One door closes while seven thousand open


The BBC provides a suitably barely-literate piece on the subject of the closure of Loaded magazine.

Loaded magazine, one of the so-called “lads’ magazines” of the mid-1990s, is to close down, publisher Simian said.

At its peak, its diet of football, alcohol, and music brought it a six-figure readership. But as it went through several ownership changes, circulation fell.

Loaded and other “lads’ mags” attracted criticism from feminists and others for the number of scantily-clad women in each edition.

Because feminists and others have the daft idea that women shouldn’t be considered consumer items along with alcohol and music.

Analysis: David Sillito, media and arts correspondent

Drinking, football, drugs, music and pictures of girls usually wearing only underwear or less, Loaded defined the “lad” culture of the 1990s. But things have moved on. Sales have in 15 years fallen from 350, 000 to around 30, 000. Its weekly rival Nuts has already gone under.

However, that does not mean the market for girls, games, gadgets and a visual mixture – of funny, revolting and humiliating pictures has died – it’s just migrated to Facebook, Youtube, Twitter and hundreds of other websites.

See what I mean about barely-literate? Yeesh.

The Lad Bible, for instance, is only three years old but is in Britain receiving (according to Alexa web analytics) more web traffic than the two leading online papers – the Daily Mail and The Guardian.

Magazine culture is dying not “Lad Culture” and you can see it every time you log on.

Was the copy editor home with a cold that day or what?

Anyway, Loaded is leaving but “Lad Culture” lives on, to cheers and confetti from Brendan O’Neill.

Comments

  1. says

    I have heard of Lad Bible, I work with a couple of guys who talk about things they have seen there on a regular basis. To my shame I try to just screen it out. I was impressed recently by a (Male) colleague who works a few desks away who said that it sounded dreadful, mainly of the basis that ti was called ‘Lad Bible’. Made me feel bad I hadn’t said something myself but it feels very lonely to not buy into that culture and I have next to no confidence in myself.

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