A business owner and mother has gathered international support for her point-by-point take down of two magazines for children – one for boys and one for girls.
Shoshanna Keats-Jaskoll posted the covers of the Girls’ Life and Boys’ Life magazines to Facebook after discovering their alarming differences.
The mother of five from Israel targeted the editorial staff of the Girls’s Life magazine and used Boys’ Life as a comparison.
“Your cover has a lovely young lady with a full face of makeup and you invite your readers to ‘steal her secrets,'” Keats-Jaskoll said.
“The BOYS’ LIFE cover has in bold letters: EXPLORE YOUR FUTURE surrounded by all kinds of awesome gear for different professions — doctor, explorer, pilot, chemist, engineer, etc. subheading — HERE’S HOW TO BE WHAT YOU WANT TO BE.”
Keats-Jacksoll continued to take examples from each publication to illustrate her point.
“You to girls: Be like this girl. Wake up gorgeous, steal a girl’s secrets, slay on your first day, have fun, make friends…and kiss…and get all A’s,” she said.
“BOYS LIFE to boys: Be what YOU want to be. Here are some of your awesome choices! We’ll show you how!”
The business owner then pleaded to the female staff behind the magazine to be the firestarters of change.
“You are women. Working, professional women. Is this the message you are proud of? Is this why you became publishers, writers, graphic designers? To tell girls they are the sum of their fashion, makeup and hair?” She said.