Cindi Leive, editor in chief of Glamour, was
searching for the best way to draw readers’ attention to an article in the
November 2011 issue about how women could better organize their closets and
bank accounts. “12 ways to get your act together” didn’t have much punch. “12
ways to get your stuff together” also fell flat. So she decided to substitute
“act” with a word unprintable here and waited for the angry letters to pour in.
They never came.
The long-running debate in women’s magazines —
how frank can they be? — seems to have shifted, as editors throughout the
industry are sprinkling more curse words on their covers and weaving expletives
into the headlines and the copy between the photos of celebrities with flawless
skin.
