Can you tell 'Maxim' writers apart from sex offenders?

In a recent study conducted at Middlesex University and the University of Surrey, Psychologists found that when presented with descriptions of women taken from lads’ mags, and comments about women made by convicted rapists, a majority of people who participated could not distinguish the source of the quotes.

According to the new research, men's magazines could be more than just harmless fun, perhaps legitimizing hostile sexist attitudes
 
In conducting the experiment, psychologists presented men between the ages of 18-46 with numerous statements, some which were taken from magazines and others from convicted rapists, giving the men the source of the quotes only in some cases.

Shockingly, men identified more with the comments made by rapists than the quotes made in the men's magazines. However, when some of the quotes were identified as coming from men's magazines, the men identified more with these -- even though, in some cases, the quotes were actually from the rapists.

In a statement, Dr. Horvath had this to say: “We were surprised that participants identified more with the rapists’ quotes, and we are concerned that the legitimization strategies that rapists deploy when they talk about women are more familiar to these young men than we had anticipated.”
 
The researchers also asked a separate group of women and men aged ranging in age from 19-30 to rank the quotes on how derogatory to women they were, and then attempt to identify each quote's source.  Both men and women rated the quotes from popular men's magazines as somewhat more derogatory.
 
Dr. Horvath and Dr. Hegarty argue that lads’ mags could normalize sexism, by making it seem more acceptable when its source is a popular magazine.

Miranda Horvath stated:"A lot of debate around the regulation of lads’ mags has been to do with how they affect children but less has been said about the influence they have on their intended audience of young men and the women with whom those men socialize."

Horvath expressed that men's magazines legitimize sexist attitudes and behaviors and need to take more responsibility in regard to their portrayal of women, both in terms of words and images. They give the perpetuate the message that sexism is acceptable and normal, when in reality sexism should be rejected and challenged. She noted, "Rapists try to justify their actions, suggesting that women lead men on, or want sex even when they say no. There is clearly something wrong when people feel the sort of language used in a lads’ mag could have come from a convicted rapist.”
 
Dr Peter Hegarty, from the University of Surrey’s Psychology Department, added: “There is a fundamental concern that the content of such magazines normalizes the treatment of women as sexual objects. We are not killjoys or prudes who think that there should be no sexual information and media for young people.  But are teenage boys and young men best prepared for fulfilling love and sex when they normalise views about women that are disturbingly close to those mirrored in the language of sexual offenders?”

Hegarty proposed that young men should be given credible sex education and not have to rely on men's magazines as if it were a textbook as they grow up.

Anna van Heeswijk, Campaigns Manager for OBJECT, a human rights campaign group, spoke out in favor of the findings: "When the content of magazines aimed at teenage boys mirrors the attitudes of convicted rapists, alarm bells must ring. If we are serious about wanting an end to discrimination and violence against women and girls, we must tackle the associated attitudes and behaviours. This means tackling the publications which peddle them."

What do you think? Do men's magazines need to tone down their language?