The Sexual Revolution was not just about gaining rights for women (but that was the main focus of the Women's Liberation Movement was in the 60s), but also about simply becoming more open about sex and issues regarding it. Outcomes of this movement included Title IX, a movement against bras, more porn, and of course the inevitable backlash from conservatives like Phyllis Schlafly. One of the most important upshots of the movement, however, was the magazine entitled Ms.
Ms. helped to shape contemporary feminism as a bold act of independence. Before this, women's magazines were mostly limited to how to save a marriage, raise a child, or what cosmetics to use.
Ms. revolutionized this. Some articles rated presidents based on women's rights. Others explained and advocated for the Equal Rights Amendment. The magazine brought up hidden issues such as domestic violence, criticized objectifying advertising, and performed studies on date rape. They also had a Woman of the Year. All of these stories and studies and articles were brought into the homes of millions of Americans.
Again, there was backlash. They have faced many financial problems due to advertising deficiencies. At one point, they became a nonprofit running from the funds of the Ms. Foundation for Education and Communication. They have switched ownership many times but have survived nonetheless. Today, it runs outside of LA.
According to their website, "Ms. continues to be an award-winning magazine recognized nationally and internationally as the media expert on issues relating to women’s status, women’s rights, and women’s points of view."
Here is a link to their Debut Issue.
http://nymag.com/news/features/ms-magazine-2011-11/
http://msmagazine.com/blog/about/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ms._(magazine)?oldformat=true
Nice post, Bennett! I like how you talked about the differences between Ms. and magazines prior to them. It's interesting how entertainment and art are oftentimes the most useful tools activists can use to create change. One thing I think that is also pretty cool is that the name "Ms." comes from the preferred form of address of second wave feminists. Prior to the women's liberation movement, women were only referred to as "Miss" or "Mrs.", which are terms that comment on a woman's marital status. Feminists like Gloria Steinem wanted to be addressed as individuals and develop lives independently outside of the home and husband; their message is reflected clearly through all aspects of their magazine. Truly, the feminist movement sought to individualize women in society.
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I found this post really interesting as it delved into the reason why Ms. was so important for the women's rights movement. It's amazing just how much of an impact that the magazine had on the movement and what it represented : helping other women. Additionally, it encompassed the ideals of feminism, raising awareness for the issue as a whole. In fact, Ms. was responsible for making Wonder Women an icon of the second wave of feminism. The magazine painted her as a strong female superhero that was no worse than her male peers. Throughout history, Wonder Women has appeared on the cover, giving a voice to the women around the world, telling them to stand up for their rights and teaching them that they can also do great things. Ms. magazine's contributions led to a wave of feminism, pushing for more progress one superhero at a time
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I very much enjoyed this post. It is interesting to see how Ms. was able to use its form of print media in order to spread feminism throughout the country. I think it is really interesting how they tackled many different issues as they pertained to women's rights, and did not shy away from even taking on politicians and their policies on women's rights. I think that one really interesting aspect of the magazine was that it was founded by Gloria Steinem. Since it was founded by such a prominent feminist symbol at the time, I think it got a lot more support which gave it more influence and ability to push feminist teachings.
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