Have you faced discrimination at work? Knocking back one too many bacardi and cokes? Are you looking for the perfect hi vis jacket? 

It’s 1998 and we’re looking back in anger at 10 years of Section 28. It’s still legal to discriminate on grounds of sexual orientation and equal marriage is yet a dream. But that doesn’t mean we can’t also have fun. It’s beer goggles at the ready as we dive into 90s drinking culture, coming out stories, and gay rights in none other than DIVA magazine. 

This week Lucy is taking a break from hosting and Franki is joined by a fabulous guest host: lesbian author, journalist, comedian, and podcaster, Rosie Wilby.

Find Rosie on Instagram @breakupmonologues, buy her book, The Breakup Monologues, or check out her podcast The Breakup Monologues right here in your podcast app.

Want more of these mags?

Don't forget to sign up for the newsletter to see all the pictures, features, and adverts in full! Find us at maghags.substack.com

If you are enjoying the show, why not buy us a coffee?

Ko-fi is a super easy way to support the podcast with a one off donation - you can think of it like buying us a drink, or leaving a tip. Go to ko-fi.com/maghags. 

Mag Hags is created entirely by us – Lucy and Franki. So your support means the world to us and it’s what will allow us to keep doing it. Thank you so much!

LINKS

Watch: Rebel Dykes, dir. Harri Shanahan, Siân A. Williams

Watch: Wedding ceremonies performed at New York Pride, 1998, YouTube

CHAPTERS

02:11 - Introduction to Diva, May 1998

22:33 - Wine, women and trouble: lesbian drinking culture in the 90s

33:17 - *An ad break from 1998*

35:48 - What Ellen did next… the story of THE 90s celebrity lesbian

44:37 - Fashion and beauty tips (after a fashion) from 1998

49:43 - The challenges of coming out as gay in f1998 

1:01:58 - What's Hot and What's Not in May 1998

--

Mag Hags is created by Franki Cookney and Lucy Douglas.

This episode was hosted by Franki Cookney and Rosie Wilby.

Editing and audio production by Franki Cookney.

Our theme music is Look Where That Got You, Mattie Maguire. Additional music: Leotard Haul, Dez Moran. Both courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why are men? It’s a question that has perplexed women for decades and, honestly, the jury’s still out. This week, we glance over the culture and history of the “what men really think” feature, which was such a mainstay of women’s magazines through the 80s and 90s, and find out what – if anything – has changed.

Welcome to Mag Hags “Sidebar” where we talk about the stuff we couldn’t fit into the main episode. Or else go off on a mad tangent about something that’s sparked our interest. 

Join the conversation!

Got a suggestion for a topic you think we should cover? Have an insight into one of the features we discussed? Or maybe you just want to share your magazine memories with us. We'd love to hear from you! Drop us a line via our newsletter maghags.substack.com

If you are enjoying the show, why not buy us a coffee?

Ko-fi is a super easy way to support the podcast with a one off donation - you can think of it like buying us a drink, or leaving a tip. Go to ko-fi.com/maghags. 

—

Mag Hags is written and hosted by Lucy Douglas and Franki Cookney.

This episode was mixed by Siân Williams.

Our theme music is Look Where That Got You, Mattie Maguire. Courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do you consider laziness a crime? Struggling to ask for what you want in bed? Is your anxiety actually a form of narcissism? 

This week, the Hags leaf through the pages of a magazine from a time when Thatcher was in Number 10, Michael Jackson was at Number 1, and Cosmo readers were spending their freshly minted £1 coins on gold lamé gloves and home highlighting kits.

Yep, it’s 1983 and the backlash to bootstraps culture feels… weirdly familiar. Nevertheless, we ponder whether *doing nothing* could really be the antidote to “having it all”. Elsewhere Franki gets some surprisingly useful tips for reframing anxiety and Lucy finds a new idol in the form of the late childbirth campaigner and social anthropologist Sheila Kitzinger.

Want more of these mags?

Don't forget to sign up for the newsletter to see all the pictures, features, and adverts in full! Find us at maghags.substack.com

If you are enjoying the show, why not buy us a coffee?

Ko-fi is a super easy way to support the podcast with a one off donation - you can think of it like buying us a drink, or leaving a tip. Go to ko-fi.com/maghags. 

Mag Hags is created entirely by us – Lucy and Franki. So your support means the world to us and it’s what will allow us to keep doing it. Thank you so much!

LINKS

Read: Sheila Kitzinger’s obituary in The Guardian, 2015

CHAPTERS

02:16 - Introduction to Cosmopolitan, October 1983

08:42 - The positive power of anxiety

22:28 - *An ad break from 1983*

24:14 - Embracing idleness in a bootstraps era

32:59 - Fashion and beauty tips from 1983

36:27 - Pillow talk: How to talk to your man about sex

52:55 - What's hot and what’s not in 1982

--

Mag Hags is created and hosted by Franki Cookney and Lucy Douglas.

Editing and audio production by Franki Cookney.

Our theme music is Look Where That Got You, Mattie Maguire. Additional music: Leotard Haul, Dez Moran. Both courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fix up, look sharp! One of the biggest accusations levelled at women’s mags is that they promote unrealistic standards. But what if media is actually just part of… culture? This week, we examine everything magazines have suggested *might* be wrong with us and decide whether it’s really the editorial that’s to blame.

Welcome to Mag Hags “Sidebar” where we talk about the stuff we couldn’t fit into the main episode. Or else go off on a mad tangent about something that’s sparked our interest. 

Join the conversation!

Got a suggestion for a topic you think we should cover? Have an insight into one of the features we discussed? Or maybe you just want to share your magazine memories with us. We'd love to hear from you! Drop us a line via our newsletter maghags.substack.com

If you are enjoying the show, why not buy us a coffee?

Ko-fi is a super easy way to support the podcast with a one off donation - you can think of it like buying us a drink, or leaving a tip. Go to ko-fi.com/maghags. 

—

Mag Hags is created and hosted by Lucy Douglas and Franki Cookney.

This episode was mixed by Siân Williams.

Our assistant producer is Ella Glover.

Our theme music is Look Where That Got You, Mattie Maguire. Courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you recently joined the Labour party? Are you searching for the perfect cycling shorts? Did you just accidentally stub out your cigarette on a priceless artwork? It’s probably time to launch a new magazine.

This week, Franki catches up with founder of DIVA magazine, and self-confessed “delinquent mother” Frances Williams. From sipping tea with Derek Jarman to getting drunk in the pages of Time Out, Frances shares her memories of the optimism and anarchy that ran through mid-90s queer culture. And how  ”swirling in the world of lesbianism in London” led to her founding the world’s biggest lesbian magazine on a shoestring budget.

Find out more about Queer Circle, their work, and the events they run here.

Want more of these mags?

Don't forget to sign up for the newsletter to see all the pictures, features, and adverts in full! Find us at maghags.substack.com

If you are enjoying the show, why not buy us a coffee?

Ko-fi is a super easy way to support the podcast with a one off donation - you can think of it like buying us a drink, or leaving a tip. Go to ko-fi.com/maghags. 

Mag Hags is created entirely by us – Lucy and Franki. So your support means the world to us and it’s what will allow us to keep doing it. Thank you so much!

LINKS

Watch: Framed Youth: Revenge of the Teenage Perverts, Channel 4, 1984 

Read: Shado magazine 

Read: Shocking Pink 

Read: Queer Creative Health, by Meg-John Barker for Queer Circle

CHAPTERS

01:21 - Intro to 1994

05:43 - Embracing 90s optimism and the “lesbian moment”

18:58 - “Keep it going, have fun” : The launch of DIVA magazine

38:05 - Delinquent mothers and sensible children: How queer culture has changed

44:21 - “We find ways” : DIY publishing is thriving despite the loss of print

--

Mag Hags is created and hosted by Franki Cookney and Lucy Douglas.

Editing and audio production by Franki Cookney.

Our theme music is Look Where That Got You, Mattie Maguire. Additional music: Leotard Haul, Dez Moran. Both courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Affairs, adultery, love rats, being unfaithful, infidelity, fuckboys, two-timing… however you look at it, cheating is a topic we don’t ever seem to get tired of talking and writing about. On this week’s Sidebar we look at how the narratives around sexual and romantic infidelity have shifted over the decades and ask: Is infidelity inevitable?

Welcome to Mag Hags “Sidebar” where we talk about the stuff we couldn’t fit into the main episode. Or else go off on a mad tangent about something that’s sparked our interest. 

Join the conversation!

Got a suggestion for a topic you think we should cover? Have an insight into one of the features we discussed? Or maybe you just want to share your magazine memories with us. We'd love to hear from you! Drop us a line via our newsletter maghags.substack.com

If you are enjoying the show, why not buy us a coffee?

Ko-fi is a super easy way to support the podcast with a one off donation - you can think of it like buying us a drink, or leaving a tip. Go to ko-fi.com/maghags. 

—

Mag Hags is written and hosted by Lucy Douglas and Franki Cookney.

Our assistant producer is Ella Glover.

This episode was mixed by Siân Williams.

Our theme music is Look Where That Got You, Mattie Maguire. Courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com.h

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gone and put your Crimplene on a hot wash? Worried about your kids getting mixed up in organised vandalism? Thinking of switching to powder eyeshadow? 

It’s August 1977, the Sex Pistols have been banned from the BBC, Donna Summer is pumping put from every nightclub and the Hags are wondering… should we… move to the countryside?

On this week’s show, we find out how stars of the small screen stay looking good, get some interior design advice, try out a snazzy new kitchen gadget, and discover the luxury of Thai silk. Plus! Every question you (n)ever had about fabric care, answered.

Want more of these mags?

Don't forget to sign up for the newsletter to see all the pictures, features, and adverts in full! Find us at maghags.substack.com

If you are enjoying the show, why not buy us a coffee?

Ko-fi is a super easy way to support the podcast with a one off donation - you can think of it like buying us a drink, or leaving a tip. Go to ko-fi.com/maghags. 

Mag Hags is created entirely by us – Franki and Lucy. So your support means the world to us and it’s what will allow us to keep doing it. Thank you so much!

CHAPTERS

04:11 - Introduction to Good Housekeeping, 1977

15:34 - Stars of the 70s reveal their secrets to looking good

30:24 - *An ad break from 1977*

33:28 - Every question you ever had about fabrics, answered.

44:03 - Fashion and beauty tips from 1977

49:30 - Is the grass greener in the country? A quality of life debate - 70s-style.

57:28 - What's Hot/What's Not in 1977

--

Mag Hags is written and hosted by Franki Cookney and Lucy Douglas.

Editing and audio production by Franki Cookney.

Our theme music is Look Where That Got You, Mattie Maguire. Additional music: Leotard Haul, Dez Moran. Both courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nothing to wear? This week we’re going back at a time when clothes were well-made and fashion advice was geared around helping you find your personal style, rather than be a slave to trends. While fashion editorials certainly showcased the new and shiny, a good deal of copy was also dedicated to helping you make the most of your existing wardrobe. “Fashion is there to inspire you,” said Company magazine in 1981. But if you “let yourself be savagely ruled by it, you’ll end up poorer and less attractive than if you’d ignored it.”

Welcome to Mag Hags “Sidebar” where we talk about the stuff we couldn’t fit into the main episode. Or else go off on a mad tangent about something that’s sparked our interest. 

Join the conversation!

Got a suggestion for a topic you think we should cover? Have an insight into one of the features we discussed? Or maybe you just want to share your magazine memories with us. We'd love to hear from you! Drop us a line via our newsletter maghags.substack.com

If you are enjoying the show, why not buy us a coffee?

Ko-fi is a super easy way to support the podcast with a one off donation - you can think of it like buying us a drink, or leaving a tip. Go to ko-fi.com/maghags. 

—

Mag Hags is written and hosted by Lucy Douglas and Franki Cookney.

Our assistant producer is Ella Glover.

This episode was mixed by Siân Williams.

Our theme music is Look Where That Got You, Mattie Maguire. Courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Left your filofax on the train? Fancy yourself as the next Jerry Hall? Had a holiday fling with Italian waiter?

This week we’re going back to the power ballad era and coming with us is a very special guest host. Former Honey editor Jo Fairley is back in the studio and together we’re going to be diving into an issue she edited! If you’ve ever wondered how exactly they came up with the idea to quiz men on menstruation, or where 80s fashion editors hung out at the weekend, Jo is here to reveal all. 

Plus! We find out how to piss off Karl Lagerfeld, discuss the unhinged things people do for lust, and get a reality check on our modelling aspirations.

Want more of these mags?

Don't forget to sign up for the newsletter to see all the pictures, features, and adverts in full! Find us at maghags.substack.com

If you are enjoying the show, why not buy us a coffee?

Ko-fi is a super easy way to support the podcast with a one off donation - you can think of it like buying us a drink, or leaving a tip. Go to ko-fi.com/maghags. 

Mag Hags is created entirely by us – Franki and Lucy. So your support means the world to us and it’s what will allow us to keep doing it. Thank you so much!

LINKS

Read: Our Bodies, Ourselves by Boston Women’s Health Book Collective

CHAPTERS

03:10 - Introduction to Honey, December 1985

15:08 - What do men really know about women’s bodies?

25:06 - *An ad break from 1985*

27:53 - How to be a model: If you haven’t the looks, forget it!

37:46 - Bonus feature: Best buys of 1985 (and the story of the Karl Lagerfeld coat)

43:25 - Fashion and beauty tips from 1985

49:14 - The things we do for lust

1:08:23 - What's hot and what’s not in 1985

--

Mag Hags is written and hosted by Franki Cookney and Lucy Douglas.

Our guest host this week was Jo Fairley.

Editing and audio production by Franki Cookney.

Our theme music is Look Where That Got You, Mattie Maguire. Additional music: Leotard Haul, Dez Moran. Both courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One for the road? This week, Franki gets some tips on how to drink responsibly… in 1979. Some, such as ‘don’t drink on an empty stomach’ were familiar enough. Others had us floored. Which, coincidentally, is also where you’d be if you stuck to the 1970s recommended drinking allowances.

Welcome to Mag Hags “Sidebar” where we talk about the stuff we couldn’t fit into the main episode. Or else go off on a mad tangent about something that’s sparked our interest. 

Join the conversation!

Got a suggestion for a topic you think we should cover? Have an insight into one of the features we discussed? Or maybe you just want to share your magazine memories with us. We'd love to hear from you! Drop us a line via our newsletter maghags.substack.com

If you are enjoying the show, why not buy us a coffee?

Ko-fi is a super easy way to support the podcast with a one off donation - you can think of it like buying us a drink, or leaving a tip. Go to ko-fi.com/maghags. 

—

Mag Hags is written and hosted by Lucy Douglas and Franki Cookney.

This episode was mixed by Siân Williams.

Our theme music is Look Where That Got You, Mattie Maguire. Courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.