Esquire magazine's editorial philosophy can be summed up as "Booze, Bacon, Bourbon, Books, Broads, Boobs, and Bros Talking About Fashion But Uh, Not in a Gay Way." Actually, we're just giving them a hard time. The real editorial philosophy of Esquire, as stated by Esquire's UK editor, is simply: "Women are objects."
Here is what Alex Bilmes, the editor of Esquire UK, said at a panel discussion on feminism in the media (LOL) yesterday: "The women that we feature in the magazine are ornamental. That is how we see them."
Alex Bilmes keeps it so very, very real.
"I could lie to you and say they're interested in their brains as well, but on the whole, we're not," he said. "They're there to be beautiful objects. They're objectified."
Esquire editor Alex Bilmes is too honest for weak people to handle.
"There are certain times when we just want to look at them cause they're sexy," he said. "One of the things men like is picture of pretty girls. So we provide them with pictures of pretty girls. And those pretty girls, for that purpose, they are ornamental. We also provide them with pictures of cool cars, or whatever. It's a thing that you might want to look at."
Alex Bilmes is telling the deep truths that only an Esquire man is secure enough to share.
"We're at least, or possibly more, ethnically diverse [than other magazines]. More shape-diverse," he said. "We also have older women. Not really old, but in their 40s... Cameron Diaz was on the cover three issues ago. She's in her 40s."
Esquire Magazine UK is a staunch ally to feminists. You might consider blowing Alex Bilmes, ladies. Or at least sending him some pretty pictures. He's on your side.
[Guardian UK (featuring video) via Poynter. Photo of elderly woman via.]