Why Men Read Those Magazines

She asks…

I’ve been with my boyfriend for over 3 years and I still get jealous when he buys FHM or Maxim. He doesn’t do it often but I feel like he compares me to the girls in it, which of course I can never look like. I need to know from a mans point of view, when you buy those magazines
(FHM, Maxim, Playboy, etc.) what is the real reason for it?

The guys answer…

• “You think he’s reading these mags just to keep an eye on the competition? You’re out of your mind. There are hot chicks in there, he’s a guy – he will look. It’s nature honey, don’t take that away from him. Be happy he’s not acting on his looking, because he does look – whether you know it or not, he does – we all do. If you feel so insecure about him looking at these magazines, maybe he is giving off other vibes to you that is telling you not to trust him. But if he has done nothing wrong, get off his back about Maxim and FHM – be glad it isn’t gay porn!”
  
  – Myke

• “There is absolutely no way anyone, even the models themselves can compete with the images presented in those magazines. The magic word is photoshop here. You won’t believe what you can do with that. Well, try this picture for starters. Secondly, like Myke already said…it’s human nature. I like looking at pictures of women, it’s like drinking beer or riding motorcycles. I just like it.”
  
  – Wuerzig

• “Bottom line is, we’re conditioned to look… it’s not natural, but it’s what our society dictates us to do…. why do you feel like you need to wear make-up, pluck eyebrows, paint your nails, wear earrings? It’s media conditioning… we are consumers, and advertisement drives it home into our pea-brains what we should do, think, eat, wear… how we smell, even what to look at in magazines…. “real men drink X beer, read X magazine, and smoke brand X cigarettes…. we are a weak race of people…. and your insecurity is fanned by the flame the magazine puts out… if you don’t look like these people, you better buy all the crap that makes you look that way, or you’ll lose your man…. fact is, he’s doing the same thing and he doesn’t even know it… he’s doing exactly what the magazine tells him to do… if he doesn’t have a nice 6 pack, he’ll lose you to the studs in Cosmo.

  Shelve the paranoia, he isn’t going anywhere, because if he wanted to find someone else, he wouldn’t be reading a magazine, he’d be out picking up a local woman.”
  
  – 1881

• “We are not comparing our girlfriends to the girls in the magazine. We understand that those pics are altered,photoshoped and the like. As men, we can appreciate a good looking woman. Just as women can appreciate a good looking man. We know we will never reach the point to meet someone like that. And the person in that magazine does not really exsist considering all the photoshoping and stuff.
• If you actually flip through the magazine you will find there is alot of humor, tips on fashion and recipies, tons of stuff on rating different products, talking about social and ethical issues, survival tactics , talking about jobs, talking about being a smart shopper… etc. There is a lot of good content.
• You think we wonder why you are loooking at the male underwear model in some of your magazines? .. we couldnt care less.”
  
  – heartbroken1

• “Personally I buy the magazines because I can relate to a lot of the stuff in it. Sports, electronics…. Just about any “guys” stuff.”
  
  – James

• “Talk to him! Tell him (in a non-whiney tone) that you need for him to express to you more how he feels about you. Tell him that even though you may not be new in your relationship, that you still deserve to be told these things. He can’t just expect you to know. Sure, maybe you do know – but hearing it is much more valueable.”
  
  – Myke