Coronavirus: how the female press adapts to the epidemic

Normally, the female press already regularly wipes criticism for its beauty or clothing items.But in the era of coronavirus and confinement, some of its pages have become unbearable for many Internet users."Afflicating this kind of articles and this injunction to remain" fresh and thin even during confinement "", protests a user on Twitter, bouncing on a title of Vogue, "How to be beautiful without makeup?»».

While Grazia offers her advice to "do not take 3 kg (or more) during the coronavirus crisis", or that she explains that "for self-esteem it intends not to put a disgusting t-shirt and jogging.Stay well it may go by putting a nice shirt ", a surfer comments on Twitter:" In a world where everything changes, know that the female press remains faithful to itself and still seeks to make women feel guilty.Pandemic or not ".Its publication was "loved" over 4.000 times.

La presse féminine continue à faire « comme si»»

Would classic female press recipes have become inaudible during this containment period?Not so sure.Witness our recent call for testimony where many readers have also entrusted the psychological importance for them to make up, in this difficult period.But in this exceptional context, the titles of the female press are forced to play a delicate balancingist number.And adapt.

If the edition of her, of April 3, was a "special Jean", which also displayed under a surtitle "beauty", "15 tips to erase winter", that of April 9 titid: "Lifestyle, consumption,, eco -friendly conscience, why should the crisis change our relationship to the world?Fashion, sustainable and desirable, our ideal dressing room»».

"There are always two pendants at home: news on the one hand and fashion, beauty, travel on the other, justifies Erin Doherty, the director of the magazine.This two -headed editorial line is historic with us.We are not going to redefine our editorial line.No longer making fashion because we are in confinement, it seems absurd: women like it, buy us for that.I will never give up making fashion series, our readers need them.We have multiplied by three our digital subscriptions since confinement.The special jeans was a huge commercial success, some kiosks were out of stock.The appetite for this kind of pages is increased tenfold because we are frustrated.It's fun, and right now we need it ".

In an already heavy period, keeping articles lighter and which allow us to escape appears as a necessity for several of the leaders of female magazines that we interviewed.Elodie Bousquet, who directs the digital editorial staff of Marie-Claire, claims to pay very attention to diversity in her subjects.But she also does not want to stop making fashion and beauty articles: "Yes shopping items may seem disconnected, even next to the plaque because there are people who work for packaging ... But these articles give atendency.We don't have to buy.Shopping is part of the female press.The idea is not to advocate an ascetic lifestyle either, we hope there is an after, she explains.There are lots of beauty initiatives on social networks and it doesn't hurt anyone to go watch the tutorials of cut by fred [a hairdresser] if you want to cut their bangs.And spending 30 minutes cutting your bangs is perhaps also 30 minutes where you don't think about your anxiety.»»

Coronavirus : Comment la presse féminine s'adapte à l'épidémie

An assumed editorial positioning which does not surprise Blandin, media historian, specialist in the magazine and the female press: "These media maintain the function of" as if ", she explains.And their economic model forces their discourse: advertisers do not want to be associated with a pessimistic discourse.»», poursuit la spécialiste qui est aussi professeure en Sciences de l’Information et de la Communication à l’Université Paris 13.

Practice changes

Among the titles of the female press, some, however, adopt different strategies.The Journal des Femmes, the first female site in a global internet audience, published on the evening of April 3 the latest info on the impact of the COVVI -19 health crisis and solidarity initiatives of brands."Beauty and fashion we don't treat them anymore, it doesn't make sense, because people cannot go out in stores.The article that worked best on the fashion section is a tutorial to make a mask...»», commente Ada Mercier, directrice de la rédaction du Journal des Femmes.

« Les injonctions sur “restez présentable !” c’est plutôt pour celles qui télétravaillent et font des visio conf»», estime Aurélie Olivesi, maîtresse de conférences à l’université de Lyon 1, spécialiste d’analyse du discours médiatique en études de genre.In other words, for women in the upper classes.But in many sections, the researcher notes a real evolution in the speech of female magazines since the start of confinement.

Progressivement, les articles sur le shopping ont ainsi fait place aux recettes de cuisine et au « do it yourself»», à des degrés variés selon les titres."We take the magazine's fashion series (do several months ago), but no shopping items (those that go up, date from confinement). J’en avais commandé un pour la sortie du confinement, c’était une idée lancée en conférence de rédaction, on s’était dit que peut-être certaines lectrices avaient besoin de s’aérer, et en fait je ne l’ai pas publié, c’était pas approprié, en lisant ça n’avait plus de sens»» raconte la rédactrice en chef du site d’un magazine féminin, qui a souhaité garder l’anonymat.

"We stopped shopping selections because it is absurd to show things that we cannot buy. Presque aucune rubrique ne pouvait fonctionner normalement, même en « mariage»» la requête de nos internautes c’était « comment annuler mon mariage ?»»»», explique Ada Mercier du Journal des Femmes.

Above all, some now display a form of distance in their articles with the injunctions related to physical appearance. Voire même s’en moquent totalement, comme Femme actuelle qui nous donne trois bonnes raisons de ne pas s’épiler pendant le confinement, ou Le Journal des femmes, qui suggère d’essayer la « détox maquillage»».Are female magazines in the process of adopting a line less connected to appearances, thanks to confinement?

Polyphony of speeches

Another trend observed in the female press in these times of containment: makeup tutorials have given way to well-being tutorials. Des « auto-massages stimultants»» se sont infiltrés dans la « routine beauté»», et les articles sur le « no-bra»» ont pullulé. « Chez nous les contenus bien-être et santé ont explosé»», confirme la directrice de la rédaction de Marie-Claire."People also need to get out of the news continuously.In style we will rather focus on the daily gestures that make us feel good. Comment on prend soin de soi, comment on se sent bien dans sa peau»», abonde la rédactrice en chef d’un site de magazine féminin.

Une polyphonie des discours, entre des articles féministes et des choses plus légères, voire des clichés sexistes, qui n’a en réalité rien de nouveau, assure Claire Blandin : « Dans les années 1970 il y avait un édito de Jean Duché [chroniqueur à Elle, un temps au cabinet du général de Gaulle] extrêmement sexiste et trois pages plus loin un article de Benoîte Groult [journaliste, romancière et militante féministe]»», assure la chercheuse.

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