‘So Cosmo’ Glamorizes the Grind Behind ‘Cosmopolitan’ Magazine

So Cosmo, the new eight-part E! reality series premiering tonight, begins with Cosmopolitan editor-in-chief Joanna Coles spinning into frame on an Egg Chair, holding aloft the cocktail sharing her magazine’s name. The spinning chair is replaced by stomping feet—down catwalks, up avenues—intercut with a rapid succession of newsstand covers and careening shots of the Manhattan skyline, a kickoff worthy of America’s Next Top Model or Project Runway (Coles has guest-judged on the latter many times).

Amidst much workplace selfie-taking by Cosmopolitan staffers, the montage also features one women taking a bubble bath, another turning on a vibrator in public, and a third whose last name is Kardashian. Despite these distractions, know that Coles, a 54-year-old Brit, is the show’s matriarch/glamazon/best character by far (full disclosure: I’ve freelanced for Cosmopolitan, and Coles once told me that she entrusts a retired Russian military man—who used to chart the course for cruise missiles—to drive her to each Fashion Week engagement). A no-nonsense boss, she is tough, respected and less feared than her Vogue counterpart, Anna Wintour (who served as the inspiration for Meryl Streep’s Miranda Priestley character in The Devil Wears Prada). A working mother and mentor, she’s instilled loyalty in her employees-turned-co-stars. Without Coles, So Cosmo would certainly not exist (she’s an executive producer).

Five minutes in, though, our editrix teases a big announcement, one that those in the magazine industry heard in September. You can find it in three seconds online (unless you’d rather let the suspense build through 35 more minutes of footage, plus commercials): Coles is leaving Cosmo, “the biggest female media brand in the world” boasting three million subscribers, 64 international editions, and an immense social media presence (Coles is the only woman—and, according to Fortune, the least paid person—on Snapchat’s nine-member board of directors). Cosmopolitan‘s parent company created a new position for her, meaning she’ll continue to work from the 46-story mirrored Chinese finger trap that is Hearst Tower—and appear in future episodes.

Still, this reveal compels viewers to take a second look at the Cosmopolitan employees who round out the ensemble. Besides Coles, her protégé, brand coordinator Diandra Barnwell, gets the most screen time. Barnwell is a young, driven New Mexican, enviably able to make crop tops appropriate for any situation. But having Coles’s ear earns her some shade from bookings director Steve Brown, who claims, “It was easier for her to get where she is than a lot of other editors.” In the debut, the plot mostly centers around choosing between two male prospective fitness contributors. Each candidate teaches a workout to his would-be colleagues, and Barnwell goes on a date with the second one, Evan Betts. Back at the office, those who attended the workouts all want to hire Betts, except Barnwell (who wants to avoid a potential interoffice relationship), which flummoxes the others. Coles eventually gives Barnwell a moderate upbraiding for operating in the worst interests of the magazine by voting for the less suited contender. Yet confusingly, Barnwell, a junior employee, is tasked with notifying Betts that he’s hired.

So Cosmo functions largely as a promotional video for the magazine, and vice versa. Orange Is The New Black‘s Ruby Rose graces the March cover in the high point for episode one (said cover not only advertises the show on the front but also with accordion folds). Coles speaks of Cosmopolitan in sparkling superlatives, and it’s a stretch when she boasts, “If you buy a new outfit, it’s because Cosmo saw it first in either Paris or Milan.” Non-readers who watch the show might gather that the publication is fairly shallow. At an editorial meeting, executive beauty director Leah Wyar Romito discusses an upcoming article titled “Tips and Sips,” a pairing of manicures and matching cocktails (I gleaned that the piece was proposed solely for the appealing visuals; I’d hate to think that with all the challenges modern women face, we’re also being advised to make sure our fingers look elongated by ordering specific drinks, which we must not spill when spinning in our chairs).

Yet in reality, Cosmopolitan—one of the oldest magazines in the country, established in 1886—has remained important because it consistently adapts to address women’s concerns. Under the leadership of Helen Gurley Brown in the 1960s, it deviated from contemporaries to become a sex-positive, must-read for women with careers. In recent years, Cosmopolitan has kept up its trailblazing; Coles accepted her publication’s first National Magazine Award (the industry’s highest honor), in 2014 for a piece of service journalism called, “How Not to Get Pregnant: The Cosmo Guide to Contraception,”  and soon after fostered inclusivity with the illustrated feature, “28 Mind-Blowing Lesbian Sex Positions,” appealing to a group of women who’ve long been overlooked by the mainstream media. This September, President Trump’s daughter Ivanka, a constant presence in his campaign, suspended a call with Cosmopolitan.com after senior writer Prachi Gupta pressed Trump on why her father’s child care and maternity plan made no reference to paternity leave; Gupta was lauded on social media for carrying out an investigative interview instead of placating the future First Daughter with niceties.

My hope is that So Cosmo will clue watchers into its history of advocacy instead of just providing excuses for workplace eyerolls against the more-banal-than-you’d-guess backdrop of a magazine, as seen in comedies ranging from Just Shoot Me to How To Lose a Guy In 10 Days. A preview for episode two introduced Coles’s replacement, former Cosmopolitan executive editor Michelle Promaulayko. At a dinner, Promaulayko attempts to reassure her subordinates thusly: “I’m going to get to know all of you, and what you do, before heads roll.” Based on my experience working for magazines, it’s hard to believe any manager actually talks like this to her colleagues, even in a candid setting. It’s fine that Cosmopolitan wants to use its show to, well, put on a show. But it’d be great to supplement the cheeky jokes, soapy tangents and eye candy with some real issues (as the magazine and website do). Coles’s departure presents such a possibility—a boss’s seemingly trivial move up the professional ladder, a constant occurrence in publishing, can be consequential for their employees (and their families).

So Cosmo premieres tonight at 8 on E!.

Watch So Cosmo on the E! Now App