Maxim (1-year)

Part of the humor comes from how dumbed-down some of the information is, just to make sure men everywhere can understand what the editors are trying to say (and they flat-out tell you, "Hey, we dumbed this down so you'd get the point, stupid!"). Anything real in the way of education or enlightenment comes sprinkled with jokes, and photos of scantily clad beauties to ensure capturing the attention of the male reader.

Besides humor, articles talk about exercise, fashion, electronics, cars, and sex.

A men's magazine for the over-18 age group, one can expect spicy pictures, a few naughty words, and other adult-slanted humor and commentary throughout. Probably not recommended for the conservative crowd.


I swear I read it for the articles.   January 13, 2002
36 out of 52 found this review helpful

I'm an 18 year old girl at college and my roommate bought me for Christmas a subscription to Maxim because I like it so much. Sure, it can seem degrading, but it really is all in jest. This magazine is full of interesting articles, funny jokes, fair and educated reviews, and useful/useless trivia. You can easily read it from cover to cover and stay amused the entire time. Sure, there are some scantily-clad women in it, but even as a straight female I can appreciate a beautiful woman's body. Maxim doesn't mind mixing seriousness with fun, which is something that women's magazines have yet to discover. People say that Cosmo is essentially the women's equivalent of Maxim, but it's humor level is nowhere near that of Maxim. It prints funny jokes, hilarious Beat-This-Captions (my favorite feature), and isn't afraid to superimpose a beanie atop President Bush's head. It goes where truly no magazine has before; it's fascinating. Until another magazine can have such a fun-loving, yet level-headed perspective on the world, Maxim will definitely be my favorite.


Fun, irreverent, informative magazine for guys and gals alike   January 2, 2006
Jessica Lux (Rosamond, CA)
5 out of 10 found this review helpful

I've been a female Maxim subsriber since I discovered it at my boyfriend's house 5 years ago. This magazine is far superior to the recycled, pandering crap offered in women's magazines like Cosmopolitian. In Maxim, there are of course the requisite (and good) sex tips, but you also get excellent jokes, taste testing and product comparisons, thrilling and exhaustive true crime features, war and international stories, collected weird stories from around the world, and important "how-to's" on subjects like scamming free cable, getting comped in casinos, playing poker, and impressing your friends in other ways.

As a skin rag, Maxim does a decent job of presenting women in sexy but tasteful photographs. It's been fun to see TV stars like Laura Prepon looking stunning and nothing like their TV characters on the pages of Maxim magazine. I swear I read it for the articles, though!


Purely for men - witty and pretty   November 1, 2001
Eric James Cooper (Highlands Ranch, CO USA)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

Maxim is not so overt like the "other" men's magazines. Actually, there is much more to this magazine than meets the eye. The articles really are very good, for the most part. It is especialy for men - as the articles only cover things that men would find interesting. Examples are stories of the Mafia and how to Kick a Field Goal. So, once you look at the cover girl spread - which is always very tastefully done - you actually have a reason to READ the artcles inside. Highly recommended and you won't get into arguments with the wife over this one...that much.


Is Maxim worth the time?   November 15, 2001
Brent P Cole (Florida, USA)
24 out of 27 found this review helpful

I honestly can't find a better magazine for men. Maxim takes into account the third-grade like attention span of most men, and combines it with the imaturity of what seems to be an all-men publishing force. While it may seem Maxim is marketed to the single man, I've found that most girlfriends and wives enjoy this magazine as well. The pictorials are decent enough not to embarass you on and airplane, and the articles contain enough substance to make you laugh, and intrigue you. In reality, if your life consists of middle-management, beer, and an interest in the pursuit of meaningless information, this magazine is for you!