Editing Cosmopolitan (magazine)

{{Short description|American fashion and culture magazine}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2019}}
{{Infobox magazine
| title = Cosmopolitan
| logo = Comopolitan Magazine Logo.svg
| image_file = Cosmopolitan cover December 2020.jpeg
| image_size = 
| image_caption = December 2020 cover featuring a pregnant [[Emma Roberts]]<ref>{{cite web |author1=Samantha Kubota |title=Emma Roberts featured as first pregnant woman on cover of Cosmo |url=https://www.today.com/parents/emma-roberts-featured-first-visibly-pregnant-woman-cover-cosmo-t198718 |website=TODAY.com |date=November 11, 2020}}</ref>
| image_alt = Emma Roberts pregnant, dressed in a pink top and skirt from Frankies Bikinis
| company = [[Hearst Communications]]
| paid_circulation = 
| unpaid_circulation = 
| total_circulation = 940,514 <ref name=AllianceAuditedMedia2024>{{cite web|title=Total circulation|url=https://abcas3.auditedmedia.com/ecirc/magtitlesearch.asp|publisher=[[Alliance for Audited Media]]|access-date=2024-07-23}}</ref>
| circulation_year = 2023
| frequency = Quarterly
| language = 
| category = [[Fashion]], [[Women's magazine|Women's]]
| based = [[Hearst Tower (Manhattan)|Hearst Tower]], New York City
| editor = Willa Bennett
| editor_title = Editor-in-Chief
| firstdate = {{start date and age|1886|3}}
| country = United States
| website = {{URL|http://www.cosmopolitan.com}}
| issn = 0010-9541
}}

'''''Cosmopolitan''''' (stylized in [[all caps]]) is an American quarterly fashion and entertainment magazine for women, first published based in [[New York City]] in March 1886 as a family magazine; it was later transformed into a [[literary magazine]] and, since 1965, has become a [[List of women's magazines|women's magazine]]. ''Cosmopolitan'' is one of the best-selling magazines.<ref>{{Cite book | url = https://www.bibliovault.org/BV.book.epl?ISBN=9780826219060 | title = The Improbable First Century of Cosmopolitan Magazine | access-date = 10 February 2023 | last = Landers | first = James | year = 2010 | publisher = University of Missouri Press | isbn = 9780826219060}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.global2ki.org/archives1/margin7.html|title=Why Cosmopolitan Magazine is a Best Selling Magazine / How the Internet Helps in Building a Cosmopolitan World|website=www.global2ki.org|language=en|access-date=September 25, 2018|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180925215846/https://www.global2ki.org/archives1/margin7.html|archive-date=September 25, 2018}}</ref>

Formerly titled '''''The Cosmopolitan''''' and often referred to as '''''Cosmo''''', ''Cosmopolitan'' has adapted its style and content. Its current incarnation was originally marketed as a woman's fashion magazine with articles on home, family, and cooking. For some time it focused more on new fiction and written work, which included short stories, novels, and articles.<ref name=":2" /> Now it is more targeted towards women's fashion, sports and modern interests.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Evolution of Cosmopolitan |url=https://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2010/04/26/guest-post-the-evolution-of-cosmopolitan-magazine/}}</ref> Eventually, editor-in-chief [[Helen Gurley Brown]] changed its attention to more of a women's empowerment magazine.<ref name=":2" /> Nowadays, its content includes articles discussing relationships, sex, health, careers, self-improvement, celebrities, fashion, horoscopes, and beauty.

''Cosmopolitan'' is published by New York City–based [[Hearst (media)|Hearst Corporation]]. The magazine's office in the [[Hearst Tower (Manhattan)|Hearst Tower]], 300 [[57th Street (Manhattan)|West 57th Street]] near [[Columbus Circle]] in [[Manhattan]] in New York City.<ref>{{cite web |title=About Us |url=https://www.cosmopolitan.com/about/a26950060/about-us-contact-information-masthead/ |website=cosmopolitan.com |date=May 2, 2019 |access-date=2023-05-04}}</ref> ''Cosmopolitan'' has 21 international editions in Australia, China, Bulgaria, Czechia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Italy, Korea, Mexico, the Middle East, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Slovenia, Spain, Taiwan, Turkey, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.

International editions previously existed for Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bolivia, [[Cosmopolitan (Brazil)|Brazil]], Central America, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mongolia, Norway, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, [[Cosmopolitan Russia|Russia]], [[Cosmopolitan Serbia|Serbia]], Singapore, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Thailand, South Africa, Uruguay, Venezuela and Vietnam.

==History==
{{see also|Irvington, New York#Cosmopolitan Building}}
{{more citations needed section|date=January 2013}}
{{multiple image
| align     = left
| direction = vertical
| width     = 220
| image1    = CosmopolitanMagazineMarch1894.jpg
| alt1      =
| caption1  = March 1894 issue of ''The Cosmopolitan''
| image2    =Cosmopolitan-FC-November-1917.jpg
| alt2      =
| caption2  = November 1917 issue of ''Cosmopolitan'', cover by [[Harrison Fisher]]
}}

''Cosmopolitan'' originally began as a family and women's magazine, first published based in [[New York City]] in March 1886 by Schlicht & Field of New York as ''The Cosmopolitan''.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Tassin |first=Algernon |date=December 1915 |title=The Magazine In America, Part X: The End Of The Century |journal=The Bookman: An Illustrated Magazine of Literature and Life |volume=XLII |issue=4 |pages=396–412 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d04DAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA3-PA396 |access-date=August 3, 2008 |publisher=Dodd, Mead and Co. }}</ref>

Paul Schlicht told his first-issue readers inside of the front cover that his publication was a "first-class family magazine". Adding on, "There will be a department devoted exclusively to the concerns of women, with articles on fashions, on household decoration, on cooking, and the care and management of children. There was also a department for the younger members of the family."<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=The Cosmopolitan|title=Announcement |date=March 1886|volume=1| number=1}}</ref>

''Cosmopolitan''{{'s}} circulation reached 25,000 that year, but by November 1888, Schlicht & Field were no longer in business. Ownership was acquired by [[John Brisben Walker]] in 1889.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.westchestermagazine.com/Westchester-Magazine/February-2007/Westchester-Chronicles/|title=Westchester Chronicles|website=www.westchestermagazine.com|date=February 2007|language=en|access-date=2019-05-24}}</ref> That same year, he dispatched [[Elizabeth Bisland]] on a race around the world against [[Nellie Bly]] to draw attention to the magazine.<ref name="marksbook">{{cite book|author=Marks, Jason|title=Around the World in 72 Days: The race between Pulitzer's Nellie Bly and Cosmopolitan's Elizabeth Bisland|publisher=Gemittarius Press|year=1993|isbn=978-0-9633696-2-8|url=https://archive.org/details/aroundworldin72d0000mark}}</ref>

Under John Brisben Walker's ownership, E. D. Walker, formerly with ''Harper's Monthly'', took over as the new editor, introducing color illustrations, serials and book reviews. It became a leading market for fiction, featuring such authors as [[Annie Besant]], [[Ambrose Bierce]], [[Willa Cather]], [[Theodore Dreiser]], [[Rudyard Kipling]], [[Jack London]], [[Edith Wharton]], and [[H. G. Wells]].<ref>{{cite magazine |author=Ruiz, Michelle|title=Remembering Cosmo's Legendary Literary All-Stars|magazine=Cosmopolitan |date=September 2013|url=http://www.cosmopolitan.com/celebrity/news/famous-authors-cosmopolitan|access-date=September 17, 2013}}</ref> The magazine's press run climbed to 100,000 by 1892.<ref>{{cite book|author=Landers, James |title=The Improbable First Century of Cosmopolitan Magazine |url=https://archive.org/details/improbablefirstc0000land |url-access=registration |year=2010 |page=[https://archive.org/details/improbablefirstc0000land/page/68 68] |publisher=University of Missouri Press |location=Columbia, Missouri | isbn=978-0-8262-1906-0 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=62hAAQAAMAAJ |title=The Cosmopolitan, Volume 29, Schlicht & Field, 1900 |date=2014-03-20 |access-date=2020-03-03}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=67dPAAAAYAAJ |title=The Cosmopolitan, Volume 14, Schlicht & Field, 1892 |date=2010-07-08 |access-date=2020-03-03}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oK8_AQAAMAAJ |title=The Cosmopolitan, Volume 17, Schlicht & Field, 1894 |date=2014-02-03 |access-date=2020-03-03}}</ref>

In 1897, ''Cosmopolitan'' announced plans for ''the Cosmopolitan University'' as a free correspondence school:<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Noonan |first1=Mark |title=The Improbable First Century of Cosmopolitan Magazine by James Landers (review) |journal=American Studies |date=2012 |volume=52 |issue=1 |pages=186–187 |doi=10.1353/ams.2012.0016}}</ref> "No charge of any kind will be made to the student. All expenses for the present will be borne by the ''Cosmopolitan''. No conditions, except a pledge of a given number of hours of study." When 20,000 immediately signed up, Walker could not fund the school and students were then asked to contribute 20 dollars a year. Also in 1897, H. G. Wells' ''[[The War of the Worlds]]'' was serialized, as was his ''[[The First Men in the Moon]]'' (1900). [[Olive Schreiner]] contributed a lengthy two-part article about the [[Boer War]] in the September<ref>{{cite magazine|author=Schreiner, Olive|title=The African Boer |magazine=The Cosmopolitan|date=September 1900|volume=29| number=5| pages=451–468}}</ref> and October<ref>{{cite magazine|author=Schreiner, Olive|title=The African Boer, II |magazine=The Cosmopolitan|date=October 1900|volume=29| number=6| pages=593–602}}</ref> issues of 1900.

===Acquisition by Hearst===
In 1905, [[William Randolph Hearst]] purchased the magazine for [[US$]]400,000 ({{Inflation|US|400,000|1905|r=-3|fmt=eq}}) and brought in journalist [[Charles Edward Russell]], who contributed a series of investigative articles, including "The Growth of Caste in America" (March 1907),<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Russell |first=Charles |author-link=Charles Edward Russell |date=March 1907 |title=The Growth of Caste in America |magazine=Cosmopolitan |location=New York City |publisher=International Magazine Company |volume=42 |issue=5 |pages=524–534 }}</ref> "At the Throat of the Republic" (December 1907 – March 1908)<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Russell |first=Charles |author-link=Charles Edward Russell |date=December 1907 |title=At the Throat of the Republic: No. 1, Before the Election |magazine=Cosmopolitan |location=New York City |publisher=International Magazine Company |volume=44 |issue=2 |pages=146–156 }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Russell |first=Charles |author-link=Charles Edward Russell |date=January 1908 |title= At the Throat of the Republic: No. 2, At the Election |magazine=Cosmopolitan |location=New York City |publisher=International Magazine Company |volume=44 |issue=3 |pages=259–271 }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Russell |first=Charles |author-link=Charles Edward Russell |date=March 1908 |title= At the Throat of the Republic 3. After the Election |magazine=Cosmopolitan |location=New York City |publisher=International Magazine Company |volume=44 |issue=4 |pages=361–369 }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Russell |first=Charles |author-link=Charles Edward Russell |date=April 1908 |title= At the Throat of the Republic 4. Postscript—The Election of 1907 |magazine=Cosmopolitan |location=New York City |publisher=International Magazine Company |volume=44 |issue=4 |pages=475–480 }}</ref> and "What Are You Going to Do About It?" (July 1910 – January 1911).<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Russell |first=Charles |author-link=Charles Edward Russell |date=July 1910 |title= What Are You Going to Do About It? 1. Legislative Graft and the Albany Scandal |magazine=Cosmopolitan |location=New York City |publisher=International Magazine Company |volume=49 |issue=2 |pages=147–160 }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Russell |first=Charles |author-link=Charles Edward Russell |date=August 1910 |title= What Are You Going to Do About It? 2. Graft as an Expert Trade in Pittsburg |magazine=Cosmopolitan |location=New York City |publisher=International Magazine Company |volume=49 |issue=3 |pages=283–292 }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Russell |first=Charles |author-link=Charles Edward Russell |date=September 1910 |title= What Are You Going to Do About It? 3. The 'Jack-Pot' in Illinois Legislation |magazine=Cosmopolitan |location=New York City |publisher=International Magazine Company |volume=49 |issue=4 |pages=466–478 }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Russell |first=Charles |author-link=Charles Edward Russell |date=October 1910 |title= What Are You Going to Do About It? 4. The Man the Interests Wanted |magazine=Cosmopolitan |location=New York City |publisher=International Magazine Company |volume=49 |issue=5 |pages=592–601 }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Russell |first=Charles |author-link=Charles Edward Russell |date=December 1910 |title= What Are You Going to Do About It? 5. Colorado—New Tricks in an Old Game |magazine=Cosmopolitan |location=New York City |publisher=International Magazine Company |volume=50 |issue=1 |pages=45–58 }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Russell |first=Charles |author-link=Charles Edward Russell |date=January 1911 |title= What Are You Going to Do About It? 6. Senator Gore's Strange Bribe Story |magazine=Cosmopolitan |location=New York City |publisher=International Magazine Company |volume=50 |issue=2 |pages=151–162 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fWajDHQX98wC |title=Cosmopolitan, Volume 53, Hearst Corporation, 1912 |date=2017-01-13 |access-date=2020-03-03}}</ref>

Other contributors during this period included [[O. Henry]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Henry|first=O|title=Dream|url=http://www.readbookonline.net/readOnLine/1466/|publisher=Read Book Online website|access-date=April 22, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141019001654/http://www.readbookonline.net/readOnLine/1466/|archive-date=October 19, 2014}}</ref> [[A. J. Cronin]], [[Alfred Henry Lewis]], [[Bruno Lessing]], [[Sinclair Lewis]], [[O. O. McIntyre]], [[David Graham Phillips]], [[George Bernard Shaw]], [[Upton Sinclair]], and [[Ida Tarbell]]. [[Jack London]]'s novella, "[[The Red One]]", was published in the October 1918 issue<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jacklondons.net/Fiction_of_jack_london/page31.html|website=Jacklondons.net|title=Fiction of Jack London|page=31|access-date=January 6, 2013|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110612215656/http://www.jacklondons.net/Fiction_of_jack_london/page31.html|archive-date=June 12, 2011}}</ref> (two years after London's death<ref>{{cite news|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/bday/0112.html|title=On This Day: November 23, 1916: OBITUARY – Jack London Dies Suddenly On Ranch|access-date=January 6, 2014}}</ref>), and a constant presence from 1910 to 1918 was [[Arthur B. Reeve]], with 82 stories featuring [[Craig Kennedy]], the "scientific detective".<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1orNAAAAMAAJ |title=Cosmopolitan |volume=55 |publisher=Schlicht & Field |year=1913 |access-date=2020-03-03}}</ref> Magazine illustrators included Francis Attwood, [[Dean Cornwell]], [[Harrison Fisher]], and [[James Montgomery Flagg]].{{citation needed|date=January 2014}}

Hearst formed [[Cosmopolitan Productions]] (also known as Cosmopolitan Pictures), a film company based in New York City from 1918 to 1923, then Hollywood until 1938. The vision for this film company was to make films from stories published in the magazine.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |last1= Cunningham |first1= Guy Patrick |editor-last= Ciment |editor-first= James |date= 2013 |title= Hearst, William Randolph (1863–1951)|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of the Jazz Age: From the End of World War I to the Great Crash |pages= 344–345 }}</ref>

===''Hearst's International''===
{{anchor|Names}}''Cosmopolitan'' magazine was officially titled as ''Hearst's International Combined with Cosmopolitan'' from 1925 until 1952, but was simply referred to as ''Cosmopolitan''. In 1911, Hearst had bought a middling monthly magazine called ''World To-Day'' and renamed it ''Hearst's Magazine'' in April 1912. In June 1914 it was shortened to ''Hearst's'' and was ultimately titled ''Hearst's International'' in May 1922. In order to spare serious cutbacks at [[Hearst Castle|San Simeon]], Hearst merged the magazine ''Hearst's International'' with ''Cosmopolitan'' effective March 1925. But while the ''Cosmopolitan'' title on the cover remained at a [[typeface]] of eighty-four [[Point (typography)|points]], over time span the typeface of the ''Hearst's International'' decreased to thirty-six points and then to a barely legible twelve points. After Hearst died in 1951, the ''Hearst's International'' disappeared from the magazine cover altogether in April 1952.<ref>{{cite book |last= Landers|first= James |year= 2010|title=The Improbable First Century of Cosmopolitan Magazine |url=https://archive.org/details/improbablefirstc0000land|url-access= registration|publisher= [[University of Missouri Press]]|isbn= 9780826272331|pages = [https://archive.org/details/improbablefirstc0000land/page/169 169–213] }}</ref>

With a circulation of 1,700,000 in the 1930s, ''Cosmopolitan'' had an advertising income of $5,000,000. Emphasizing fiction in the 1940s, it was subtitled ''The Four-Book Magazine'' since the first section had one novelette, six or eight short stories, two serials, six to eight articles and eight or nine special features, while the other three sections featured two novels and a digest of current non-fiction books. During World War II, sales peaked at 2,000,000.{{citation needed|date=January 2014}}

The magazine began to run less fiction during the 1950s. Circulation dropped to slightly over a million by 1955, a time when magazines were overshadowed during the rise of paperbacks and television. The Golden Age of magazines came to an end as [[mass market]], general interest publications gave way to special interest magazines targeting specialized audiences.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.ablongman.com/stovall1e/chap05/05goldagephotog.html |title= Magazines and Photojournalism's Golden Age |last= Stovall |first= James Glen |website= Journalism: Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How |access-date= March 21, 2019 |archive-date= March 3, 2016 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160303233234/http://www.ablongman.com/stovall1e/chap05/05goldagephotog.html }}</ref>

===Helen Gurley Brown arrives===
Cosmopolitan's circulation continued to decline for another decade until [[Helen Gurley Brown]] became chief editor in 1965<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Cosmopolitan-magazine|title=Cosmopolitan {{!}} magazine|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia Britannica|access-date=August 23, 2017|language=en}}</ref> and radically changed the magazine.<ref name=":0">{{cite journal|url=http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2012/08/14/cosmo_covers_how_helen_gurley_brown_changed_cosmopolitan_s_cover_.html|title=A Brief History of Cosmo Covers|last=Jaramillo|first=Juliana|journal=Slate |date=August 12, 2014}}</ref> Brown remodeled and re-invented it as a magazine for modern single career women,<ref name=changed>{{cite magazine|author=Benjamin, Jennifer|title=How Cosmo Changed the World|magazine=Cosmopolitan|date=September 2009|url=http://www.cosmopolitan.com/about/about-us_how-cosmo-changed-the-world|access-date=January 13, 2013}}</ref> completely transforming the magazine into a racy, contentious, and successful magazine. As the editor for 32 years, Brown spent this time using the magazine as an outlet to erase stigma around unmarried women not only having sex, but also enjoying it.<ref name=":1">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/14/business/media/helen-gurley-brown-who-gave-cosmopolitan-its-purr-is-dead-at-90.html|title=Helen Gurley Brown, Who Gave 'Single Girl' a Life in Full, Dies at 90|last=Fox|first=Margalit|date=August 13, 2012|website=New York Times |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20240115014515/https://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/14/business/media/helen-gurley-brown-who-gave-cosmopolitan-its-purr-is-dead-at-90.html |archive-date= Jan 15, 2024 }}</ref> Known as a "devout feminist",<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/17/living/helen-gurley-brown-legacy/index.html|title=Helen Gurley Brown's Complicated Feminist Legacy|last=Grinberg|first=Emanuella|date=August 19, 2012|website=CNN |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204103622/https://www.cnn.com/2012/08/17/living/helen-gurley-brown-legacy/index.html |archive-date= Feb 4, 2023 }}</ref> Brown was often attacked by critics due to her progressive views on women and sex. She believed that women were allowed to enjoy sex without shame in all cases. She died in 2012 at the age of 90.<ref name=":1" /> Her vision is still evident in the design of the magazine.<ref name=":0" /> The magazine eventually adopted a cover format consisting of a usually young female model (or prominent female celebrity), typically in a low cut dress, bikini, or some other revealing outfit.

The magazine set itself apart by frankly discussing [[sexuality]] from the point of view that women could and should enjoy sex without guilt. The first issue under Helen Gurley Brown, July 1965,<ref>{{cite press release|url=http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20050816005220/en/Cosmopolitan-Celebrates-40-Years-Worlds-Favorite-Womens|title=Cosmopolitan Celebrates 40 Years as the World's Favorite Women's Magazine|website=Business Wire |date=Aug 16, 2005 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170809211456/http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20050816005220/en/Cosmopolitan-Celebrates-40-Years-Worlds-Favorite-Womens |archive-date= Aug 9, 2017 }}</ref> featured an article on the [[birth control pill]],<ref name=changed/> which had gone on the market exactly five years earlier.<ref name="marks">{{cite book|last=Marks|first=Lara|year=2001|title=Sexual Chemistry: A History of the Contraceptive Pill|location=New Haven|publisher=Yale University Press|isbn=978-0-300-08943-1|url=https://archive.org/details/sexualchemistryh00mark}}</ref><ref name="watkins">{{cite book|last=Watkins|first=Elizabeth Siegel|year=1998|title=On the Pill: A Social History of Oral Contraceptives, 1950–1970|location=Baltimore|publisher = Johns Hopkins University Press|isbn=978-0-8018-5876-5}}</ref>

This was not Brown's first publication dealing with sexually liberated women. Her 1962 advice book, ''[[Sex and the Single Girl]]'', had been a bestseller.<ref>Ouellette, Laurie. [http://mcs.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/21/3/359 "Inventing the Cosmo Girl: Class Identity and Girl-Style American Dreams"]. ''[[Media, Culture & Society]]'' 21 (1999): 361. Retrieved August 19, 2012.</ref><ref>Scanlon, Jennifer. "Sensationalist Literature or Expert Advice?". ''[[Feminist Media Studies]]'' 9:1 (2009): 12. Retrieved February 14, 2010.</ref> Fan mail begging for Brown's advice on many subjects concerning women's behavior, sexual encounters, health, and beauty flooded her after the book was released. Brown sent the message that a woman should have men complement her life, not take it over. Enjoying sex without shame was also a message she incorporated in both publications.<ref>{{cite book|last=Gianoulis |first=Tina |chapter=Cosmopolitan |title=Bowling, Beatniks, and Bell-Bottoms: Pop Culture of 20th-Century America |editor1-first=Sara |editor1-last=Pendergast |editor2-first=Tom |editor2-last=Pendergast |year=2002 |pages=867–868 |publisher=Gale Virtual Reference Library |url=http://0-go.galegroup.com.source.unco.edu/ps/start.do?p=GVRL&u=uncol }}{{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

In Brown's early years as editor, the magazine received heavy criticism. In 1968 at the feminist [[Miss America protest]], protestors symbolically threw a number of feminine products into a "Freedom Trash Can". These included copies of ''Cosmopolitan'' and ''[[Playboy]]'' magazines.<ref name=Greenfieldboyce>{{cite web|last=Greenfieldboyce|first=Nell|title=Pageant Protest Sparked Bra-Burning Myth|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=94240375&from=mobile|work=NPR|access-date=February 6, 2012|date=September 5, 2008}}</ref> ''Cosmopolitan'' also ran a near-nude centerfold of actor [[Burt Reynolds]] in April 1972, causing great controversy and attracting much attention.<ref name="Willett2010">{{cite book |first=Julie |last=Willett |title=The American Beauty Industry Encyclopedia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CljLw4sH2DMC&pg=PA77 |access-date=January 13, 2013 |date=May 11, 2010 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-0-313-35949-1 |page=77 }}</ref> The Latin American edition of ''Cosmopolitan'' was launched in March 1973.

In April 1978, a single edition of ''Cosmopolitan Man'' was published as a trial, targeted to appeal to men. Its cover featured [[Jack Nicholson]] and [[Aurore Clément]]. It was published twice in 1989 as a supplement to ''Cosmopolitan''.<ref>[http://www.magforum.com/mens/mens-magazines-a-to-z-2-carnival-club.htm "Men's magazines: an A to Z"]. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071121232506/http://www.magforum.com/mens/mensmagazinesatoz2.htm |date=November 21, 2007 }}. ''Magforum''. Accessed October 27, 2023.</ref>

In its January 1988 issue, ''Cosmopolitan'' ran a feature claiming that women had almost no reason to worry about contracting [[HIV]] long after the best available medical science indicated otherwise. The piece claimed that unprotected sex with an [[HIV-positive]] man did not put women at risk of infection and went on to state that "most heterosexuals are not at risk" and that it was impossible to transmit HIV in the [[missionary position]].<ref>{{cite web|date=June 5, 2006|title=AIDS in New York: A Biography |magazine=New York Magazine|url=http://newyorkmetro.com/news/features/17158/index2.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060719082645/http://newyorkmetro.com/news/features/17158/index2.html|archive-date=July 19, 2006|access-date=November 16, 2011}}</ref> This article angered many educated people, including [[AIDS]] and [[gay rights]] activists.<ref>{{cite web|title=Editorials & Opinion – Cosmo's Deadly Advice To Women About Aids |work=Seattle Times |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19930731/1713646/cosmos-deadly-advice-to-women-about-aids}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Rossi|date=June 1, 1998|title=Cosmo Confessions|url=https://www.poz.com/article/Cosmo-Confessions-7133-9692|access-date=July 30, 2016}}</ref> The protests organised in response to the article's publication were turned into a 30-minute documentary titled "Doctors, Liars and Women: AIDS Activists Say NO to Cosmo" by two members of ACTUP, a New York City based collective of HIV/AIDS activists.<ref>{{cite web|title=Chronology 1988|url=http://www.actupny.org/documents/cron-88.html|website=ACT UP/NY }}</ref><ref>[http://www.jeancarlomusto.com/doctorsliars&women jeancarlomusto.com], actupny.org {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160821133558/http://www.jeancarlomusto.com/doctorsliars%26women.html|date=August 21, 2016}}{{full citation needed|{{subst:DATE}}|date=October 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Carlomusto|first=Jean|date=December 17, 2012|title=Doctors, Liars and Women:AIDS Activists Say No To Cosmo|url=https://vimeo.com/55793020|via=Vimeo}}</ref>

One of the articles in its October 1989 issue, "The Risky Business of Bisexual Love", promoted the '[[bisexual]] bridge' theory.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Gerrard |first1=Susan |first2=James |last2=Halperin |title=The Risky Business of Bisexual Love |magazine=Cosmopolitan |date=October 1989 |pages=202–205}}</ref> The 'bisexual bridge' theory suggests that heterosexual women are unknowingly put at risk for contracting HIV through sexual contact with bisexual men who [[Down-low (sexual slang)|covertly have sex with other men]] (colloquially described as being "on the down low").<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Malebranche |first1=David J.|last2=Arriola |first2=Kimberly Jacob|last3=Jenkins |first3=Tyrrell R.|last4=Dauria |first4=Emily|last5=Patel |first5=Shilpa N.|date=20 September 2011|title=Exploring the 'Bisexual Bridge': A Qualitative Study of Risk Behavior and Disclosure of Same-Sex Behavior Among Black Bisexual Men|journal= American Journal of Public Health|volume=100|issue=1|pages=159–164|doi=10.2105/AJPH.2008.158725|pmc=2791236|pmid=19910348|quote=This 'bisexual bridge' theory proposes that heterosexual women are unknowingly put at risk for contracting HIV through sexual contact with bisexual men who covertly have sex with other men. Such men are colloquially described as being 'on the down low'.}}</ref> The [[New York Area Bisexual Network]] performed a successful letter-writing campaign against ''Cosmopolitan''.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Raymond|first1=Danielle|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BkjJAwAAQBAJ|title=Bisexual Politics: Theories, Queries, and Visions |last2=Highleyman|first2=Liz A.|date=11 June 2014|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1560238690|editor1-last=Tucker|editor1-first=Naomi S.|edition=1st|series=Haworth Gay and Lesbian Studies|chapter=Appendix A: Brief Timeline of Bisexual Activism in the United States|quote=New York Area Bisexual Network (founded 1987) initiates successful letter-writing campaign against a defamatory article in ''Cosmpolitan'' (October 1989) which had maliciously stereotyped bisexual men as dishonest spreaders of AIDS.}}</ref>

==Today==
Since the 1960s, ''Cosmopolitan'' has discussed such topics as health, fitness, and fashion, as well as sex. The magazine has also featured a section called "Ask Him Anything", where a male writer answers readers' questions about men and dating.

[[File:COSMOPOLITAN magazine at The Brandery Summer Edition 2010.jpg|thumb|''Cosmopolitan'' stand at [[The Brandery]] fashion show (Barcelona, 2010)]]
The magazine, in particular its cover stories, has become increasingly sexually explicit in tone. In 2000, the grocery chain [[Kroger]], at the time the second largest in the US after [[Walmart]], began covering up ''Cosmopolitan'' at checkout stands because of complaints about sexually inappropriate headlines.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2000-01-17 |title=KROGER TAKES ACTION ON COSMO COVER HEADLINES |url=https://www.supermarketnews.com/archive/kroger-takes-action-cosmo-cover-headlines |access-date=2024-03-04 |website=Supermarket News |language=en}}</ref> The UK edition of ''Cosmopolitan'', which began in 1972, was the first ''Cosmopolitan'' magazine to be branched out to another country. It was well known for sexual explicitness, with strong sexual language, male nudity, and coverage of such subjects as rape. In 1999, ''[[CosmoGirl|CosmoGIRL!]]'', a spinoff magazine targeting a teenage female audience, was created for international readership. It shut down in December 2008.

There are 64 worldwide editions of ''Cosmopolitan'', and the magazine is published in 35 languages, with distribution in more than 100 countries making ''Cosmopolitan'' the largest-selling young women's magazine in the world.<ref name="hearst.com-aboutcosmo">{{cite web |title=Cosmopolitan: "Fun, Fearless, Female" |url=http://www.hearst.com/magazines/cosmopolitan.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130826005506/http://www.hearst.com/magazines/cosmopolitan.php |archive-date=August 26, 2013 |access-date=January 13, 2013 |publisher=hearst.com}}</ref>{{citation needed|reason=2013 source is not current, and are the facts?|date=March 2024}} Some international editions are published in partnerships, such as licenses or joint ventures, with established publishing houses in each local market. 

During 2015, ''Cosmopolitan'' found popularity in a then-newfound medium, the "discover" section on Snapchat. At the time, Cosmopolitan's "discover" had over 3 million readers a day.<ref>{{Cite news |date=October 14, 2015 |title=Cosmo is getting 3 million readers a day on Snapchat Discover |url=https://digiday.com/media/cosmo-says-getting-3-million-readers-snapchat-discover/ |access-date=September 25, 2018 |work=[[Digiday]] |language=en-US}}</ref>

In October 2018, [[Bauer Media Group]] announced that after 45 years, publication of the Australian edition of ''Cosmopolitan'' would stop due to the commercial viability of the magazine no longer being sustainable.<ref>Donoughue, Paul (October 16, 2018). [http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-16/australian-edition-of-cosmopolitan-magazine-to-close/10382338 "Cosmopolitan magazine to stop publishing its Australian edition after 45 years"]. ''[[ABC News (Australia)|ABC News]]'' (Australia). Retrieved October 16, 2018.</ref> In March 2022 the Russian edition, ''[[Cosmopolitan Russia]]'', changed its title to ''Voice'' after Hearst revoked its affiliation following the [[2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine|invasion of Ukraine]].<ref>{{cite news|author=Pjotr Sauer
|title=Cosmopolitan no more: Russians feel sting of cultural and economic rift|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/20/russians-feel-sting-of-cultural-and-economic-rift-sanctions-ukraine|access-date=September 16, 2022|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=May 20, 2022}}</ref>

On the cover of its October 2018 issue, ''Cosmopolitan'' featured plus-sized model [[Tess Holliday]]. Some people, such as TV presenter [[Piers Morgan]], criticized this choice, arguing that it amounted to promoting obesity. Editor of Cosmopolitan [[Farrah Storr]] called the cover choice a bold stance in favor of [[body positivity]].<ref>{{cite news|last=O'Connell|first=Jennifer|title=Cosmopolitan magazine cover criticised for 'promoting obesity'|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/fashion/cosmopolitan-magazine-cover-criticised-for-promoting-obesity-1.3616717|access-date=January 20, 2020|newspaper=[[The Irish Times]] }}</ref> In December 2020, actress [[Emma Roberts]] became the first pregnant celebrity to appear on the cover of the magazine.<ref>[https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/emma-roberts-cosmopolitan-cover-scli-intl/index.html "Emma Roberts becomes first pregnant Cosmopolitan cover star"]. ''CNN''. November 12, 2020</ref>

==Awards and features==
===Fun, Fearless Male of the Year===
For over a decade, the February issue has featured this award. In 2011, [[Russell Brand]] received the magazine's Fun, Fearless Male of the Year Award, joining [[Kellan Lutz]] and [[Paul Wesley]] (2010), [[John Mayer]] (2008), [[Nick Lachey]] (2007), [[Patrick Dempsey]] (2006), [[Josh Duhamel]] (2005), [[Matthew Perry]] (2004), and [[Jon Bon Jovi]] (2003).

===Fun, Fearless Female of the Year===
The Fun, Fearless Female of the Year award was awarded to [[Kayla Itsines]] (2015), [[Nicole Scherzinger]] (2012), [[Mila Kunis]] (2011), [[Anna Faris]] (2010), [[Ali Larter]] (2009), [[Katherine Heigl]] (2008), [[Eva Mendes]] (2007), [[Beyoncé]] (2006), [[Ashlee Simpson]] (2005), [[Alicia Silverstone]] (2004), [[Sandra Bullock]] (2003), [[Britney Spears]] (2002), [[Debra Messing]] (2001), [[Jennifer Love Hewitt]] (2000), [[Shania Twain]] (1999), and [[Ashley Judd]] (1998).

=== Cosmopolitan Men – The Making of the World's Sexiest Calendar ===
''Cosmopolitan Men'' released a video on The Making of the World's Sexiest Calendar in 1994 followed by a 14-month Cosmopolitan Men Calendar. Photographer Richard Reinsdorf shot the entire Calendar and helped direct the video.

=== Anniversary Male Centerfolds ===
''Cosmopolitan'' releases a Male Centerfold issue every few years that features hot male celebrities from the United States. Here is a partial list of the men that have appeared in Cosmopolitan's Centerfold Editions over the years: [[Burt Reynolds]] 1972, [[Jim Brown]] 1973, [[John Davidson (entertainer)|John Davidson]] 1975, [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]] 1977, [[Scott Brown (politician)|Scott Brown]] 1982, [[David Hasselhoff]] 1990. Male [[super-model]] Tracy James<ref>{{Cite web |title=Biography |url=https://www.tracyjames.com/biography.htt |access-date=2022-04-06 |website=www.tracyjames.com |language=en}}</ref> was named Cosmopolitan's 25th Anniversary Centerfold<ref>{{Cite web |title=Portfolio |url=https://www.tracyjames.com/Portfolio/index.html |access-date=2022-04-06 |website=www.tracyjames.com |language=en}}</ref> in 1995: his centerfold garnered so much attention that ''Cosmopolitan'' printed an extra 500,000 copies to meet demand. ''Cosmopolitan''{{'s}} Editor-in-Chief [[Helen Gurley Brown]] sat with James for interviews on ''[[America's Talking]]''<ref name="Tracy James">{{Cite web |title=Video |url=https://www.tracyjames.com/Video/index.html |access-date=2022-04-06 |website=www.tracyjames.com |language=en}}</ref> and on ''Oprah''<ref name="Tracy James" /> with [[Oprah Winfrey]], on how the magazine's editors and scouts searched America over the course of a year, seeing thousands of men before deciding on James.{{citation needed|reason=Previously cited with a bare URL of an image. Do better|date=October 2023}}

=== Bachelor of the Year ===
''Cosmopolitan''{{'s}} November issue features the hottest bachelors from all 50 states. Pictures and profiles of all the bachelors are posted on www.cosmopolitan.com, where readers view and vote for their favorite, narrowing it down to six finalists. A team of ''Cosmopolitan'' editors then selects the Bachelor of the Year, who is announced at an annual party and media event in New York. The 50 bachelors generally appear on programs such as ''The Today Show''.<ref>[http://www.cosmopolitan.com/hot-guys/Bachelor-of-the-Year "Brian Watkins – Cosmo Bachelor of the Year 2007"]. ''Cosmopolitan''. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090328122330/http://www.cosmopolitan.com/hot-guys/Bachelor-of-the-Year |date=March 28, 2009 }}</ref>

Past winners include:
* Ryan Anderson 2017<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/relationships/dating/meet-ryan-anderson-the-2017-cosmopolitan-bachelor-of-the-year/news-story/0aed5987b834aa7bd87caac5a442c373|title=Meet the Cosmo Bachelor of the Year|date=2017-02-02|website=News.com.au|access-date=2019-05-23}}</ref>
*Ryan Chenevert 2012<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.cosmopolitan.com/health-fitness/news/a10685/bachelors-2012-winner/|title=The Hottest Bachelor in America|magazine=Cosmopolitan|access-date=September 24, 2018}}</ref>
* [[Chris Van Vliet]] 2011<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.cosmopolitan.com/sex-love/dating-advice/2011-cosmo-bachelor-of-the-year-chris-van-vliet |title=2011 Cosmo Bachelor of The Year – Interview with Chris Van Vliet |magazine=Cosmopolitan |access-date=November 16, 2011}}</ref>
* Ryan "Mickey" McLean 2010<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.cosmopolitan.com/sex-love/dating-advice/ryan-mickey-mclean-interview |title=Ryan Mickey McLean Interview – Ohio Bachelor Ryan McLean Quotes |magazine=Cosmopolitan |access-date=November 16, 2011}}</ref>
* [[Brad Ludden]] 2008
* Brian Watkins 2007
* Matt Wood 2006

===Practice Safe Sun===
In the May 2006 issue of ''Cosmopolitan'', the magazine launched the Practice Safe Sun campaign, an initiative aimed at fighting [[skin cancer]] by asking readers to stop all forms of [[Sun tanning|tanning]] other than [[Sunless tanning|tanning from a bottle]].<ref name="allbusiness.com">[http://www.allbusiness.com/services/business-services-miscellaneous-business/4775142-1.html "Cosmo to Promote 'Safe Skin{{'"}}]. ''AllBusiness.com''.  {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090328102238/http://www.allbusiness.com/services/business-services-miscellaneous-business/4775142-1.html |date=March 28, 2009 }}</ref> In conjunction with the campaign, ''Cosmopolitan''{{'s}} editor-in-chief, Kate White, approached Congresswoman [[Carolyn Maloney]], known for her support of women's health issues, with concerns that women were not fully aware of the [[Indoor tanning#Risks|dangers of indoor tanning]] and the effectiveness of the current warning labels.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allbusiness.com/services/business-services-miscellaneous-business/4775142-1.html |title=Cosmo to Promote 'Safe Skin' |work=Mediaweek |via=AllBusiness.com |date=April 10, 2006 |access-date=November 16, 2011  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090328102238/http://www.allbusiness.com/services/business-services-miscellaneous-business/4775142-1.html |archive-date=March 28, 2009 }}</ref> After careful review, the Congresswoman agreed that it was necessary to recommend that the FDA take a closer look. She and Representative [[Ginny Brown-Waite]] introduced the [[Tanning Accountability and Notification Act]] (TAN Act – H.R. 4767) on February 16, 2006.<ref name="allbusiness.com"/> President Bush signed the act in September 2007, and the new federal law requires the [[Food and Drug Administration|FDA]] to scrutinize the warning labels on [[tanning bed]]s and issue a report by September 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/84045.php|title=American Academy Of Dermatology Association Commends President Bush For Signing Tanning Accountability And Notification (TAN) Act}}{{full citation needed|{{subst:DATE}}|date=October 2023}}</ref>

===Cosmo Blog Awards===
''Cosmopolitan'' UK launched the Cosmo Blog Awards<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/blogs/cosmopolitan-blog-awards-2011/cosmo-blog-awards-2011 |title=Cosmo Blog Awards |publisher=Cosmopolitan UK  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110910142356/http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/blogs/cosmopolitan-blog-awards-2011/cosmo-blog-awards-2011 |archive-date=September 10, 2011 }}</ref> in 2010. The awards attracted more than 15,000 entries and winning and highly commended blogs were voted for in several categories including beauty, fashion, lifestyle, and celebrity. The 2011 awards launched in August 2011 and nominations are open until August 31, 2011. All UK-based bloggers and blogs written by British bloggers abroad with a British perspective can be entered.

===Cosmopolitan, The Fragrance===
In May 2015, Cosmopolitan UK announced they were launching their first ever fragrance. This is considered a first in the magazine industry. Named 'Cosmopolitan, The Fragrance', the perfume takes on the notion of their much-loved phrase 'Fun, Fearless Female' and was set to launch in September.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://cosmofragrance.net/gb/ |title=The Home of Cosmopolitan, The Fragrance |publisher=Cosmo Fragrance |access-date=October 16, 2015  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150827033850/http://cosmofragrance.net/gb/ |archive-date=August 27, 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hearst.co.uk/news/cosmopolitan-launches-cosmopolitan-fragrance |title=Cosmopolitan launches Cosmopolitan The Fragrance – Hearst UKHearst UK |publisher=Hearst.co.uk |date=May 26, 2015 |access-date=October 16, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924025431/http://www.hearst.co.uk/news/cosmopolitan-launches-cosmopolitan-fragrance |archive-date=September 24, 2015 }}</ref>

==Politics==
===Seventeenth Amendment===
''Cosmopolitan'' played a role in passing the [[Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution|Seventeenth Amendment]] to the [[United States Constitution|US Constitution]], which allowed for the popular election of US Senators (previously they were elected by state legislatures). In 1906, [[William Randolph Hearst]] hired [[David Graham Phillips]] to write a series of articles entitled "[[The Treason of the Senate]]". These articles, which were largely sensationalized, helped galvanize public support for this cause.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/generic/SeventeenthAmendment.htm|title=U.S. Senate: Landmark Legislation: The Seventeenth Amendment to the Constitution|website=United States Senate|access-date=July 30, 2017}}</ref>

===Candidate endorsement===
In September 2014, ''Cosmopolitan'' began endorsing political candidates. The endorsements are based on "established criteria" agreed upon by the magazine's editors. Specifically, ''Cosmopolitan'' will only endorse candidates that support [[Equal pay for equal work|equal pay laws]], legal [[abortion]], free [[contraceptives]], [[gun control]], and oppose [[voter identification law]]s. Amy Odell, editor of Cosmopolitan.com, has stated that under no circumstances will the magazine endorse a political candidate that is [[anti-abortion]]: "We're not going to endorse someone who is pro-life because that's not in our readers' best interest." According to Joanna Coles, the magazine's [[editor-in-chief]], the endorsements of ''Cosmopolitan'' will focus on "candidates in [[swing state]]s or candidates who are strongly in favor of issues like contraception coverage or gun control."<ref name="Politico">{{cite web|url=http://www.politico.com/story/2014/09/the-new-cosmo-love-sex-politics-110586|title=The new Cosmo: Love, sex, politics?|last=Gold|first=Hadas|author-link=Hadas Gold|date=September 4, 2014|publisher=[[Politico]]|access-date=February 10, 2016}}</ref> In the [[United States elections, 2014|2014 U.S. elections]], ''Cosmopolitan'' officially endorsed twelve [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] candidates. However, only two of them won their respective [[political campaign]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/the-8-biggest-losers-of-the-war-on-women/article/2555814>|title=The 8 biggest losers of the war on women|first=Ashe |last=Schow|work=Washington Examiner}}{{dead link|date=March 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

=== Campaigns against ''Cosmopolitan'' ===
Victoria Hearst, a granddaughter of [[William Randolph Hearst]] (founder of ''Cosmopolitan''{{'s}} parent company) and sister of [[Patty Hearst]], has lent her support to a campaign which seeks to classify ''Cosmopolitan'' as harmful under the guidelines of "Material Harmful to Minors" laws. Hearst, the founder of an evangelical Colorado church called Praise Him Ministries,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://praisehimministries.org/index.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140101101557/http://praisehimministries.org/index.htm|title=Praise Him Ministries|publisher=Praise Him Ministries|archive-date=January 1, 2014}}</ref> states that "the magazine promotes a lifestyle that can be dangerous to women's emotional and physical well being. It should never be sold to anyone under 18".<ref name="FN">{{cite web|last=McKay|first=Hollie|date=September 6, 2012|title=Victoria Hearst says her family's ''Cosmopolitan'' magazine "pornographic", joins campaign to get it brown bagged|url=https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/victoria-hearst-says-her-familys-cosmopolitan-magazine-pornographic-joins-campaign-to-get-it-brown-bagged/|work=[[Fox News]]}}</ref> According to former model [[Nicole Weider]], who is also part of this campaign, the magazine's marketing is subtly targeting children.<ref name="FN" /> Billboards have been hung in states such as Utah urging the state to ban sales of the magazine.

In 2018, Walmart announced that ''Cosmopolitan'' would be removed from checkout lines after the anti-pornography organization [[National Center on Sexual Exploitation]], formerly known as Morality in Media, labeled the magazine as "sexually explicit material".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/walmart-to-remove-cosmopolitan-magazine-from-checkout-lines|title=Walmart to remove Cosmopolitan magazine from checkout lines|last=Lam|first=Katherine|date=March 27, 2018|work=Fox News|access-date=April 5, 2018|language=en-US}}</ref>{{better source needed|reason=Fox News is [[WP:RS/P|generally regarded as unreliable]] for political reporting|date=October 2023}}

==Editor in chief (American edition)==

* Frank P. Smith (1886–1888)
* E. D. Walker (1888)
* [[John Brisben Walker]] (1889–1905)
* Bailey Millard (1905–1907)
* [[S. S. Chamberlain]] (1907–1908)
* C. P. Narcross (1908–1913)
* Sewell Haggard (1914)
* Edgar Grant Sisson (1914–1917)
* Douglas Z. Doty (1917–1918)
* [[Ray Long]] (1918–1931)
* Harry Payne Burton (1931–1942)
* Frances Whiting (1942–1945)
* Arthur Gordon (1946–1948)
* [[Herbert Mayes|Herbert R. Mayes]] (1948–1951)
* John J. O'Connell (1951–1959)
* [[Robert C. Atherton]] (1959–1965)
* [[Helen Gurley Brown]] (1965–1997)
* [[Bonnie Fuller]] (1997–1998)
* [[Kate White]] (1998–2012)
* [[Joanna Coles]] (2012–2016)<ref name="New Editor at Cosmopolitan: Joanna Coles Replaces Kate White">{{cite web | url=http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/04/new-editor-at-cosmopolitan-joanna-coles-replaces-kate-white/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0 | title=New Editor at Cosmopolitan: Joanna Coles Replaces Kate White | work=The New York Times | date=September 4, 2012 | access-date=April 4, 2014 | author=DAVID CARR and CHRISTINE HAUGHNEY}}</ref>
* Michele Promaulayko (2016–2018)<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.hearst.com/newsroom/michele-promaulayko-named-editor-in-chief-of-cosmopolitan-and-editorial-director-of-seventeen | title=Michele Promaulayko Named Editor-in-Chief of Cosmopolitan and Editorial Director of Seventeen|access-date=September 25, 2018}}</ref>
* [[Jessica Giles]] (2018–2024)<ref name="team">{{Cite web |date=January 28, 2024 |title=Hey You, Meet the Cosmo Team |url=https://www.cosmopolitan.com/about/a26950060/about-us-contact-information-masthead/ | work=Cosmopolitan}}</ref>
* Willa Bennett (2024–present)<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-08-27 |title=Willa Bennett Named Editor-in-Chief of Cosmopolitan and Seventeen Magazine |url=https://www.businessoffashion.com/news/media/willa-bennett-named-editor-in-chief-of-cosmopolitan-and-seventeen-magazine/ |access-date=2024-09-17 |website=The Business of Fashion |language=en}}</ref>

== Other editions ==

=== Cosmopolitan Australia ===
''Cosmopolitan Australia'' was launched in May 1973.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2018-10-19 |title=When sex doesn't sell: How women's magazines lost their X-factor |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-20/cosmopolitan-shutting-down-end-of-an-era-womens-magazines/10391180 |access-date=2024-07-23 |work=ABC News |language=en-AU}}</ref> It continued publication until December 2018 when the licence holder [[Bauer Media Group#Bauer Media Australia and New Zealand|Bauer Media]] axed the title, stating that it was no longer commercially viable.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-10-16 |title=Cosmopolitan Australia announces closure of magazine after 45 years |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/cosmopolitan-australia-magazine-bauer-media-closure-announcement-sustainable-a8586756.html |access-date=2024-07-23 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref> In 2023 it was reported that Hearst wanted to relaunch Cosmopolitan in Australia.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-06-25 |title=Sex sells? US publishing giant Hearst wants to relaunch Cosmo |url=https://www.afr.com/companies/media-and-marketing/sex-sells-us-publishing-giant-hearst-wants-to-relaunch-cosmo-20230620-p5dhws |access-date=2024-07-23 |website=Australian Financial Review |language=en}}</ref> The publication was relaunched in August of 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cosmopolitan returns to news stands with cover star Tones And I |url=https://www.mediaweek.com.au/cosmopolitan-returns-to-news-stands-with-cover-star-tones-and-i/ |access-date=2024-08-15 |website=www.mediaweek.com.au}}</ref>

==== Editors ====
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Editor
!Start year
!End year
!Ref.
|-
|Sylvia Rayner
|1973
|1988
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mediaweek |date=2018-10-16 |title=Closure: After 45 years Australia no longer has its own Cosmopolitan |url=https://www.mediaweek.com.au/after-45-years-cosmo-australia-ends/ |access-date=2024-07-23 |website=Mediaweek |language=en-AU}}</ref>
|-
|Pat Ingram
|1988
|1996
|<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Samios |first=Zoe |date=2018-10-17 |title=Ex-Cosmo editors Ingram, Freedman, McCahon and Wilson reflect on their time at the helm |url=https://mumbrella.com.au/ex-cosmo-editors-ingram-freedman-mccahon-and-wilson-reflect-on-their-time-at-the-helm-546712 |access-date=2024-07-23 |website=Mumbrella |language=en-US}}</ref>
|-
|Mia Freedman
|1996
|2005
|<ref name=":5" />
|-
|[[Sarah Wilson (journalist)|Sarah Wilson]]
|2003
|2007
|<ref name=":5" />
|-
|Bronwyn McCahon
|2006
|2016
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Magazine |first=B&T |date=2016-02-15 |title=Cosmo Editor-In-Chief Bronwyn McCahon Calls It Quits |url=https://www.bandt.com.au/cosmo-editor-in-chief-bronwyn-mccahon-calls-it-quits/ |access-date=2024-07-23 |website=B&T |language=en-US}}</ref>
|-
|Claire Askew
|2016
|2017
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kelly |first=Vivienne |date=2017-03-24 |title=Cosmopolitan editor Claire Askew to leave Bauer Media |url=https://mumbrella.com.au/cosmopolitan-editor-claire-askew-leave-bauer-media-434638 |access-date=2024-07-23 |website=Mumbrella |language=en-US}}</ref>
|-
|Keshnee Kemp
|2017
|2018
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dawson |first=Abigail |date=2017-04-03 |title=Bauer Media appoints ex-Famous editor Keshnee Kemp to edit Cosmopolitan |url=https://mumbrella.com.au/cosmopolitan-keshnee-kemp-bauer-media-editor-436472 |access-date=2024-07-23 |website=Mumbrella |language=en-US}}</ref>
|-
|Lorna Gray
|2018
|2018
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Samios |first=Zoe |date=2018-07-10 |title=Lorna Gray promoted to Cosmopolitan editor across both print and digital |url=https://mumbrella.com.au/lorna-gray-promoted-to-cosmopolitan-editor-across-both-print-and-digital-528268 |access-date=2024-07-23 |website=Mumbrella |language=en-US}}</ref>
|-
|Tessa Ogle
|2024
|present
|<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |title=Tessa Ogle named editor-in-chief of relaunched Cosmopolitan - AdNews |url=https://www.adnews.com.au/news/tessa-ogle-named-editor-in-chief-of-relaunched-cosmopolitan |access-date=2024-07-23 |website=www.adnews.com.au |language=en}}</ref>
|}

=== ''Cosmopolitan Italy'' ===
In 1973 there was a merger between ''Cosmopolitan'' and the Italian magazine ''Arianna'', published by [[Mondadori]] since in 1957, assuming the name ''Cosmopolitan Arianna''.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=SIUSA Archive - Cosmopolitan Arianna |url=https://siusa.archivi.beniculturali.it/cgi-bin/pagina.pl?TipoPag=prodente&Chiave=54863 |access-date=September 19, 2023 |website=[[Ministry of Culture (Italy)|Ministry of Culture]]}}</ref> From January 1976 the masthead changed to the current ''Cosmopolitan''.<ref name=":3" /> In 1996 the magazine, owned by Della Schiava Editore, ended its publication, which resumed with Mondadori in 2000, with the editor Silvia Brena.<ref name=":3" /> In July 2010 ''Cosmopolitan'' passed to the editorial Hearst Magazines Italia, becoming a monthly magazine.<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 9, 2010 |title=Mondadori, nomine: dal 14 settembre Annalisa Monfreda direttore di Cosmopolitan |url=https://www.gruppomondadori.it/media/news-comunicati-stampa-e-social/anno-2010/mondadori-nomine-dal-14-settembre-annalisa-monfreda-direttore-di-cosmopolitan |access-date=September 19, 2023 |website=[[Arnoldo Mondadori Editore]] |language=it}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Cosmopolitan (magazine)}}
* {{official website|https://www.cosmopolitan.com}}
* [http://www.spartacus-educational.com/USAcosmopolitan.htm American History: "Cosmopolitan Magazine"] at [[Spartacus Educational]]
<!-- * [https://archive.org/search.php?query=subject%3A%22Cosmopolitan%22&and[]=mediatype%3A%22texts%22&and[]=subject%3A%22cosmopolitan%22&and[]=loans__status__status%3A%22-1%22&and[]=collection%3A%22pulpmagazinearchive%22&and[]=subject%3A%22Cosmopolitan%22 "Cosmopolitan Magazine"] at [[archive.org]] -->
* [https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/000544108 ''The Cosmopolitan''] at the [[HathiTrust]]
* [https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/000544109 ''Hearst's international combined with Cosmopolitan''] at the [[HathiTrust]]

{{Hearst}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1886 establishments in New York (state)]]
[[Category:Cosmopolitan (magazine)| ]]
[[Category:Fashion magazines published in the United States]]
[[Category:Feminist magazines published in the United States]]
[[Category:Hearst Communications publications]]
[[Category:Literary magazines published in the United States]]
[[Category:Magazines established in 1886]]
[[Category:Magazines published in New York City]]
[[Category:Modern liberal magazines published in the United States]]
[[Category:Monthly magazines published in the United States]]
[[Category:Political magazines published in the United States]]
[[Category:Women's fashion magazines published in the United States]]
[[Category:Women's magazines published in the United States]]
[[Category:Multilingual magazines]]