Gleaming Spiers: Are You Ready For The Sex, Girls?

Last week on W. 55th Street, in a scene that looked like death warmed over a sterno flame, there was a launch party for Bee magazine - a monthly periodical for "the woman who is interested in politics, lifestyle & finance." The target audience, in other words, is Susan B. Anthony or the girls you dated in college who laughed at sorority solidarity but still wept when they found their names on a fraternity's dartboard of whores.

I've stated before how I highly doubt the market would support a women's magazine that wraps those interests around a "sexy, smart vibe" because I assume most women, especially independent-minded ones, don't claim their viewpoints or the interesting stories that appeal to them aren’t already well-represented by the women (and men) who write for gender-neutral publications like the New Yorker, Atlantic Monthly, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Vanity Fair, and many other editorial venues, including newspapers and blogs.

Beauty and fashion magazines serve specific functions that don’t involve exploring the depths of business, politics, and social commentary. Simply put, there’s a reason Maya on "Just Shoot Me!" was the butt of so many jokes. And not just because of her huge rack.