Web Review – New Woman Online
http://www.newwomanonline.co.uk/
Those who have always enjoyed perusing the pages of certain women’s magazines, filling out all of the ‘Is he the right man for you?’ type questionnaires, and smearing eggs all over your hair to make it look better, will not be let down by the revamped online version of Emap Elan’s New Woman.
Likewise, any of you out there (and I’m sure that there must be some) who are of the opinion that such magazines are full of largely impractical advice, over-priced cosmetic ads, neurotic speculation and endless sexual banter will also not be disappointed. This site definitely lives up to that notion, and then some.
This website has a fair amount of content stretching across very predictable subjects, for example fashion, beauty, health, sex, relationships and men. With titles such as ‘Bonking Breakthroughs’,’Male Makeovers’ and ’20 Ways to Be 100% Happy’, the editorial tone is generally lighthearted and Jim’ll Fix It style. Unfortunately, New Woman’s suggestions for ways to achieve 100% happiness are easier said than done, for example thinking positively and falling in love.
Whether you care if you are suited to being a footballer’s bird or not is entirely down to your priorities of course, but the majority of content on this site simply seems to reconfirm the impression that the most important things on women’s minds are their relationships with men, sex and whether their bums look big in that pair of trousers (see the ‘cellulite masterclass’).
To be fair, such criticism can be aimed at a large number of women’s magazines on the market today, and it is this editorial style itself which offers such an appeal to the majority of women readers. However, this online publication makes no attempt at any serious reportage, such as the likes of Marie Claire and Cosmopolitan.
Some of the content does need to be updated/ replaced, for example some of the messages on the chat forum have been there since December last year, and there are no ‘real life revelations’ as promised. The telly listings, or ‘Must-See Guide’, are also pretty redundant unfortunately, selecting one programme from each day of the week which might be worth watching. In its favour however, some of the health advice on the site is of a high and practical standard, and the design of New Woman Online is generally well conceived and consistent in style, and easy to navigate.
Taken with a pinch of salt, New Woman Online provides some excellent and humourous relief to office bodies needing a break or a giggle. That is if Johnny Vaughn waxing lyrical about his girlfriend, and drag queens revealing whether they shave or wax their legs floats your boat. If not, I’d give it a wide berth if I were you, and go out of the office for your lunch break!