<![CDATA[Gawker: cosmopolitan]]> http://tags.gawker.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/gawker.com.png <![CDATA[Gawker: cosmopolitan]]> http://gawker.com/tag/cosmopolitan http://gawker.com/tag/cosmopolitan <![CDATA[This Naked Dude Wants to Be Your Next Senator from Massachusetts]]> His name is Scott Brown. He fathered an American Idol contestant, and he hates the Gay Marriage, and right now he is a Massachusetts State Senator. Also he was naked in Cosmo in 1982!

He is such a hunk, too. Look at him! Do ladymags still feature hairy naked Republican dudes? Anyone? Jezebel?

Wonkette first discovered this hot piece in 2007, when Brown was reading obscenity-laced Facebook comments to horrified youths.

Now he's throwing his hat and tiny white shorts into the ring and running for the late Ted Kennedy's US Senate Seat.

Newsweek asks if perchance there would be a little more attention paid to a lady who posed for naked pictures back in the day running for office, but it didn't stop Hillary Clinton!

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<![CDATA[Foreign Cosmo Runs the Same Angelina Jolie Covers Over and Over Again]]> Cover Awards notices that Angelina Jolie got "duped" by German Cosmopolitan, because she looks weird. Well, she also got duplicated, as a tipster points out to us.

International Cosmo has used the same few pouty, one-leg-out Jolie shots for many of her international covers. They just kinda Photoshop a new dress color on, maybe move the arm position a bit. (The new German issue is identical to the shot used on Italian Cosmo in October 2003.) But they're all essentially the same couple of alien, hyper-airbrushed images. Take a look at a gallery below.



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<![CDATA[College Kids Don't Like Cool Magazines]]> Is it possible that college students—rather than being our nation's elite—are just unsophisticated dolts, like the rest of America? According to a new survey, college kids' favorite magazine is Time. Last year it was Cosmopolitan. What, they don't teach book-learnin' in universities any more? But then you realize that the same survey says college kids' favorite restaurant is McDonald's and their favorite clothing brand is American Eagle and their favorite band is Coldplay, and it all starts to fit. [Ad Age, Previously]

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<![CDATA[Does the Cosmogirl Training Camp Get Results?]]> Being a regular girl is work enough—God knows what being a Cosmogirl entails. A tolerance for fruitinis? The ability to exist on salad alone? The shamelessness required to "[come] to bed in a soaking wet white tee shirt"? We've been gleefully following Cosmopolitan blogger Leo (Smith '07)—her blog's narrative is "one socially awkward girl's attempts to transform into a sexy, social butterfly." At first, we pointed and laughed like bullies—but it was only because deep down, we all feel awkward. We teased her about her use of the word "[doing] the grown-up" as a euphemism for sex, and how she wondered aloud if playing the field was "immoral". We also said that "increasingly, watching her thirty-day evolution at the hands of people who professionally suggest 'how to be a total man-magnet' is like watching a gazelle getting torn apart by hyenas." That was bitchy. But we were rooting for her all along. Leo's written her goodbye post, and we were worried: did the Cosmo machine spit out a Cosmotini-swilling, Choo-wearing girl-droid in the shape of their brand?

Writes young Leo:

"126 posts, 62,321 words, 5 new pairs of shoes, and a couple of romances later, I have to ask myself, 'Am I now a Cosmo Girl?'

Before I can answer, I have to admit that my conception of the “Cosmo Girl” was a tad unrealistic from the start. I saw a flawless woman who was so beautiful and sexy that she had boys begging to date her. She also had money, success, and fame. I came to realize that being a "Cosmo Girl" isn’t about all of that. It’s about being fun, fearless, getting in touch with your sexy side (even when you don’t have a man!), loving your friends, kicking ass at your job, and having dreams and goals. In a nutshell—being passionate about making your life the best it can be."

Whew. Sounds like she's still got her head on straight. But what now? As a commenter helpfully negs, "Keep striving to be better!"

(We're glad she's not a full-fledged Cosmogirl, anyway—it has no future. What do you do as one? Marry an i-banker?)

[The Making of a Cosmo Girl]

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<![CDATA[The (Tenuous) Connection Between Levi Johnston And Cosmo's Porno Bachelors]]> Cosmopolitan is purportedly a magazine for women, but judging from its headlines, it's mainly there to encourage our pursuit of naked men—and to tell us how to please them. Yet, they have a huge problem with actual naked men: when Jossip found Internet porn photos of two of their "50 Hottest Bachelors of 2008," the magazine promptly uninvited them from their Hottest Bachelor Party, reports Page Six. Oh, come on—one was an amateur porn site, and the other was Playgirl.com (see middle pic.) We can't expect these hotties to be monogamous! Cosmo—she of the "dirty, shocking things men want from you" headlines—is acting so uptight. But! The real weirdness comes from one of the 48 non-naked Hottest Bachelors. OF COURSE there's a Sarah Palin connection—it's Wasilla, Alaska's other Levi:

Weird factoid: their Hot Bachelor from Alaska is from Wasilla, and his name is Levi, too! He's 19, and he is the guy that was occasionally misidentified as Levi Johnston when the news about the father of Bristol Palin's baby was breaking. This Levi (last name: Fox) does not identify as a "fuckin' redneck," however. He says he'd "love to be a pilot" someday, and thinks sex on the first date is "skanky." Those are values that Palin would truly approve of. Maybe he should be dating Bristol!

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<![CDATA[Heroes' Sexy Kristen Bell Has The Handwriting Of A Hermit; Kidnapper]]> Just how many blondes are there on the show Heroes? And how many of them have been on the cover of Cosmopolitan over the past year? I don't know the answer to that first question — I've never watched the show — but as to the second, the answer is, three. (Someone at NBC primetime publicity is giving his/her bosses their money's worth.) In October, we saw Ali Larter; in April there was Hayden Panettiere; and now, come May, we've got Kristen Bell. The 28-year-old actress, like her predecessors, is not only subject to a short cover profile but the magazine's 'Cosmo Quiz', in which she fills out a questionnaire about her likes and dislikes... and gives us a reason have her handwriting analyzed by graphologist Sheila Kurtz. So how does Kristen come off? The short answer: she's extremely protective, ambitious, intuitive and decent. As for the long answer, well, all that's after the jump.

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This writer may be a public personality, but this sample is block printed, the variety of handwriting that tries to keep people from gathering much revealing information from it. (Cursive reveals much more.) Block printing is the choice of ransom note writers for that reason. This writer is very reluctant to allow others to know her until she knows them rather well first.

Furthermore, there are no loops on y's, an indication of a person who may seem to enjoy the company of others, but is very happy, thank you, to be all alone.

The swollen "d" forms signal a person who is acutely conscious of self, and can be wounded by destructive criticism.

Add to this an occasional slant to the left, a sign of one who represses emotions. Mostly the writing is vertical, which indicate a lack of impulsiveness. This writer thinks first, and then takes an action. The straight down-stroke of the y's indicates the determination to make an action succeed.

The bars that cross the "t" stem are placed at the top of the stem, the indication of a person who ambitiously stretches to reach a treetop tall goal. The bars are also heavy, which signals that the writer has the drive (gumption) actually to reach the treetops.

There are umbrella-shaped t bars that indicate extra portions of self-control. The block printing makes it difficult to figure out what the writer has developed controls over. The usual reason to develop such hyper-control is to stifle a recurrent fear, such as stage-fright.

The tops of the "m" forms come very close to needle-points, the sign of a very speedy thinker. Add to this a well developed "gut" intuition that skips over the usual steps of logic to get to trusted conclusions. Intuition accelerates the thinking process and allows the writer to get a handle on other people without much delay. Although some of the answers in this sample may seem dumb, the writer isn't. Some rounded "m" tops indicate that the writer can also be methodical (when absolutely necessary) and there are "V" formation in the m's and n's that signal an analytical mind that will take the time to figure out what's actually what.

Fairly strong final endings to words indicate an ability to make decisions and short t stems signal an independent thinker who makes up her own mind from information she selects.

Clean o's (the middles are without marks or blotches) are a sign of good integrity. The writer lives in the "real" world and abides by most of its rules in a way that is not secretive or devious.

There is what graphologists call a "conscious gesture" —- in this case the z's in "quizzed" are crossed. The writer has either grown up in a European-based country or has adopted the crossed-z as a kind of educated stylistic embellishment.

Sheila Kurtz [Graphology Consulting]
Bell Of The Ball [Cosmopolitan]

Earlier: Dea Cosmo Girl Hayden "Heroes" Panettiere: "Better To Be The Turtle Than The Hare"
Cosmo Girl Rihanna: "Solitary & Self-Involved"
Decoding Cosmo Cover Girl Katie Heigl: "She Refuses To Waste Time With Convoluted Crap"
Cosmo Girl Hilary Duff: Intuitive, Practical And Younger Than She Looks
Cosmo Girl Beyonce Knowles: Detail-Oriented, Thoughtful, Possibly Power-Hungry
'Cosmo' Cover Girl Ali Larter: Self-Involved, Stubborn, Easily Distracted

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<![CDATA[Cosmo's Stupid Sexy Bikini Sex Record Sexy Stunt]]> cosmo4.jpegCosmo, the sassy, sexy source of sex secrets he's too scared to tell you, is going to an incredible amount of effort to promote its August issue: the magazine is trying to break the Guinness World Record for "most people photographed on a beach in a bikini." The old record? 1,010 girls on a beach in Australia, set last year by... Cosmo! Good to see they have a hobby. They need 1,200 "chicks 18-34" to show up on Miami's South Beach next Friday, so start hitchhiking now! You'll get a free Old Navy bikini, "style to depend on available quantity and selection." Unfortunately swimsuit photos appeal primarily to straight men, who don't buy Cosmo anyways, so this is all a big waste of time. After the jump, photos of the last record, which is still perfectly good and pointless if you ask us:

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[pics via RightFielders]

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<![CDATA[Dear Cosmo Girl Hayden "Heroes" Panettiere: "Better To Be The Turtle Than The Hare"]]> It's almost spring, so it's probably fitting that Cosmopolitan has decided to put Heroes actress Hayden Panettiere on the cover of its April issue (right next to the words "SEX GENIUS" in 64-point type!). Not only is Panettiere a budding star — after she gets her first big, silver-screen role her handlers will no doubt go after the cover of the glossier, more respected Glamour — and a budding adult (she's just 18), but, according to graphologist Sheila Kurtz, she's got "buds of an imagination, but no apparent follow through." (Ouch?) After the jump, Kurtz weighs in on the actress' handwriting, as seen on the "Cosmo Quiz" accompanying Hayden's newly-released cover story.

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The overall slant of this writing is moderately to the left, an indication of a person who is somewhat introverted. Unless the writer knows you fairly well, you won't get close. It appears that there is little stress shown in the writing, and it's likely that even if somebody gets too close too fast, the writer will fend off and not erupt.

Letters are rounded, the sign of a methodical thinker who likes to take time and does not like to be rushed. No fast deadlines for this writer or she will tend to get scattered in her pursuits.

Writer's goals are alternately high enough to stretch for and low enough to pick off the ground. There are signs of initiative (takes action without prompting by others).

Thinking can be accelerated somewhat by the writer's intuition (indicated by spaces between letters). This writer has learned to skip over many of the logical building blocks of thought and reach, almost mysteriously, a conclusion that turns out to work. The writer has come to trust this gut thinking. Nonetheless, if this writer starts thinking too fast, a lot of confusion results (intertwined lines) that slows everything down again. Better for this writer to be the turtle than pretend to be the hare.

There are buds of an imagination, but no apparent follow through.

Good attention to small details. The writer's usual approach to things is frank and very direct.

The writer probably works well (or could) with her hands, perhaps in the mechanical realms such as carpentry, pottery, glass blowing..

Lines and letters are pressed close together and the e formations are constricted, all indications of a mind with many preconceptions that clog up the arteries to new ideas.

There are also indications of a person who usually tells the truth (as most of us may see it) and is steadfast and loyal to people and institutions she believes in.

Earlier: Heroes' Hayden Panettiere Is An American Everywoman
Cosmo Girl Rihanna: "Solitary & Self-Involved"
Decoding Cosmo Cover Girl Katie Heigl: "She Refuses To Waste Time With Convoluted Crap"
Cosmo Girl Hilary Duff: Intuitive, Practical And Younger Than She Looks
Cosmo Girl Beyonce Knowles: Detail-Oriented, Thoughtful, Possibly Power-Hungry
'Cosmo' Cover Girl Ali Larter: Self-Involved, Stubborn, Easily Distracted

Related: Sheila Kurtz [Graphology Consulting]

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<![CDATA[Heroes' Hayden Panettiere Is An American Everywoman]]> Even though Hayden Panettiere turned 18 last August, we're wondering, is the Heroes starlet a teenager or an adult? We ask only because Hayden is on the cover of three different Hearst girly magazines for April 2008: There's Cosmopolitan ("Fun • Fearless • Female"), which, according to demographics, has a medium reader age of 31.5. But Hayden is also on the cover of Seventeen ("It's Fun To Be Seventeen" — median reader age, 16.5), and that magazine's seasonal spin-off, Seventeen Prom (median age, um, Jessica McClintock?). Are we supposed to believe that both high school sophomores and career women in their thirties want to buy into what Hayden — and Hearst — is selling?* After the jump, we take a closer look at the differences in how Hayden is presented to the ladymag-loving public.

haydenseventeenmedium.jpgSeventeen

Appearance: Hayden's makeup is fresh, light, and appropriate for impressionable young kiddies: Light pink lips, just a hint of color on the cheeks. There is no visible cleavage, and, for the most part, her hair covers up her bare arms and armpits. Cover Lines: Talk about chaste! There's "cute" jewelry, "pretty" hair secrets and no mention of sex, save for "sexy [hair] cuts" and "The Kissing Disease No One Wants To Talk About!". And as for clothes, there's both a "free" tank top and hot celeb trends ("Under $20"). Cover Profile: Hayden expresses her love for Angelina Jolie, BFF Hilary Duff, explains her breakup with Laguna Beach's Stephen Colletti, talks about her love of shoes and gives advice on breakups. (Males, by the way, are referred to on the cover as "guys".)


haydenprommedium.jpgSeventeen Prom

Appearance: Hayden shows more skin than on the magazine's namesake, including cleavage. Plus, there's a bit of cleavage, the Cosmo standard hand-on-hip, and a princess-y tiara set into her crispier-looking hair. Cover Lines: Not a lot of "sexy", but plenty of "amazing" "perfect" "pretty" and "best", as well as the chance to win a "free dress". As for guys, there is no mention of boys whatsoever, although their presence is implicit ("Sexy Shoes", "Your Best Prom Body (In Just Two Moves)"). Cover Profile: Written by the same author as the Seventeen profile, this story presents Hayden as just another prom-crazy secondary-schooler, explaining that her "biggest big night" was her prom, that she worries about who she should take to events as her date (um, we can think of one!), that her perfect prom date would be a "best girlfriend", and her own prom disaster story (a strap on her dress broke).


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Appearance: Standing before a va-va-va-voom red background, Hayden is shown with a lot more skin: visible cleavage, thigh and armpit. Lip and cheek colors are darker (does her slightly-larger parting of the lips indicate that she's been practicing the magazine's "Little Mouth Moves That Make Sex Hotter"?) Cover Lines: Where to start? This is definitely the slut's style guide. There's the aforementioned "Mouth Moves" — Question: Do "Mouth Moves" lend themselves to "Kissing Disease"? — the highly touted "Be A Sex Genius!", and all sorts of other suggestive words and phrases. Males are referred to as "men" as well as "guys", and there's no free tank tops here; readers can enter to win $10,000 and become "A Rich Bitch!". Cover Profile: Hayden, say Cosmo editors, is a "good bad girl" who wears sexy thigh-high boots to her interview, admits to drinking alcohol, and explains that every girl "likes feeling hot and sexy and beautiful and hearing it", does not want to be called "cute", and is "not as sweet as I look." Her heroines? Angelina, Natalie Portman and Meryl Streep. Also: There's no dishing on guys (like any seasoned, "serious", adult actress, she refuses talk about her personal life).

*Apparently, Seventeen and Cosmo have been trading female celebrity cover subjects for some time: Hayden, Rihanna, Ashlee Simpson, Carrie Underwood, Hilary Duff, Beyonce. What tends to be happen is that a starlet appears on Seventeen first, then on Cosmo a few months afterwards. How quickly these young ladies go from Swarovski-encrusted Sidekicks to Rabbit Habits!

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<![CDATA[Stars Show Up Somewhere To Congratulate Themselves For No Good Reason]]> Cosmopolitan honored singer/paparazzi fucker-with John Mayer as their top "Fun, Fearless Male" of the year today. Yes, he is fun in a "nice guy from your high school who became sort of an ass when he went to Hamilton and realized he could get girls" kinda way. But fearless? Upon what criteria is this most noble of titles based? Looking at some of the other honorees, it could be one simple thing: dating Jessica Simpson.

The yellin' Texan's paramours past and present Dane Cook (terrible comedian) and Tony Romo (some sort of athletics player) were also honored at the world renowned ceremony, making an awkward threesome of people who have all mounted the singer while father Joe Simpson watched from behind the wall, through the eyes of a portrait. Though, this bit of trivia obscures the bigger question: what are all these people (some pretty famous) doing showing up for such a meaningless, kind of embarrassing awards event? That they didn't even win! (John Krasinski, noo!) Their publicists are really the fearless ones. [Just Jared] Below, John Mayer being not so fun but maybe a little fearless with a pap.

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<![CDATA[Cosmo Girl Rihanna: "Solitary & Self-Involved"]]> Grammy-winner Rihanna is the March Cosmopolitan cover girl! Unfortunately, she shares the space with a huge pink VA-JAY-JAY. Poor thing. Her parents probably won't want to frame that. Anyway, the singer filled out the "Cosmo Quiz," writing that, if she wasn't a singer she'd love to be a pilot, and that her purse is filled with "a bunch of unnecessary shit." Just like us! But we wanted to delve deeper, so we sent her handwriting to graphology expert Sheila Kurtz, who determined that the 19-year-old (born Robyn Rihanna Fenty in Barbados) can be "solitary and self-involved" but also "outgoing" and "detail-oriented." More expert analysis, after the jump.

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The slant of this writer's letters range from somewhat left to somewhat right, plus straight up and down. These slants indicate emotional moods that can range from solitary and self-involved, to un-impulsive and logical, to somewhat outgoing. One may never know from moment to moment which of those moods will dominate.

There are hooks at the beginning and ends of many letters including the lower case Ys and Fs. This is a writer who grasps to own things and once they're gotten they won't be let go without a terrible struggle.

The writer is a methodical, detail-oriented thinker who takes time with getting things right. Goals are set where they are easy for the writer to reach without much stretching.

There is tendency of this writer to make "gut" decisions, which is another way of saying intuition. Intuition speeds up the thinking of a methodical thinker so that the methodical thinker can compete with much faster thinkers. This writer uses intuition on occasion, but may not trust it entirely. In the same vein, this writer is sometimes open to new ideas, and sometimes preconceptions and fears clog the arteries of communication (narrowed loops in some Es).

Earlier: Decoding Cosmo Cover Girl Katie Heigl: "She Refuses To Waste Time With Convoluted Crap"
Cosmo Girl Hilary Duff: Intuitive, Practical And Younger Than She Looks
Cosmo Girl Beyonce Knowles: Detail-Oriented, Thoughtful, Possibly Power-Hungry
'Cosmo' Cover Girl Ali Larter: Self-Involved, Stubborn, Easily Distracted]]>
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<![CDATA[Decoding Cosmo Cover Girl Katie Heigl: "She Refuses To Waste Time With Convoluted Crap"]]> Katherine Heigl didn't seem to take the "Cosmo Quiz" — the written Q&A actresses are forced to take to qualify as a Cosmopolitan cover subject — very seriously. For most of the questions, such as "I think it's sexy when a guy..." and, "My favorite male co-star has been..." she circled all five multiple choice options the magazine's editors provided. Um, did they not teach you the difference between superior and superlative in America's Sweetheart preparatory academy, Katie? Or is it just because you don't take many things that seriously at all? (Here's Katie regarding her dis on Isiah Washington: "You can't give me too much credit for being brave. I was just a girl who had had a couple of drinks and was angry and got mouthy. I really did think if would fuck me.") We'll leave the handwriting-shrinking to our inimitable penmanship analyst Sheila Kurtz, who sees a great many admirable qualities — and perhaps a few stray self-destructive ones? — in Katie's answers to such questions as "I am sometimes mistaken for..." (A: "myself...that's awkward"!)

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The writer is a person with an outstanding, vivid, full and fascinating imagination that affects every facet of her life. Her imagination is so large and potentially life altering that it can balloon in on and at times confuse and scatter every other part of her life. Her imagination is indicated by the fine and full lower loops of her "y" and "g" formations.

She likes to get involved with a lot of things, people, new scenes, new acquaintances. Change and variety are her emotional by-words.

Her personal pronoun "I" is a plain, simple straight up and down line, a sign of a person who is totally direct within herself and with most others, and who refuses to waste time with convoluted crap.

Her goals are very practical (the t bars cross at the middle of her t stems) and reachable with her ability and spirit.

Now and then there is a strain of introspection in her behavior (a few letters and words slant to the left). She can be entirely into herself at times, despite how outgoing she may otherwise appear. She is not as easy to get to know as some might think she is. Her "e" formations are fairly open, which signals a person who allows new ideas in and does not strain too many out because of preconceptions.

She is a methodical thinker (rounded "m" and "n" tops) which means she comes to conclusions based on a steady series of logical steps. This is a slow process, and she has developed a strong and trusted intuition, which allows her to reach conclusions by skipping steps and come to a "gut" decision that is fast enough to keep up with many others.

There is a delightful harmony and rhythm in her script which indicates a graceful and appealing mind.

Sheila Kurtz [Graphology Consulting]

Earlier: Cosmo Girl Hilary Duff: Intuitive, Practical And Younger Than She Looks
Cosmo Girl Beyonce Knowles: Detail-Oriented, Thoughtful, Possibly Power-Hungry
Cosmo Cover Girl Ali Larter: Self-Involved, Stubborn, Easily Distracted
Cosmo Cover Girl Jessica Alba: Emotionally Unavailable, Intuitive, Creatively-Unfulfilled

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<![CDATA[Hearst Is The Worst]]> Cs2527Foster's Hearst Tower, his glass structure for the media conglomerate which owns Cosmopolitan, is ugly, says a critic for the Architectural Record. Which is the review you'd expect for lattice-work modeled on an Argyll sweater. [via Intelligencer]

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<![CDATA[Cosmo Girl Hilary Duff: Intuitive, Practical And Younger Than She Looks]]> Happy (early) New Year! For its January issue, Cosmopolitan interviews singer/actress Hilary Duff, who talks about her hockey player boyfriend, becoming an adult, and how obsessing about weight just leads to unhappiness. (Something we could all do well to remember.) Not exactly enticing stuff, to be sure, but, as usual, there's another begging-to-be-analyzed, accompanying handwritten "Cosmo Quiz" alongside Hilary's profile. After the jump, graphologist Sheila Kurtz takes a look at the starlet's handwriting so we can better "understand" the young woman behind the lavender Gaultier halter-top dress.



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The slant of this writer's handwriting is basically straight up and down, an indication that she thinks first and acts later, at least most of the time. Yet there are times when the slant is somewhat to the left (introverted and little sharing of deepest feelings) and to the right (responsive emotionally). There is an immaturity about the inconsistency of the writing that is probably because she is so young (just 20).

Her printing indicates she wants to be understood clearly by others, and the printing (rather than cursive) is her way of doing that. But at times her writing intertwines with letters above and below, which indicates a tendency to occasional confusion.

She is very intuitive (she jumps over several steps of logical reasoning to come to trustworthy conclusions) which speeds up her naturally methodical method of thinking. She is not a deep prober; she takes matters as they are and deals with them, much of the time with "gut" instincts.

The straight down-strokes of the "y" formation indicate that she is essentially a "loner" who, while she can be with others, actually prefers to be alone.

Her goals are very practical, and she sets them where she knows she can reach them. She has no particular interest in stretching for pie in the sky, nor does she take the easiest way out.

The close, round dots over her letters "i" indicate both loyalty (not that often seen) and strict attention to details. She holds on tightly to what she believes in (see final hooks on the "f's" of her last name) but not to the point of stubbornness; she is open-mined and will allow new ideas into her mind without hindrance by preconceptions.

She is very direct and does not like to waste time (no wind-up strokes on any letters).

Now and then you see a partly formed lower loop on her "g" formations, a sign that she has the ability to generate creative ideas, but seldom follows entirely through with them.

She has the ability to speak expressively, but more significantly she knows how to listen, which is probably a key to her early success.

Earlier: Cosmo Girl Beyonce Knowles: Detail-Oriented, Thoughtful, Possibly Power-Hungry
Cosmo Cover Girl Ali Larter: Self-Involved, Stubborn, Easily Distracted
Cosmo Cover Girl Jessica Alba: Emotionally Unavailable, Intuitive, Creatively-Unfulfilled

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<![CDATA['Cosmo' Cover Girl Ali Larter: Self-Involved, Stubborn, Easily Distracted]]> Analyzing handwriting is fun! And once again, it's time for an analysis of Cosmopolitan's "Cosmo Quiz". See, every month "The #1 Women's Magazine" includes a spread of illuminating scribbles donated by that month's cover girl. Up for October: Heroes actress Ali Larter. After the jump, our favorite graphologist, Sheila Kurtz, weighs in on Larter, who may be more like the sexy, self-involved,"Jessica" side of her on-screen split personality than the nurturing, selfless "Niki". (Proving what we've long said about women named Jessica.)


Below: a sample of Larter's "Cosmo Quiz". Following: the analysis.

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The slant of this writing is definitely way to the left (directionally, not necessarily politically), an indication that the writer is very difficult to know beneath what she may show on the surface. The writer is self possessed and mostly interested in how matters will work out for her personally. She may not extend herself sincerely for others. The writer's t-bars (the line that goes sideways) are placed from the top to the bottom of the t-stem. This signals that the writer is unsure whether to set her goals high, where she may have to stretch, or low, where she can achieve them by merely stooping a bit. Although the initial hooks on some letters signal that the writer strongly wishes to acquire things (like money, fame, knowledge, or power), the inconsistent goals may make her unsure as to her direction. The large, full loops on some of her letters show that the writer has an active imagination, when she chooses to use it. Notice the huge loops in "days" and "dogs". There are several incomplete loops, which indicate a person who can dream up interesting and original concepts, but may fail to bring them to reality. Hooks at the end of letters indicate a person who will grip like Velcro to things, people, and ideas they have acquired. The writer will have a difficult time letting go, even after it is clear that the time for letting go has come. There is an intertwining of some letters from one line of writing to the next, a sign that the writer may get scattered and confused if faced with too many projects at one time. To perform best, this writer must take on and finish one task at a time and avoid juggling too many tasks at once. The strong, heavy t-bars indicate that the writer probably has a good share of energy and drive. The loops in the lowercase e's are open. The writer is accepting of the ideas of others and does not filter them out with preconceptions. There are strong, conclusive strokes on the ends of certain letters (see the strong finish to "woman"). This writer will independently reach her own decisions and take action.
Earlier: 'Cosmo' Cover Girl Jessica Alba: Emotionally Unavailable, Intuitive, Creatively Unfulfilled Jessicas Are All Pretty Bitches]]>
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<![CDATA['Cosmo' Cover Girl Jessica Alba: Emotionally Unavailable, Intuitive, Creatively Unfulfilled]]> Analyzing handwriting is fun! And while we were all set to have the chicken scratches in Lucky analyzed, we were informed by a Lucky rep that, sadly, staffers do not actually pen the purple-prose laden "Editor's Picks" in every issue. (That "honor" goes to the magazine's art directors). Such is not the case in Cosmopolitan, however. Every month "The #1 Women's Magazine" includes a spread of illuminating scribbles that are, in fact, donated by that month's cover girl for the magazine's "Cosmo Quiz". After the jump, graphologist Sheila Kurtz weighs in on the September Cosmo cover girl, Jessica Alba, the type of woman we love to hate but who, in reality, may be down-to-earth and pretty decent.

Below: a sample of Alba's "Cosmo Quiz". Following: the analysis.

albasignaturesample082007.jpg
The slant of the writing is to the left, an indication that although the writer may seem outgoing and available that is actually not the case. This writer holds emotions in and let's only the most tested and trusted people in with then. The form of the letters is also block-style printing: such writers are consciously careful not to show on the surface what may be bubbling underneath.

The spaces between letters indicate the writer possesses intuition, among the most vital traits of mind for successful people. The writer can leap from fact to fact, and over many unknowns, in order to arrive at trustworthy conclusions. This writer's speed of thinking and reacting is much accelerated by the use of intuition.

There are several Greek e forms, which look like backward 3's. These are indications of a literary bent, and the writer is probably expressive both in writing and orally.

The "V" formation in the m's and n's are indications of a mind that can and will dissect information, weigh it and evaluate it, and eventually come to a decision.

The writer is probably extremely loyal to a set of beliefs (round i dots) and comfortable with details (close proximity of i dots to the i stem).

There are "breakaway" strokes in the sample (after a firm down-stroke, an up stroke that breaks away and upward, like the r in "first".) This signals a person who will seize the initiative and go forward without the urging of others.

The writer is of independent mind (short t's).

There are no initial strokes: this writer likes to get to things and loathes wasting time.

There is evidence in the lower loops of the y's that the writer has a creative imagination, which goes largely unfulfilled. The writer may conjure a fine and original idea, but then is likely to tire and turn away before the idea comes to fruition.

The writer seems frank, lacks signs of self-deceit, and seems of good integrity.

This writer's goals are very high (the t bar is usually at the top of the t stem). The writer's determination is not too strong, but energy and drive (apparent pressure of writing) can pull things through.

The Fantastic Jessica Alba [Cosmopolitan]
Earlier: All Jessicas Are Pretty Bitches
It's Official: Jessicas — From Alba To Z — Suck


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<![CDATA[Aspiring Peter Braunsteins and other glossy...]]> Aspiring Peter Braunsteins and other glossy magazine editrix fetishists may want to check out the shiny new escalators at the Hearst Building. If you peek through the glass at the right time, you might be able to see some Cosmopolitan and Marie Claire ladies' undercarriages. [NYM]

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<![CDATA[Our Expert Assesses Cosmo's 10 Hottest Sex Tips]]> The Post has a little fun at Cosmo's expense today, listing ten of the magazine's most common "boundary-pushing moves" and asking a collection of New York men how they feel about the sex tips. Not consulted? Our very own resident "sexpert" My Cock. We ran the list by him and got his reaction.

"Cup his hand against your mouth, and flick your tongue quickly in and out of the center of his palm."
My Cock says: "Uh, excuse me, what the hell is this doing for me? Screw My Hand, it gets a pretty extensive workout already. Come on down to where the action is."

"Seductively lick a dab of food off your lips or finger. He'll imagine what that tongue would feel like on him."
My Cock says: "I'm a cock. I already know what your tongue is gonna feel like on me. Don't waste my time. Also, I don't need to hear you bitching about all the calories you consumed later."

"Make a silly bet to be paid off in sexual favors, or play a board game naked in bed and agree that the loser has to grant the winner one lusty request."
My Cock says: "Or how about this? You blow me, and we leave Monopoly way back in the hall closet where it belongs."

"Chill a bunch of marbles in the fridge. Toss them on the bed and make him lie on them while you straddle him."
My Cock says: "Yeah, nothing gets me hotter while you're doing me than the possibility that an errant cats-eye might wedge its way up My Ass. Next."

"Pre-oral action, pop a mint. You'll both get chills, because menthol triggers the body's cold receptors."
My Cock says: "Sure! Or maybe you could get some Vicks Vap-O-Rub and go to town on my tool. You ever hear a guy yell, 'Oh, yeah, baby, make it sting!'? No? There's a good reason for that."

"Slip a glazed doughnut around his manhood and nibble it off."
My Cock says: "See above as regards calorie complaints. Also, I have a paranoid fear that a bunch of fire ants are going to sense the residual sugar and climb the tower. How am I going to explain those bumps?"

"Take an old strand of fake pearls and other beads and, holding each end, pull it back and forth around the shaft of his manhood."
My Cock says: "Ooh, it's Mardi Gras time in Shaftsburg! Pearls? Really? You want me to look like Laura Bush at a state dinner? You might as well just shove them up my ass. It might help get that marble from our last escapade unstuck."

"Take a sip of hot water - as hot as you can stand - before [performing oral sex] on him. Then, keeping your mouth closed, swish it all around."
My Cock says: "Get the fuck out of here! This is the scariest thing I've ever heard of. What am I, a goddamn lobster? The only vaguely warm thing I ever want to feel on my body is your tongue, and then possibly my splooge. Hey, Balk, there's no way the bossman's gonna let me say splooge, is there? [Depends on how much attention he's paying today. - Ed.] [Actual Ed. Note: You've worn me down, Balk's Cock. Congratulations. Oh, how racy! You said "splooge"! Enjoy. What are we, 12? Is Sarah Silverman here or something? Ya trying to get a job with the slags at Jezebel?] Either way, do not try this at home. Or anywhere."

"Make ice from seltzer, then rub him down with the cubes. The carbonation leaves slushy pockets in the ice, so one minute he'll feel a solid touch from the cube; then next, a snowy clump melting on his skin."
My Cock says: "What the hell is wrong with these people? First you want to scald me to death and then you're going to turn me into some kind of frozen egg cream? Just blow me already! I don't need this Perrier crap."

"When fondling his manhood, slip a hair scrunchy around the base of it. The tight scrunchy combined with your touch creates an amazing sensation."
My Cock says: "Yeah, ease up there, Vidal Sassoon. A woman I knew once tried this with a rubber band. Guess what? The results were unpleasant. Plus I felt like a character in a David Lynch movie. Look, ladies, it's easy: Mouth me. I'm a simple cock with simple needs. I know you want to be all arty and shit, but let's be honest, cocks like blowjobs because we don't have to do any work. Dodging freezing ice cubes and necklaces defeats the whole purpose. Thanks for your time."

SEX, LIES & FROZEN MARBLES [NYT]

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<![CDATA[New 'Cosmo' Video Game Promotes Girly Alcoholism]]> Cosmo recently unveiled some video games on its website that it hopes will prove irresistible to the legions of young women who turn to them for advice about what to do when their vaginas get sparkly. But one of them, "Boy Toy," is so moronic that we think you would have to be mid-lobotomy to get any sort of entertainment value out of it.

The description:

In this exclusive Cosmo game, our cute, sweet guy exists solely to serve you. That's right, you control what he does, and if he keeps you happy, then you win points in the game. Watch out for the skanky ex-girlfriend though!
This entails doing things like hanging out at a "bar" and going up to the bartender and getting drinks for the girl, then going to the DJ and requesting a lame song, and then coming back to your animatronic girlfriend who will not stop ordering drinks—seriously, is she supposed to be an alcoholic? We're disturbed. And then everything takes ages to load, and quite frankly, it made us long for the days when we could just pop Legend of Zelda into the Nintendo and be done with it. But if you want to cry about the fate of ladykind, then by all means, please, go play this totally idiotic game. You're guaranteed to feel dumber afterwards, which they don't mention, but it's true.

Boy Toy [Cosmpolitan]

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<![CDATA[Conrad Black Even Swears Like Nixon]]> conrblalordladyblack.jpg
  • In an interview with the Guardian, Conrad Black calls his fraud trial "bullshit" and announces that he's at war with the U.S. government. The paper also has an excerpt from Black's forthcoming biography of Richard Nixon, which praises the former president's "surpassing dignity." Read into that what you will. [Guardian]
  • Fashion mag ad pages sales: Count Vogue, W, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Marie Claire, Lucky, Men's Health, Men's Journal, and (maybe) Details and Teen Vogue as winners. Your losers: Esquire, InStyle, Seventeen, Cosmogirl, and Maxim. [WWD]
  • San Francisco Chronicle to cut 100 jobs, or 25% of the staff. [WSJ]

  • The business magazine segment is getting too crowded. That's bad news for titles like Business 2.0. [AdAge]
  • AM New York, Metro take their battle to the web. We've just realized that the guys at the subway entrances shoving their papers at you are the real world equivalent of pop-up ads. [NYT]
  • Time Warner shareholders passed resolutions calling for more control over the company's decisions. CEO Dick Parsons says the board will "carefully consider" the proposals, which sounds a lot like "no way in hell" to us. [WSJ]
  • Former Bloomberg employee Jon Friedman says that Bloomberg has nothing to worry about from the recent Thomson-Reuters merger. [MarketWatch]
  • Simon Dumenco: "The print-media industry is not only filled with f—k-ups, it coddles them." [AdAge]
  • Who reads England's Daily Mail? The paper says "web-savvy early adopters," the paper's critics say "troglodytic, white van-driving bigots." [Independent]
  • Former veep Dan Quayle wrote a book review for the weekend Wall Street Journal. Insert your own spelling joke here. [NYT]
  • Is Jane Pratt headed west? The former Sassy/Jane editor has put her townhouse on the market for $3.65 million. She once had sex with Drew Barrymore, you know. [NYM]

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