Reviews For Maxim Magazine

Remember that guy in high school who was really good looking and slick and all the pretty girls wanted to go out with him, even the teachers? Maxim is like his geeky younger brother.

Oh, it wants to be cool. It really really tries. After all, it's got the right DNA to be popular: pretty half-naked girls, EXTREEEME (grr!) sports, and lots of smarmy advice on what women want. But underneath it all, "Max" is just an insecure kid, desperate to impress his older brother's friends. And it shows.

First, the women. Sure, they're all half-naked, but I suspect it's more out of pity than desire. Max tries to lure you in with sexy, coy remarks made by these sirens ("It's all about getting it wet...") that, when read in context, turn out to be just boring old conversation ("...before you lather, rinse, and repeat."). These interviews are the literary equivalent of that scene in "Sixteen Candles" when Anthony Michael Hall dances in front of an apathetic Molly Ringwald. You can't help but feel sorry for the guy.

And the articles, too, are more Beavis and Butthead than Hugh Hefner. For all its macho posturing and pseudo-sleazy asides, Max just can't seem to hit the right note. You can almost hear the writers giggling at their own "dirtiness" (heh heh.. you said "boobies"). As a girl, I feel bad that I don't find them more offensive, because I know it's trying just so hard.

That being said, some of it's articles are pretty cool. The survival guide was great, and a recent gag about Maxim's presidential candidate was priceless (on foreign policy: "Umm.. I don't like Quebec."). When it relaxes and stops trying to buddy up to big brothers "Playboy" or Howard Stern, Maxim has its own sweet charm. Maybe if they stopped trying so hard to be the popular kid, and focused more on being the subversive class clown, they'd get a bit more action.


Recommended:
Yes

I totally agree with Matthieu. Maxim has become a bland, uninspiring, conforming magazine with issues that read like each other. I recently picked up a copy at newstand and after 5 minutes I threw it away.

Certainly, this magazing will not make you smarter, but every once in a while there is a piece with some wit. However, if you are like most subscribers, and come looking for pictures, you may be disappointed, so be prepared to read to find some value here. Finding something to read here isn't exactly easy, by the way. Most of the magazine is comprised of ads. On the other hand, it's these ads that make this magazine so cheap. And, if you have to move anytime soon, you can use the pages as packing material for your dishes, etc.

When it first came out, I had a subscription to Maxim Magazine for about 4 years. I enjoyed the college type humor. I could never figure out why they show partially naked babes, but NEVER any of the good stuff. They even seemed to photoshop out any sign of a nipple. Always. So I dropped my subscription. Recently I tried Maxim again. They had offered me a really low rate for it. Well, I wasted my money. They have only gotten worse. Maxim has become a very low quality, farce. I would never buy it again.

i have been a maxim subscriber since the 90's, and i can say that i am very disappointed with what has happened to this magazine over the last year or so.

I now get a smaller magazine, by 25-30 pages, and there are these obnoxious ads that are cardboard that the magazine always opens to! there is of course the option of ripping these out, but of course you destroy each issue. there used to be only about 2-3 a month, but now its regularly 4 in each issue.

I subscribed to this magazine for over a year. At first it is was cool and fun, but then after a while I got tired with it. I realized that the articles and features are just stupid and useless. The women are hot and the pics are nice but that's the only good thing about it. I think this mag is pointless. I recommend Playboy, a more mature men's magazine.

I bought a two year subscription to Maxim, and it just ran out. I won't renew. The magazine does have pictures of some beautiful women, but that's not enough to recommend it. The interviews are some of the most insipid I have ever read. They tell you nothing about the subject of the interview, but only about the interviewer himself. The snarky humor throughout the magazine just makes me want to beat my head against a wall. It is tremendously stupid. It reminds me of listening to young teenagers talk. It's just absolute nonsense. I hear my brain cells dying when I read this magazine. The snippets of information throughout the magazine are geared towards the ADHD set, who can't stay focused on one subject for more than 30 seconds. Don't expect any depth or details on any subject, and the things they choose to write about are "retarded". In short, Maxim is toxic bubblegum for the brain. It's like MacDonald's food. There's just no reason to consume it.

I only bought the magazine because i got it from [...] for 5 bucks a year.It is sooo bad,same old same old every issue.
I wonder if Stuff and FHM magazine lost its quality also? I won't renew either...

I do not like the new maxium book. They are using paper that seems recycled and looks cheap. It seems like maxium is trying to cut cost with the cheaper paper and I definetly will not renew my subscription unless they change their book and go back to the old version!

I cannot review this magazine personally as I purchased this subscription for a friend who's inside, so I am sure if he was reviewing this magazine it would get top marks. I am sure he will enjoy the half naked woman..................