Cosmo isn't down with the Wii

by Alisha Karabinus { Feb 27th 2007 at 6:15PM }

We mentioned this yesterday, and now look! There's a helpful scan to illustrate our point. While some female-oriented publications are all about Nintendo's new console, it looks like the good folks at Cosmopolitan aren't quite convinced.

Cosmo's take on the Wii craze? Guys assume girls might want one, because the guy really loves the Wii. That's some deep psychologizin' they've got going on there. And in referring to the Wii as the "wrong gift," Cosmo is insinuating that the modern woman just isn't interested. Are they wrong? With all the stories and videos of nongamers embracing the hands-on experience that Wii provides, we're not sure that Cosmo's on the right side of the fence with this one. Can't the modern woman want to decode weird male behavior, agonize over not-so-harmless habits,* and then play a game of tennis after work?

The Wii is perfectly poised to help gamers break down some of these walls that we've created to keep the interests of men and women separate. The DS broke some of that ground, but the Wii brings the fun and ease of gaming into the open, making it a social experience that anyone can get into, even if you have to kick off your stylish shoes first.

*Actual stories in the same issue.

Tags: Cosmo, Cosmopolitan, gamer, magazine, Nintendo, Wii, women

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Abscissa @ Feb 27th 2007 7:27PM

Since when does Cosmo ever actually know what they're talking about?

Chocolate Starfish @ Feb 27th 2007 10:14PM

"Guys assume girls might want one, because the guy really loves the Wii."

I make the same mistaken assumption about my own wii every day.

Kirby @ Feb 27th 2007 7:26PM

The real lesson is, never date a girl who reads Cosmo. Geek women are just so much more fun.

fraxyl @ Feb 27th 2007 7:29PM

Pfft. My girlfriend loves the Wii, she wasn't much into games until the DS came along either. Though I don't really need to get her a Wii, since she just comes over here.

Maybe instead of saying "Hey the Wii is the wrong gift" they really should be really saying that the wrong gift is anything you get your girlfriend that you haven't previously researched.

"I got you a bottle of perfume!"
"It's the wrong scent, you are formally ejected from this relationship."
-- Relationship -100 :( --

Jenny @ Feb 27th 2007 11:32PM

Well it was the right gift for me, but then I'm not the kind of gal that reads "Cosmo" anyway. It probably is the wrong gift for people that read that stuff. Fraxyl nailed it. It's a simple question of having a clue what your significant other likes. The articles are always biased against men, as well. Women can give crappy gifts too.

Illini Jen @ Feb 27th 2007 8:51PM

Speaking as a woman who doesn't know anyone worth talking to who reads Cosmo, I would say that Cosmo has as much a clue about what a real, down-to-earth woman wants as a houseplant.

I would use the word "insipid" when describing Cosmo, but that seems a little harsh. Like making fun of a little mentally challenged child. The kid can't help it. Neither can Cosmo...oh, wait, perhaps it can.

GRT @ Feb 27th 2007 10:03PM

So is this what NintendoWiiFanboy has come to? Making it 'news' whenever someone somewhere doesn't love the Wii? Because if that's the case, just let us know so we can cancel our RSS subs...

Matt @ Feb 27th 2007 11:18PM

I agree with GRT. How many posts are we going to read about someone not liking the Wii?

Freddy @ Feb 28th 2007 1:19AM

Find a girl who knows what an Elebit is, she's a keeper.

Macroy @ Feb 28th 2007 3:32AM

5 and 7: You know this is Nintendo Wii _Fanboy_, right?

Barry @ Feb 28th 2007 7:27AM

Hahaha, I justified buying the wii to my wife by telling her that she will like it and she will have fun playing it. She does like it and she does like playing it, but she doesnt play it alone like me. She plays when theres a group of people playing, which is much more fun than playing by yourself anyways.

She doesnt read cosmo either...

Sherry @ Feb 28th 2007 11:21AM

Well, I was sitting home wii-less last night when my wonderful daughter, who I will call ALISHA, calls me up and says "Mom, I found 3 Wii's in Circuit City. Do you want me to pick one up for you? I whoop and holler and get "YES" out of my mouth and I hang up. She calls me make in the midst of my victory dance and says she's sorry, but they forgot to put the Sold Out sign in front of the empty boxes. Then she came to my house to give me a hug for lifting me up to the heights of wii-dom just to send me crashing back down to my lowly wii-less existence. Someone has bought the Wii that was meant for me and I hope they are enjoying it as much as I would. And NO I do not read Cosmo.

Colleen @ Feb 28th 2007 2:44PM

This whole thing irritates me to no end.
Since the Wii first came out, I've heard news everywhere talking about "the elusive girl gamer" and all I can think is "huh? where does that leave me?" because I've been a gamer of some sort since I was a kid and I really don't think we are all that rare. Cosmo is just perpetuating stereotypes about women, but I guess that's nothing new or specific to gaming.
This irritation also stems from the fact that I almost always get ignored when I go into gaming stores.