Thursday, July 21, 2011

A Letter to InStyle

Dear InStyle,

I follow you on Twitter and often click your links to see who wore what to which event no one else knows about and which nail colors are hot that week/day/hour.  I appreciate the up-to-the-minute coverage of unattainable celebrity looks and overpriced skincare products.  You particularly excel in convincing me, while I stand in line at the grocery store, that I simply must have your latest print issue, even though I know that 100% of its content is available- for free- online.  With your colorful, glossy covers promising me better skin in an hour and that I will look more stylish in 30 seconds, I cannot help but succumb to your pages.

However, yesterday you posted a link to an article called "Vampire Girlfriends: Are You Like Bella, Elena, Sookie, or Buffy?"

So, um.  This is not a thing.  Which Vampire Girlfriend I am, that is.  It's not comparable to asking whether people have a classic, romantic, or edgy style, or whether we think Karl Lagerfeld has had botox.  It's just...not a thing.

Aside from the fact that I don't know who any of those chicks are (except Buffy, obviously), I am grossed out horrified a little concerned that you are telling women that they'd be good at being some vampire dude's gf.  Even if vampires existed (see: not a thing, above), they suck blood.  You know, to stay alive or powerful or whatever.  So that's gross.  And vaguely immoral.  And probably illegal.  Thus, a woman aspiring to date such a dude in real life, or even find out which such weirdo she'd be most compatible with, is disturbing.  Like Seek-Professional-Help disturbing, not I-Still-Like-Hello-Kitty disturbing. 

And you are not only encouraging such weirdness, you are tweeting it to all 2,021,019 (at last count) of your followers.

I read your magazine and site for its content on clothes, makeup, and which celebrity wore some fugly dress better.  Not for strange, off the wall topics like this one. 

Stick to what you do best, please.  All 2 million+ of us will thank you.

Ellen S.

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