Joanna Coles Defends Emily Ratajkowski's Cosmo Cover

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National Public Radio reporter Rachel Martin recently interviewed Cosmopolitan EIC Joanna Coles about the magazine's new direction since Coles has been in charge, something that she hasn't been shy about elaborating on in the past. But this time, the interviewer focused on finding the correlation between November cover girl Emily Ratajkowski's boob display and inside stories on political coverage and female career advice.

In the interview, Martin had Coles read Cosmo's cover lines and asked her to explain how Ratajkowski's images fit with Sheryl Sandberg's advice on how to ask for a raise at work.

Rachel Martin: "There's also a headline on here that's different than the others. Can you read this?"

Joanna Coles: "Well, this says 'Cosmo Careers: You Deserve a Raise! Exactly What to Say to Get It.' Sheryl Sandberg, the COO of Facebook, is our careers editor and this is a 16-page section explaining the wage gap and explaining how to negotiate a raise."

RM: "But I do have to say, this woman who is half naked on your magazine does not look like she's about to go negotiate for a raise."

JC: "Well, I don't think anyone would suggest that you negotiate for a raise with your shirt undone to your waist but I think that she is being very handsomely paid for Gone Girl."

RM: "You don't see a contradiction though, in those two ideas that you can be this woman who is on the cover and be the young woman who is trying to negotiate a higher salary for herself?"

JC: "Well, I think that women's lives are multi-layered. I have no problem understanding that women are interested in mascara and the Middle East. Men are allowed to talk about sports relentlessly and yet we still take them seriously. I don't understand why women can't talk about fashion or sex or love or wanting more money and not be taken as seriously as men."

And that's how you eloquently defend Emily Ratajkowski's boobs to NPR.

· Editor Retools Magazine With Politically Active 'Cosmo' Woman In Mind [NPR]
· Seventeen EIC Out, Joanna Coles In as Mag's Editorial Director [Racked]
· How Joanna Coles Got People To Take Cosmo Seriously [Racked]