Cutting on the Bias: When Fashion Magazines Get Political

These days, everyone is talking about the election: the public is constantly bombarded with the words "Palin," "smear," "campaign," and of course "Obama" and "McCain." After a morning of reading through the New York Times and browsing political blogs, I decided that I needed a break from the political barrage. I opened my copy of Elle Magazine, to which i susbscribe for its cutting-edge fashion information and well-written articles. Despite sections such as Elle Intelligence within the heavily perfumed pages, the magazine is first and foremost a fashion publication. I was mildly surprised, then, to come across an article entitled "Fashion Democracy" in the Elle Fashion Workbook section. The piece included a photo diary of Samantha Fennell, who recently left her position as Elle's associate publisher to fundraise full-time for "Obama--possibly the coolest guy ever to aim for the Oval Office." The piece is primarily about fashion, insisting that working for a campaign "requires style and substance." Elle does not make a pretense of presenting informaton about Obama's stance on the issues or what motived Fennell to make the career change besides vaguely mentioning her interest in his message. Elle also encourages readers to check out Fennell's campaign blog, the Obamaphile (http://fashion.elle.com/blog/elleection_08/).

Fashion magazines have never been as committed to balance as other forms of media; editors would never consider giving the same amount of attention to a drab frock as the newest Roberto Cavalli masterpiece. The industry is based largely on individual opinions, with little regard for pragmatism and concrete facts. The same seems to be true for their political coverage. Elle heralded Obama without discussing McCain, save for a snarky caption ("Dress more conservatively? I'm not working for McCain!"). Given this obvious bias, should fashion magazines delve into politics at all? They are not presenting new facts or informing readers about the issues; if anything, they are perpetuating the superficiality of the campaign by focusing on images instead of content.

Perhaps the political sidebars popping up in fashion magazines will encourage young women to become more involved in the political process; or, perhaps it will encourage them to vote based on aesthetics and the designer of the candidates' suits instead of on substantial issues. In either case, November is bound to bring cropped jackets, plaids, splashes of color, and a new president.