This magazine spread  — “Can Getting Fit Get You a Date” — was published in Cosmopolitan magazine. Cosmopolitan is a young women’s magazine, and typically includes articles on relationships, sex, health, careers, self-improvement, celebrities, fashion and beauty. In this article, a reporter experiments with three different fitness courses/groups, with the aim of seeing whether she will get a date from participating in these activities. The article is written in the first person, with the reporter describing her feelings and experiences while participating in a running group, a salsa class and a fitness group.

discussion

Do you think the magazine’s encouragement of women to ‘get fit’ is something positive and empowering for women? Why or why not? Consider the opposing viewpoint — what reasons would someone who disagrees with you offer?

This article is written as a “dating experiment”. Consider the effectiveness of this journalistic approach. Do you find the viewpoint of the reporter interesting? Do you think this information is useful and helpful or not?