Friday, August 20, 2010

Magazines

Shauna was writing about reading material over on her blog, and I said something to this effect in the comment section, but I wanted to talk about it here too.

I think I'm between magazines.

When I was in high school I like Cosmo. I thought it was fun and interesting. On occasion I would pick up Glamour and flip through it, but I always found it boring and tedious. Cosmo seemed, though in retrospect this sounds impossible, more relevant to me? Not in that at age 16 I was in desperate need of tips on how to give the blow job of my guy's life or whatever, but it just seemed more interesting and young.

At some point, I think when I was in college, I started to find Cosmo boring. I noticed that it was really unfeminist and horrifyingly man-centered, and that the content of the magazine was pretty much exactly the same from month to month, only with different headlines.

So then, at some point in my early 20s, I looked at Glamour again. And I liked it. It's pro-woman in a very mainstream, limited kind of way, and it has articles about things other than just sex and fashion, and a lot of it was interesting. So I subscribed, and I still subscribe.

But I've noticed over the last few months that I'm just not that interested in it anymore. I flip through the magazine very quickly and skip half the articles. Their attempts at exposes and hard news pieces don't really matter to me because I get that kind of info in much better form from sources like the New York Times. I feel informed about the harder stuff they cover, from news to health, and less interested in the softer stuff, like relationship advice and fashion tips.

Part of it probably has to do with the fact that we have no money--things like a "steal" of a dress at $55 aren't relevant to me at the moment since I will not be spending anywhere near $55 on any article of clothing at any point in the near future--but part of it is just that my interests have diverged with its subject matter.

There are other magazines that I enjoy off and on, like Bitch and Bust, but what I really want is a fluffy, shiny magazine that's a quick, easy read (not quite on People level as I am not interested enough in celebrities for that to matter) but that is still relevant to my life. Glamour seems like the last frontier of that in terms of fashion magazines--or am I wrong? Is there another that I might still like at this point in my life?--but what other magazines would be a good replacement?

So basically my point here is, what magazines do YOU read, and why? And should I be reading them too?

43 comments:

  1. I worked in a library while I was pregnant and so I had access to tons of magazines. The two I read the most were Real Simple, which is like crack for nesting preggos, and Oprah, which is just kind of nice, cheesy, fluff. I think they are both sort of ageless, once you get to a point where you can get excited about innovative ways to use clothespins in your kitchen.

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  2. I read InStyle and Real Simple for fluff. Time for substance.

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  3. I think all the good magazines end up closing. I really liked Rosie O'Donnell's magazine (nice mix of issues, fun, and fiction), and Jane (which used to be called Sassy), but both shut down. Now I read People magazine, but I'm paging through it way more quickly now that I'm in my mid-thirties and don't know a lot of the celebrities. I still like it, though.

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  4. I loved all the magazines Swistle mentioned, too, and I agree that the good ones often shut down. Boo!

    However, it seems like the obvious answer is to get familiar with the parenting-type magazines. Much of those articles will be very relevant to you now... I like Parenting better than Parents, I love Mothering Magazine when I want to get my hippy on, and Family Fun is great once your child is "project age". BTW, I don't subscribe to these, but our library has bins where patrons can drop off magazines they are through with and other patrons can take these magazines for free. It's an awesome system, as all of the ones I take I can return to the bins when I'm done... recycling at it's best! :)

    (A word about parenting mags: they will try to convince you with photo upon lovely photo that there is SO MUCH BABY GEAR that you neeeeeeeed. Man, the marketing to new and expectant moms is insane!)

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  5. My 3 magazine subscriptions (which I get for free with Coke Rewards Points!)? Glamour, Better Homes and Gardens, and Good Housekeeping. I actually made a comment to someone recently that I went from reading Seventeen to Cosmo/Glamour and now I'm transitioning into Good Housekeeping.

    So I figure the AARP mag will be next...

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  6. I used to get Glamour, Lucky and In Style. Now I get Family Circle, Redbook and Parents. All pretty light and fluffy. People is my treat magazine.

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  7. I know what you mean. I feel like all the magazines I read lately are about home stuff or cooking (like Real Simple or Cooking Light). I get Redbook and Self which aren't quite as fashion-y as Cosmo and Glamour but still have some of that stuff.

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  8. My fluffy subscriptions are US and Entertainment Weekly. But I like movies and celebrities better than fashion or nesting. (The best magazine for parents (don't tell Parenting) is Brain, Child.)

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  9. I read Chatalaine, but I'm pretty sure it's a Canadian women's magazine. It's great! :)

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  10. I read Oprah for a good mix of real stuff and fluff. Since I became a mom I've been enjoying parenting magazines since they are mostly geared to women and have some non parenting articles in them too - Mothering magazine is the only one I subscribe to now

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  11. Showing my age and/or unworldliness, but I have never heard of "Bitch" or "Bust" (or "Bitch and Bust" if it's one magazine). And now to show my nerdiness, I really like "Mental Floss".

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  12. Oh, I also like "Cooking Light" and when I feel the need to know what's going on world-wise, "The Economist".

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  13. I used to get Bon Appetite and Food and Wine. I would love to subscribe to those again, but the clutter/cost factor keeps me from signing up.

    I subscribed to Wine Spectator for a year and LOVED it. Then I became a poor grad student and that magazine just depressed me, as did Food and Wine.

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  14. Oh, and I used to read The Nation and Mother Jones. Loved both of them. But, I am cutting out all political mags, blogs, newswires. It is making me bitter and cynical.

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  15. Oh, still read the Economist, though. I don't subscribe, just read it a week late at the library.

    Jeez. I should be my act together before I comment!

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  16. Southern Living and All You ... All You has tons of coupons and recipes and is great. If you don't subscribe then the only place you can get it is Wal-Mart.

    I love Southern Living. .. born in SC, live in Texas. It's great for decor and travel and interesting tips and recipes. It's my heart ! :)

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  17. We get Entertainment Weekly, Newsweek, Cooking Light, Cooks Illustrated, Bon Appetit and National Geographic. I love reading EW on my commute and it's nice to keep up on movies/books/music/tv/etc. The food-related mags are mostly for CP. I love Nat Geo. They always have amazing pictures and really interesting stories.

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  18. I second the parenting magazine recommendations--they're PERFECT for new parents (well, new moms. They're really for new moms. And you do have to remember that the "you need to buy THIS" stuff is just advertising crap). I enjoy Mothering the most, even though it evidently believes that natural birth and on-demand breastfeeding are the only right and natural things to do--which is great and affirming if you can, and probably bitter-making if you can't. And Brain,Child is FANTASTIC but a lot of reading.

    I also love 5280, which is Denver's magazine and has a good mix of eye candy and interesting articles about the Denver/ Colorado region. I also, perhaps embarassingly, like Sunset magazine--I am a total sucker for garden design articles, esp. before and after ones. Also, it has articles about fun regional vacations.

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  19. Self magazine.

    It's in the same family as Cosmo/Glamour/Allure (that is, they all have stuff like fashion, sex, makeup, fitness, healthy eating, and then with a couple legit articles thrown in). But where Cosmo is sex-heavy; Glamour is fashion-heavy; and Allure is makeup-heavy; Self is fitness/healthy living-heavy. But it isn't quite as extreme as Women's Health (which I found to be the same every. single. month.).

    Real Simple is also fun if you're looking for less "typical" women's magazine topics and more crafty/home-y stuff.

    (And just to redeem my intelligence level, I do read the New Yorker every week, too. Although I'm not sure I'd recommend it, since I find myself in an obsessive relationship with it where I have to read or I feel bad, even though it's sometimes tedious to find a few extra hours in the week.)

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  20. I have on subscription to a magazine and that's Real Simple. The others I just pick up here or there if I see something interesting on the cover. I tend to pick up the Seattle Magazine because it's ripe with local tips. Sometimes I get a Bitch or Bust. That's it unless I am traveling or at the beauty salon when I gorge on celeb gossip and fashion rags.

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  21. I just wrote a post about all my magazine subscriptions because they are pretty much out of control! I think I have maybe 14 or something? I don't know, it's a problem. For me, as I've gotten older and more established, moved into a house I'm trying to make a home, have turned into more of a homebody and less of a night owl I want to read less about what clothing and makeup I should be wearing and more about how to organize my home, great books to read, ways to improve myself personally, etc. The mags that scratch that itch for me especially are Real Simple, Oprah, Whole Living, and a smattering of cooking magazines because I love the pretty pictures and heck, dinner has to get on the table so why not get a little inspiration!

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  22. I used to love Jane magazine, but it went bust a few years ago. Now I read Marie Claire and Oprah. Both are good with the fluffy make-up and fashion tips, but also have in depth articles as well.

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  23. Here in Aussie we get 'better homes and gardens' which is great. It's a mix of house decorating, gardening, DIY, recipes etc... Do you have something similar there?

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  24. O is my favorite magazine...I don't think it's fluffy at all. (OK, maybe a little). There are some phenomenal writers in there!

    I also love Whole Living, Yoga Journal and Budget Travel. I also get Martha Stewart and 5280.

    I love magazines!!

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  25. I agree with you about Cosmo; I find that I've outgrown them over the last year. Bad news is I have another 2 years on my subscription...boo. If anything I read it now for the makeup/skin care/etc tips than anything else.

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  26. I'm going to out myself and admit that I absolutely love Everyday with Rachael Ray. Lots of recipes and great entertaining ideas. I like cooking magazines of all kinds, actually, but have stopped subscribing because all the recipes are available online. The magazines I still subscribe to are Real Simple, Family Fun, Better Homes and Gardens, and Family Circle.

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  27. Just skimmed through all the comments and there are SO MANY choices! No wonder magazines go bust!

    I feel like almost all non-news magazines are cyclical in nature. I used to get Real Simple and Runners World and loved both of them for years. But, then found they were just rehasing the same stuff and grew tired of them.

    These days, the only subscriptions I get are The New Yorker and Atlantic Monthly (love The New Yorker, though it's a lot of reading and absolutely love the Atlantic), but I wouldn't classify either in the light and fluffy category, so it might not be what you're looking for.

    BTW, I never was a fan of Cosmo or Glamour, so maybe I'm not the best person to poll for your survey anyway. =)

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  28. I like Real Simple but I'm not sure if that's the kind of mag you're looking for or not. I do enjoy it though. :)

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  29. I like Marie Claire for fashion/woman stuff, Rachael Ray for recipes, and Entertainment Weekly for review of books, movies, tv, etc.

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  30. I always like the idea of magazines, but then when I get them I end up flipping through them without really paying much attention to them and then forgetting about them completely.

    I think they are glossy and pretty, but I never really connect to them or bother with them enough to subscribe to any.

    I figure I might get more into them again once I am at the stage of reading the parenting magazines, so maybe those are the ones you'll be reading next.

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  31. I actually don't read magazines. I find them kind of wasteful, actually.. I tend to flick through them and toss out - waste of paper, and not valuable enough to keep. I'd rather read articles online these days & spend the money elsewhere, like on a book I'm fairly sure I'll re-read!

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  32. I used to read Marie Claire, but it has really gone downhill in content, had become much more focused on ridiculous and expensive fashion.

    We get Oprah, Real Simple and Sunset, Bust, National Geo, The New Yorker and Afar. Most are paid for via airline miles. I guess I have turned into my mother or something!

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  33. I love my House Beautiful magazines and I really enjoy Living.

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  34. My go-to mags are Real Simple and Self for fluff. Glamour's okay for plane trips, but I don't buy it regularly or subscribe.

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  35. My favorite is New York Magazine.... a lot of the magazine is related to NYC but not all. Plus, you can get most of the content on their website anyway.

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  36. I very rarely read magazines. I occasionally buy a Real Simple for the recipes, and I do enjoy flipping through InStyle from time to time. I got subscriptions to both this past year because they were $5 on Amazon, and I barely opened most of the magazines. They just piled up in my house.

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  37. Real Simple and Fresh Home. I shifted from the Cosmo/Glamour to house stuff when we bought the casa. I also get Nat Geo and Food&Wine. I use Maghound, which is AMAZING - I pay $6 a month for 3 mags, and can switch it up whenever I want to. So when Food&Wine starts making me feel too poor and uncultured, I can switch to People :)

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  38. *sigh* this post totally reminds me how much I miss Sassy and Jane!

    I haven't been reading magazines much because we can't afford them right now, but ones I had been enjoying were Body + Soul (I think that's what it was called...may be called Whole Living or some such now), Paste (music & arts), and Bark. Along with the occasional perusal of Bitch, Bust, Curve for my lesbian pop culture fluff, Budget Travel. Yeah, I guess I tend to have a slight problem in the magazine department!

    Years ago my mom was a co-owner of a hair salon & when they decided to shut down the salon the mail was forwarded to our house. For years magazines would arrive in the mail addressed to my mom's former hair salon, which thrilled me to no end as a teenager. And led to an expensive magazine addiction later on!

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  39. Cosmo lost me when they had tips on how to attract a man and they said, "Wear a short skirt and bend over in front of him." Seriously? First off, EW. And second - is that really a tip? I think that's pretty much inherent knowledge.

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  40. I don't know if it fits the bill, but the only non-parenting magazine I get is Mental Floss and I love it - was a gift for my last birthday and I'll let Matt know I'd like it again this year. Fun, quirky, kind of geeky and fluffy at the same time. You can get a feel for the magazine on their website.

    I also prefer Parenting to Parents, although I think my subscription is up and I probably won't renew. I get Family Fun as well (the substitute for the two years of Wondertime I had left when that folded.). They are okay, but too often I think something is a good idea and never actually do it myself...

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  41. Marie Claire has that mix of fluff and actually really important stuff. EXPENSIVE clothes though

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  42. I'm in the midst of a self-imposed spending freeze and yet I still love InStyle and Lucky. Then again, I'm a bit (mainstream) fashion obsessed.

    The New Yorker is always a great read, but I procure old issues from folks at work.

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  43. Just wanted to echo the others who suggested Brain, Child. It was a great magazine (longer articles, but more...'meaty' than any other parenting magazine I've seen), but we were moving at the time and international subscription rates are always too much. If you check their website, you might be able to get a couple trial issues free.
    As parenting magazines go, the worst one I've come across is Cookie. Unless of course you enjoy a magazine that makes you feel like a bad mother for NOT splurging on kids pajamas for the bargain basement price of $115. *eye roll*

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