Picture this: you're sitting on your sofa, at a loose end—what do you do? You put your hand in your pocket and unlock your phone. You open either Instagram or TikTok, and scroll through your perfectly-curated algorithm. It's based on your age, gender, interests, nationality, sexuality and various other identifying factors that are unique to you. You are engaged both visually and audibly with each short video, entertaining you—on average—for between 30 and 45 seconds before you  move on to the next one.  

Because of the sheer number of videos that exist online, there's something for everyone. Through  this mindless scrolling you may find out about the latest celebrity gossip; watch clips and analysis  on your favourite team's recent game; see funny, quick-fire interviews with your favourite celebrities; clips from concerts; videos from anyone, anywhere about anything. It is a never-ending supply and you are entertained for hours. You add this to your daily routine and suddenly you and  your algorithm are indistinguishable as the videos you watch begin to inform your opinions, humour and personality.  

Now imagine the same scenario, but twenty or thirty years ago—with no mobile phone or social media. You're sitting on your sofa. There's nothing you want to watch on telly for another half-hour. So, you put an album in your CD player and pick up a magazine.  

Which magazine you pick up is very important. What’s more, who your favourite magazine writes  for says a lot about the person you are and what part of society you fit into. The team who created  the magazine were tastemakers who, like today's influencers, had their finger on the pulse of upcoming trends and started ones of their own. Magazines kept you updated with pop culture and exposed you to new ways of living: new bands to listen to, which movies to go see at the cinema,  how to live your life.

In 1997, the average magazine cost $8 at the supermarket. Today, magazine prices are valued at  144.11% higher, setting you back just under $20. And up until the mid 90s, no mainstream magazines targeted the experiences of young people from working and middle-class backgrounds. This gap in the market was filled in England in May 1994 by Loaded magazine. Despite its tagline—'for men that should know better'—the publication originally also welcomed a female  readership. Loaded became known for it’s gonzo journalism, which meant that it’s writers were a  part of the story, partying with their interviewees, their humour and, above all, its innate understanding of its their readers—because their writers were them. It's cover stars included the likes of Gary Oldman and Oasis, not only was it 'cool' but it was made for the everyman. The magazine further championed unknown and inexperienced writers from independent zines who  were able to build a rapport with their readers. Loaded also gave a start to many young female  writers who have spoken fondly of their time at the magazine. To say that the erratic drug- and alcohol-fuelled office culture fostered a 'brilliantly supportive environment' where its employees  had fun was clear from what was printed.

A full-page spread of Loaded (Source: Internet Archive)

Amongst the other articles in the pages of Loaded were photoshoots of topless or fully naked  female glamour models and celebrities. As the magazine gained more popularity after bursting onto the mainstream, copycat publications such as FHM and Zoo began to replicate Loaded's model. A 'race to the bottom' ensued. With each new issue of Loaded, the sexualised content increased in frequency and in its explicit nature. Loaded then entered a cycle where each  magazine began to outdo its competitors. Once normalised, this sexualised content then became in higher demand among readers, allowing misogyny to thrive under the guise of banter. These men’s magazines also began to present a hypersexualised view of relationships. A 2011 study  published in the British Journal of Psychiatry found that people were 'not able to reliably distinguish between quotes from lads' mags [from these later editions] and statements by  convicted rapists'.  

In the early 2010s, advancements in technology opened a gate to an endless supply of internet porn. Action from feminist groups, which resulted in changes in legislation in Australia and other parts of the world mandated in some places that lads mags had to be bought in a concealed brown paper bag and placed out of reach and purview of children. The main players in the lads mags industry admitted defeat and ceased printing. In any case, the demand for magazines in general was lessening at a rapid pace, and the ones that had been deemed shameful to be seen reading by society were the first to go.  

Despite the 'lads' that these mags produced, it would be a shame to discount the amount of good that comes from the community that such magazines create—a space for you, your interests and people like you. Constantly occupying online spaces can be exhausting, with scrolling feeling like an easier, more accessible pastime, as opposed to picking up a book or even committing to watching a whole movie or episode of a show. The current selection of magazines is nowhere near what it used to be, with Statista Market Insights finding that print newspaper and magazine readership is declining from 2.1 billion in 2017 to 1.4 billion in 2025. However, the misogyny featured in lads mags did not disappear with the publications. These ideas of toxic masculinity and  hypersexualised views of relationships, which target young men have lived on in our social media. The magazines closing never would have fixed this wider issue because their audience didn't disappear. These problematic views just found new mediums. Coupled with exposure to clips of  current affairs, popular culture and opinion pieces, it can all become exhausting. If short form content such as this where clip after clip is beginning to make you world weary, I encourage you—if you can afford it—next time you're at the supermarket, or at a newsagency, to look at the magazine section. Have a flick through the pages, maybe even buy one, and pick it up, read an  article, you might just feel a small shift in your habits that feels like a release.