An anti-pornography advocacy group that says it “instigated” Walmart’s decision to remove Cosmopolitan from store checkout aisles heralded the company’s move as a #MeToo accomplishment this week.
“This is what real change looks like in our #MeToo culture, and NCOSE is proud to work with a major corporation like Walmart to combat sexually exploitative influences in our society,” a spokesperson for the group said in a press release.
The feminist movement has been less divided along “pro-sex” and “anti-sex” lines in recent years. In the era of #MeToo, those battle lines have re-emerged, and frank conversations about the impacts of modern sex culture have resurfaced.
Cosmo makes for an interesting case study, given that the magazine is aligned openly with the cause of progressive feminism. NCOSE’s invocation of #MeToo is interesting, and has made its way into some of the media coverage of Walmart’s decision.
Among the stories teased on Cosmo’s March cover are “Cosmo’s Best Quickie Position Ever” and “How To Get & Give Supreme Pleasure”– both of which fall beneath a banner in block letters promising a guide to “HOT SEX SKILLS.”
In the corner on the bottom left? “When the Guy You Love Doesn’t Take Your #MeToo Story Seriously.”
As #MeToo sparks fresh conversations about sex and dating, it’s possible more people will begin to wonder whether one part of that cover might have anything to do with the other.
For instance: Did the culture of casual sex promoted in the pages of Cosmo and elsewhere contribute to the pain experienced by the young woman who — wrongfully — accused comedian Aziz Ansari of sexual assault last year?
The women of Cosmo and their allies in the feminist movement are not in any way to blame for the misconduct of men. Period. But might #MeToo be the moment to wonder whether modern sex culture at times promotes material that is more exploitative than progressive? Is there room for that conversation in the broader movement?
