Reductress calls itself "the first and only satirical women's magazine." Established by Beth Newell and Sarah Pappalardo in 2013, the magazine has been providing an alternative to the 'outdated' and 'condescending' tones of mainstream women's media.
"We knew there was more to be said about women's experiences in the world, and the kind of outmoded, condescending tone of women's media in particular at the time," Pappalardo told The Guardian in 2023. Some call Reductress a fake women's news magazine, but the creators say it's a mix between Cosmopolitan and The Onion.
When the two women started working on the project in 2013, they would work in coffee shops. As the site grew more popular, they moved to an office in Manhattan. Today, the staff is comprised of even more women, some even younger than Newell and Pappalardo, providing insights of being a Gen Z woman in the modern world.
Today, Reductress even has a couple of books to its name. The first one, How to Stay Productive When the World Is Ending: Productivity, Burnout, and Why Everyone Needs to Relax More Except You, pokes fun at hustle culture in Reductress' signature style. The second, published later that same year, is How to Win at Feminism: The Definitive Guide to Having It All—And Then Some!
Magazines for women have their own history. The first women's periodicals in the 19th century were about the ways women can simplify their everyday lives. Readers could find sewing patterns, illustrations of the newest fashion trends in Paris, and sheet music for the piano.
But they also encouraged women to dream of more: some women's magazines included poems and short stories by female writers. Other publishers even advocated for women's colleges and the right for women to own property.
As the 20th century rolled around, the more down-to-earth pieces about parenting, fashion, and etiquette populated the magazines. Historian Joanne Meyerowitz has found that 33% of 20th mid-century magazines featured "success stories" that highlighted powerful career women.
Of course, modern magazines like ELLE, Marie Claire, and Glamour still do that. Yet, empowerment for women in popular media today often veers into the territory of awkwardness and cringe. The creators of Reductress say they're going against the grain of "condescending" and reductive tone of mainstream women's media, or what others call "Girlboss Feminism."
This type of representation often entails sentiments like "Women can do everything men can but more and in heels!" Associate dean for equity and inclusion with the Carson College of Business at Washington State University Leah Sheppard, Ph.D., writes that girlboss feminism underestimates women's capabilities and tries to empower them in patronizing ways.
