magazine editor to the newest conservative pundette. She finds conspiracy and victimhood behind each service piece, insisting the ladies' mags are selling "unhappiness" with what she sees as its inseparable twin, "liberalism." Blyth spent more twenty years (which must have been the sheerest hell for her, suppressing all those opinions) at the helm of Ladies Home Journal. This is a magazine I respect quite a bit, so the undiluted spleenishness of "Spin Sisters" surprised me. However, she probably will be around for awhile, sharing the banquette-and-microphone circuit with Ann Coulter, so we'll just have to get used to her, alas.
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