Fashion mag making fun of bike commuting

[RolliePollie]

So I received a complimentary copy of the fashion magazine Marie Claire in the mail along with a special offer for a cheap one year subscription. I thought "cool, something free to look at!" and I actually kind of enjoyed flipping through the pages. That is, until I reached the very last page. I'm sure they were just trying to be funny. But here's what I saw:

A picture of the front end of a road bike and the caption "Ride Your Bike To Work Day, May 16....Arrive At Work Day, May 19"

How insulting! Here is a magazine filled with super skinny models parading around in revealing clothing and articles about how to be prettier, how to make your hair shinier, how to improve your sex life, etc. But they are making fun of cycling? They are making fun of exercise and being fit and improving your health? They are making fun of being green and taking advantage of an effective alternative form of transportation? Why not do an article on the fact that May is bicycle commuting month? Why not empower women to get out there and ride a bike? I'd like to see one of their anorexic models attempt to ride my commute!

Am I over-reacting? Probably. But I'm sending an email to the magazine's editor. And I'm going to let them know that I'm not super skinny nor am I super pretty, but my commute is 16 miles each way with over 2,000 feet of climbing on the way home and I am proud of myself every time I ride it (not that I commute often or anything...but I'm not going to mention that part). Oh, and I'm passing up the cheap subscription offer.

[Zen]

Am I over-reacting? Probably.

He11totheNo you're not overreacting!!!
What you've just written here is a good start, you might add that being in good shape and raising your endorphin levels does wonders for your sex life

[singletrackmind]

Not overreacting at all, on top of it you have a very sensible statement. Maybe they're worried a sweaty, active, toned woman will frighten away Mr. Right?

So what's that email addy, anyways? Let's turn your 2 cents into 4....or more.

[7rider]

Being a sweaty, active, bicyclist is exactly what hooked me up with Mr. Right.

And cycling has often been found to be the FASTER way to get to work (in many urban areas), so yeah....it's very insulting. Perhaps the Marie Claire readers (writers?) are afraid of breaking a nail or something.

Is there an article/paragraph associated with that picture? Can you scan and post it for us (I admit...shocking as it may seem...I am NOT a Marie Clair reader!)?

[KnottedYet]

I'd love to see that, too, or a link to their online version if they have one.

And if there is an email addy we can send our opinions to, I'm sure we could make at least a "small" impression....

[MALcontent]

As a counter to this sad example of ridicule, I saw an ad in the Boston Globe today encouraging people to bicycle or walk to preserve the environment. It was an ad for Macy's department store and it showed a handsome man dressed in a suit on a bicycle! We're making some progress!

[Jolt]

As a counter to this sad example of ridicule, I saw an ad in the Boston Globe today encouraging people to bicycle or walk to preserve the environment. It was an ad for Macy's department store and it showed a handsome man dressed in a suit on a bicycle! We're making some progress!

Nice!

[Trek420]

"If you have comments about our features and editorial content, please write to the editors at:

Marie Claire Magazine
Editorial Offices
300 West 57th St.
34th Fl.
New York, NY 10019.
Or email us at marieclaire@hearst.com"


Maybe they need a 2nd article, "Sit on your butt in an SUV month, start out healthy and fit, arrive with the following symptoms of a sedentary lifestyle ...."

As a counter to this sad example of ridicule, I saw an ad in the Boston Globe today encouraging people to bicycle or walk to preserve the environment. It was an ad for Macy's department store and it showed a handsome man dressed in a suit on a bicycle! We're making some progress!

Sweet! Maybe we should send this to Marie Claire and show 'em how it's done. There's a huge market of smart, fit, active, aware women (and guys) who want to ride our bikes in comfort, fit and style as the saying goes on the TE shopping page.

Guess they don't need our discretionary income

[KSH]

A picture of the front end of a road bike and the caption "Ride Your Bike To Work Day, May 16....Arrive At Work Day, May 19"

Dare I say... that maybe they wrote that because they interviewed the anorexic models in their magazine and this the consensus that they gathered?

[Irulan]

Is the article available online? Before we go writing letters, having an idea about the exact content is a good idea....
State Farm recently pulled a TV ad that was putting down bike commuting, based on public input.

[F8th637]

What month's issue was that? Typically, I like Marie Claire for its articles on the issues of women around the world.

[RolliePollie]

I don't have a scanner, but I'll try to take a photo of the page and post it...but I have to leave for work (driving the car today, it's 29 degrees out)...so I'll try and post it this evening.

[kfergos]

You aren't the only one to be outraged by this article. This guy wrote them a nasty letter: http://www.bikecommuters.com/2008/04...-angry-letter/

Not that I'm advocating nasty letters, but hopefully if they hear enough indignant protests, the magazine editors will think twice before publishing this kind of junk in the future.

[shootingstar]

This is probably a great opportunity for Marie Claire...to hear directly from a signed petition of TE forum members ...who would list their daily commuting committments....the weight that they lost....and some photos of their svelte bodies in flashy/cool cycling wear.

I would suggest if Sara hasn't sent in her letter to editor that she print off/copy this entire thread if we do start a petition. She could attach to her letter.

It would be a powerful message from fashionable, fit women who take action..like ourselves, wouldn't it?

[Melalvai]

State Farm recently pulled a TV ad that was putting down bike commuting, based on public input.

Wow, that's great. I'd seen and heard about the ad, but I did not know they pulled it.