A Passionate Ode to Cosmopolitan Magazine Armenia
I’ve never been a Cosmopolitan Magazine subscriber. I’ve never felt a compulsion to pick one up in line at the grocery store. If I saw one lying around at the doctor’s office, sure, I’d flip through it, but I’ve never had a true interest.
Now, Cosmopolitan Armenia – that’s a completely different story. Maybe it’s the allure of the (not so) foreign and the exotic. Maybe it’s the aesthetically pleasing mini size, which most European periodical publishers seem to favor. All I know is that I’d gladly subscribe to Cosmo Armenia over its domestic counterpart any day of the week.
How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Count the Ways…
* The best transliteration you will ever have the pleasure of reading is within the pages of Cosmo Armenia. Take it from me – you have not lived until you’ve painstakingly strained your eyes trying to decipher the (at times) illegible font that forms English words spelled phonetically in Armenian. For example:
o Poseidon – Պոսեայդոն
o Cowboys – Կովբոյները
o Chameleon – Քամելեոն
o Aggressive – Ագրեսիվ
o Conditioner – Կոնդիցիոներ
* While the content of Cosmo Armenia is pretty much the same as the US version of the magazine, it’s significant to note that the content IS PRETTY MUCH THE SAME. I don’t mean to say that Armenian Cosmo is in any way copying or plagiarizing. Actually, I commend them for not only offering fashion and beauty advice to Armenian women, but also tackling sex, health and gynecological issues that are very important, but perhaps a bit more cloaked in Armenia. I’m thrilled that Cosmo Armenia doesn’t feel the need to censor any of the more risqué or taboo subjects, but rather, presents an open forum in which women can read about and also participate in conversations about prophylactics, yeast infections and the Kama Sutra.
* As a companion to monthly issues, Cosmopolitan Armenia also puts out the brilliant “Cosmic Show.” Hosted by the lovely Hrachuhi Utmazyan, who is also the Editor-In-Chief of Cosmopolitan Armenia, the Cosmic Show is sort of like an amalgamation of “The View” and “Dr. Oz.” With the help of Cosmo Armenia staffers and celebrity guests, not to mention doctors/women’s health specialists, Hrachuhi engages her live audience and viewers at home on subjects ranging from men’s opinions of what makes women sexy, to meeting your partner’s parents for the first time, to how to best perform a self-breast exam and the importance of annual mammograms.
* I also need to give a shout-out to Cosmo.am, Cosmo Armenia’s web version. The design is great, the look is professional and the functionality is superb. The website offer in-depth features, quizzes, giveaways and even gives interns a voice with the Intern’s Blog. Cosmo.am is perfect for those outside Armenia who may find getting their hands on a physical copy difficult.
So, to conclude my love story, I think besides all the points discussed above, it’s the deeper implications of Armenian Cosmopolitan that are most substantial. The fact that an international publishing behemoth, the Hearst Corporation, recognizes Armenia as valuable, profitable and progressive nation in the global marketplace is a huge coup. Armenia is still a developing country, but I like to see Cosmo Armenia as a small indication that things are moving in the right direction.
Check out a video preview of the March 2013 issue of Cosmopolitan Armenia:
