The women’s magazine Cosmopolitan — famous for articles about fashion and makeup — published an article Wednesday attacking Republicans for a political ad spoofing “Say Yes to the Dress,” a reality TV show about women choosing wedding dresses.
“Is this the most condescending political ad ever?” was the title of the article written by Cosmopolitan senior political writer Jill Filipovic.
Filipovic was not happy with the theme of the video, which she mocked, sarcastically claiming, “It’s for ladies, and ladies love marriage and dress!”
Remember, she writes for a website whose current headlines include “Celebrities wearing things!” and “How to create the perfect date-night makeup.”
But it turns out Cosmopolitan is no stranger to parody videos, either. As National Republican Congressional Committee TV and Radio Director Mollie Young noted on Twitter, just one week prior to Filipovic’s article, comedian Megan MacKay posted on the magazine’s site a similarly themed parody about makeup and voting.
MacKay sought to tell readers why young, unmarried women should vote in the midterm elections, and threw in “a few makeup tips along the way.”
MacKay uses her makeup tutorial to tell unmarried women why they should vote, employing clever political descriptions for the colors and types of makeup she applies.
“First up is foundation,” MacKay says. “I’m using a shade called ‘Rhetoric’ by Condescending Politician.” She also suggests women “liberally” apply primer. It’s a good video, even if her analogies are taken from liberal talking points, which include debunked statistics like the wage gap.
If one were to watch the clip with the same eye as was applied to the Republican dress ad, one could accuse Cosmopolitan of thinking young women only care about makeup and must be reached through that medium.
The point is, both of these ads are silly parodies and everyone needs to calm down.
And if you’re wondering what Filipovic thought the difference between the two videos was, it basically comes down to — one was produced by her employer and one was produced by Republicans.
UPDATE: In 2012, Cosmopolitan ran an article about “Girls” star Lena Dunham’s campaign ad comparing voting for the first time to losing one’s virginity. Writer Korin Miller said the ad was a “pretty smart way to get voters to the polls.”
