New pop culture podcast examines history of women’s magazines in UK
Mag Hags is a new podcast from award-winning journalists Franki Cookney and Lucy Douglas examining the peaks and troughs of women’s magazines over the past 50 years.
Each episode will see the hosts leaf through the pages of a classic women’s glossy magazine, from Cosmopolitan to Honey, Company to Marie Claire and also the publications which first inspired them to become journalists.
They will also pick a number of stories to look at in greater detail to find out what’s still hot and what’s definitely not.
The podcast will be celebration of these often-groundbreaking publications but will also explore how far the conversation has really moved on when it comes to topics like sexual freedom and equal pay.
Franki Cookney is an award-winning journalist and podcaster who has written for The Guardian, The Mirror, The Independent, The Sun, Cosmopolitan, Red, Stylist, The Sunday Times, and many more.
Lucy Douglas is an award-winning editor. Before moving into brand content, she wrote for the likes of The Guardian and The Telegraph, and edited indy magazines including Positive News. Like many Millennial women, Lucy can trace her love of magazines back to poring over the problem pages of Sugar and Just17 in the mid-90s.
The pair are real-life friends and with this ten-episode series they hope to pay homage to the golden age of magazines.
Franki Cookney said: “Flicking through the pages of these vintage magazines, I got the same thrill I would get as a teenager walking home from the corner shop with a fresh new copy of Cosmo or Marie Claire.
“Women’s lives have changed in so many ways over the last 50 years and it’s been fascinating to take a deep dive into pop culture and history. There have been unexpected takeaways too. I didn’t foresee how much I would learn about evolving eyebrow trends!”
Lucy Douglas added: “We expected these magazines to feel really dated. But actually, what was most striking was how familiar many of the stories felt.
“So many of the issues being tackled back then are still prevalent for women today. We’ve had so much fun discussing them, dissecting them, and rediscovering their charms.
“This podcast is our love letter to the titles that made us fall in love with magazines when we were young.”
Mag Hags launches today, 2 October with episodes released each Wednesday on all major streaming platforms.
You can also sign up to the Mag Hags substack here for an exclusive look at all the content from the magazines that Franki and Lucy discuss in each episode and can follow the podcast on Instagram.