Bust

Product Description

Product Description

BUST is a groundbreaking, independently run women's lifestyle magazine that connects with bright, cutting-edge young women. Fierce, funny, and proud to be female, its revolutionary editorial mix addresses a variety of women's interests, including pop culture, crafting, music, fashion, sex, news and celebrity interviews.

Product Description

BUST is a groundbreaking, independently run women's lifestyle magazine that connects with bright, cutting-edge young women. Fierce, funny, and proud to be female, its revolutionary editorial mix addresses a variety of women's interests, including pop culture, crafting, music, fashion, sex, news and celebrity interviews.

Product Details

• Format: Magazine
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• Publisher: Bust
• ASIN: B00009R5PH
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #354 in Magazines (See Top 100 in Magazines)
  • #1 in Magazines > Lifestyle & Cultures > Women's Interest > Feminist Issues
  • #4 in Magazines > Entertainment > Pop Culture
This magazine subscription is provided by Magazine Express, Inc.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

54 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun, very liberal, not academic, August 3, 2005

By 

S. C. Watson (WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bust (Magazine)

About every four months or so I pick up an issue of Bust. It's not something I'd like to read on a regular basis, as I find any pop culture commentary to be a bit preachy, but this is a fun magazine with a sense of humor (Praise be!). Every issue features an interesting interview: Amy Sedaris, Tina Fey, etc. Nothing is overly examined; if you want a really thought provoking magazine, I'd subscribe to Ms., but I like Bust's writing because it is accessable and less angry and frustrated than Bitch--a comparable magazine. It also has a terrific column by writer Ayun Halliday (No Touch Monkey and East Village Inky), which usually cracks me up. In addition, you can usually find liberal join-up type articles as well as personal essays. Babes in Toyland is one of Bust's larger sponsors, so there are lots of articles on pleasuring yourself, vibrators, and getting in touch with your inner-inner woman. I think in terms of tone that Bust lies somewhere between Jane and Budget Living (sounds crazy, but it's true), with the obvious feminist bent. I really appreciate that it's not anti-male, too.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Feminist Lite & Fun Fashion, September 29, 2006

By 

Avery (New York City, New York United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bust (Magazine)

I'm really upset at all the negative reviews of BUST here. Bust magazine isn't claiming itself to be your feminist go-to source, it's a magazine for girls who like magazines. Personally, I love bust because I can look at fashion and trends & new designers without being bombarded by articles like "HOW TO MAKE HIM GROAN". If i wanted intense feminist essays I'd go read bitch magazine, but if you just want a fun magazine with cool fashion & a girl positive vibe, BUST is for you.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lighthearted & fun feminist mag, April 9, 2009

By 

M. Mills "inquisitive designer" (East Coast, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bust (Magazine)

Bust is an entertaining, highly readable magazine aimed at 20- and 30-something women who unashamedly self-identify as feminists. It reflects a heavy influence of NYC/Brooklyn and the indie scene. The journalism is not terribly political or hard-hitting, but I don't think it intends to be. Bust does occasionally discuss things like comprehensive sex ed, breastfeeding in public, and misogynistic commercial ads; however, for the most part, the content is on the lighthearted side. I have subscribed for almost a year, although I've read it intermittently off newsstands since 2005, and overall, I really enjoy reading it.

The great thing about Bust is that it has substance and is fun to read. There are never articles like "How to Look Thinner," "Choose the Right Anti-Aging Surgical Procedure," and other inane, self-hate-inducing garbage typically found in mainstream women's mags. By contrast, Bust has articles on female stand-up comedians, women who travel the world volunteering, and how to choose the right vibrator or electric guitar. (These are also great examples of how Bust has a more lighthearted tone than Ms. or [...].) [MM edit: Thanks a lot, Amazon, for editing out the word B**ch right there -- it's the name of a feminist magazine, not a derogatory term. Just shows you how far we still have to come.]

Bust's regular features include:

* Feminist interest columns -- Pop Tart, a tongue-in-cheek take on current pop culture; Museum of Femoribilia, with articles on women's cultural objects (swimsuit bra cups, restrictive petticoats, girls' toys, etc.) from the 1920s on and the feminist issues raised by them; and Mother Superior, by Ayun Halliday, who writes self-effacingly and hilariously about her kids' antics

* DIY projects -- Make your own queen-size headboard, reusable tote bags, mod-themed tea towels, pillbox hat, subversive cross-stitch art, etc.

* Recipes -- Chinese wontons, gingersnaps, tsimmes, mozzarella cheese (yes, how to curdle cheese), how to throw an eco-friendly Thanksgiving feast

* Boy du Jour -- A short interview with a hot, progressive, not-so-mainstream dude

* Fashion features -- Trend spotting; up-and-coming independent designers; a multi-page fashion spread illustrating a current trend (steampunk, outdoorsy hippie, cowgirl, 80s rock-chic)

* Interviews with 1-2 progressive celebrities

* Travel -- Articles on domestic and international destinations, with suggestions on restaurants, worthy hole-in-the-wall shops, things to do and see

* Sex -- Reader Q&A with Betty Dodson and, more recently, Carlin Ross (this can get graphic at times, but it's info we were all wondering anyway); Sex Files, a column discussing general women's health topics; the "One-Handed Read," stories similar to those in other popular women's mags (i.e., porn for women)

* Reviews of 1) not-so-mainstream beauty products, 2) recent indie music, 3) books written by or about women, and 4) recent indie movies produced/directed/written by or about women

* Comic strip detailing the trialz & tribz of a high school sophomore in the 1980s (by Esther Pearl Watson) and a feminist-themed crossword puzzle at the end -- I luuurve the comic strip and the crossword!

Bust is really big on indie musicians, especially those with a progressive bent, male or female. There is always at least one feature on a musician in each issue.

It's also important to note that Bust is not misandronistic in any way; in fact, they're very open about appreciating, crushing on, and having relations with men.

However, here's my one gripe: Bust has a somewhat "exclusive" vibe. Don't get me wrong -- they're not out there bashing people who don't subscribe to their indie ethos; they're just not inclusive of a wide audience. I agree with a previous reviewer about the general lack of inclusion of women of color (and I am white). There are, of course, some exceptions to this -- like the features on Eve, Rosario Dawson, Margaret Cho, Charlyne Yi, Sandrah Oh, and Rosie Perez, for example. But these features may be too few and far-between for women of color to feel truly championed. The bottom line is that Bust just aims for a very specific audience, which happens to be white, straight, crafty, indie/hipster feminists in their 20s and 30s. For some people, this may feel alienating. I occasionally feel like I'm not "hipster enough" for Bust, even though I'm pretty sure I fit into their intended demographic. ;)

Despite this, I continue to read Bust because I enjoy the positive media outlet it provides, especially compared to the likes of Glamour, Vogue, Cosmo -- which make ALL women feel like crap, regardless of heritage, size, and interests. Personally, I get enough positive value out of Bust as a whole to let the occasional self-doubt slide.

Overall, Bust is an enjoyable, lighthearted, pro-woman magazine. I'd suggest you check it out at Borders or B&N before subscribing, just to get an idea of its readability and look/feel. Recommended!