Helen Gurley Brown, former long-time editor of Cosmopolitan magazine, claimed that women who live on the edge enjoy long and exciting lives. No one's life is a better example of that philosophy than Brown's own.
In one of the first biographies ever written about Brown, "Bad Girls Go Everywhere," released this month, Gender and Women's Studies Professor Jennifer Scanlon explores the stories, philosophies, and achievements of one of the most controversial and influential women in postwar America.
The title derives from a quote of Brown's: "Good girls go to heaven. Bad girls go everywhere." Perceived as one of the bad girls by many second-wave feminists in the latter half of the 20th century, Brown expanded the horizons of women everywhere with her ideas about what being a woman meant.
"She thought makeup and mini-skirts and heterosexuality were all wonderful and terrific," Scanlon said. "I think a lot of feminists disapproved of her approach to womanhood, so she had enemies among conservatives but she also had enemies among feminists."
Brown, who grew up during the Depression, started her career as a secretary in Los Angeles to support her mother and sister. After working countless secretarial jobs, she landed a job at an advertising agency.
"Her boss let her leave her desk once a year and go write ad copy for Sunkist oranges and then go back to her secretary desk," Scanlon said. "She did that for three years before he let her do that full time."
"That was what it was like for women of her generation. They were considered permanent secretaries," she added. "But she had a lot of gumption and a lot of ambition and she finally became the highest-paid female advertising copywriter on the West Coast."
In 1962, Brown wrote her first book, "Sex and the Single Girl," which encouraged women to enjoy the single life by dating men, pursuing careers, making money, and embracing their beauty. The book and its film adaptation were later part of the inspiration for the hit HBO series "Sex and the City."
"That's what really made her famous," Scanlon said of the book. "She parlayed that into the position of editor at 'Cosmopolitan' in 1965."
Brown was 43 when she became editor of "Cosmopolitan," and held the position for 32 years. At 87, Brown continues to be the editor of all international versions of "Cosmopolitan."
"'Cosmopolitan' is still the best-selling magazine in college bookstores using the formula that she laid out," Scanlon said.
In 'Cosmopolitan,' Brown relentlessly supported work for women, "not just for money, but also for identity," Scanlon said. "She thought that women, whether they were single or married, had to have some identity that belonged to them and she promoted that. She promoted an early version of what we now call self-help. Women needed to take care of themselves, not just men and children."
Scanlon's research specializes in consumer culture and women's magazines, so writing about Brown was a "natural progression" for her.
"I'm interested in the way feminist ideas are transmitted and worked through among women in the mainstream," she said.
While Scanlon admits that magazines like "Cosmopolitan" may send blatant messages about "pleasing your man," an underlying message exists in their pages as well.
"What I argue about 'Cosmo' is similar to what I argue about other mainstream magazines, which is that they have a veneer—that it's all about pleasing your man," she said. "But if you read carefully and you look below the surface, there are elements of empowerment for women in there."
This combination was championed by Brown throughout her career and brought her into contentious relationships with many prominent feminists such as Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem. Her focus on the individual woman as well as her support of fulfilling heterosexual relationships and appreciation for feeling beautiful put her at odds with many feminists of her day, but also helped usher in a third wave of feminism. Commonly known as "lipstick feminism," it continues to thrive today, thanks in large part to Brown's work.
Scanlon wrote most of "Bad Girls Go Everywhere" during her sabbatical in 2006-2007. She did much of her research at Smith College, which collected Brown's papers, including childhood letters, unpublished stories, and original manuscripts for her books.
"This book is less about her as a celebrity and more about her as a person," Scanlon said. "My intention really was to place her in the context of postwar American life because I think she's an important person in that context."
"Bad Girls Go Everywhere" is available now at www.amazon.com and at the Bowdoin Bookstore for $27.95. It will be reviewed by the New York Times on Sunday, May 24.