After watching “The September Issue“, a documentary chronicling Vogue’s 2007 September issue, I started thinking how the culture of celebrity has dominated mainstream women’s magazines. Go to the local bookstore or magazine aisle in the grocery store and you’ll see a common theme: Celebrities on every cover from Good Housekeeping to People. While magazines may be cashing in on celebrity obsession, readers are the ones missing out on better articles focusing on issues that impact our everyday lives.
Lucky Strikes Again
Lucky’s October issue featured a coverstory on Christina Aguilera, and I admit that while I’ve always liked Britney more, I was excited since the blind auditions on “The Voice” are my guilty pleasure. However, as I started the “The Xtina Factor,” by Sarah Miller, I quickly realized that the article would be quite pointless. Miller’s feature on Aguilera basically goes something like this: Miller goes to Christina’s house, feels awkward, meets Aguilera, says she’s nice and then leaves. The most interesting part is an awkward moment where we learn Aguilera has a carpet left over from her failure marriage that reads, “CA & JB” (for ex-husband Jordan Bratman).
It’s not entirely Miller’s fault–it’s hard to get a meaningful story out of a one time meeting with someone who’s not only famous but also very standoffish. We do learn a bit about Christina, but nothing that we didn’t already know from her public persona. That she was controlled by record companies as a young girl and basically wrote “Fighter” as a giant F-U to, well, everyone. Tell me something I haven’t known for almost a decade! We also learned Aguilera likes false eyelashes and Louboutins. Again, really, Lucky? I couldn’t find that out by just looking at her?
Viola Davis and the Glimmer of Hope
InStyle’s October issue featured a one page piece on Viola Davis, which can only be described as a glimmer of hope for what celebrity features can be like. In “Viola’s Vision,” by Amy Wallace, Davis talks openly about getting rid of her wig and showing her natural hair as well as how she wants to help other African American women in Hollywood. In the article Davis proclaims, “I thought to myself, I can never by Christine Brinkley. Why am I trying? Why don’t I just step in Viola?” The only sad part about this piece was that it was only one page long and followed by a three page article on Denise Richards’ house. Cue *head desk*.
We need–no–deserve more of this in magazines. Women, albeit famous women, sharing honestly where they go to where they are and the obstacles they overcame. Not in a cheesy way, but in a way that relatable to all women. Though the piece on Davis is short, it’s a sign things can change.
That being said, the coverstory for the October issue of InStyle was on Gwyneth Paltrow, and if it’s one thing I will never read it’s yet another article on her.
Sorry Magazine Monday is a day late! I usually work on my blog during the weekend, but last weekend I was in New York City to celebrating at my best friend’s bachelorette party!
I used to be addicted to celebrity and fashion magazines and now I’ve gone completely the other way and they give me a rash. I seem to get all my news from social media and blogs!
Laura Connell recently talked about Shop Local: Toronto boutique Pho Pa closing
Do you read any magazines? Curious to know!
Also, what does your daughter read? Is she into Seventeen or Teen Vogue yet?
Thanks for asking, Courtney. I really don’t read magazines anymore. I won’t let my daughter read 17 or Teen Vogue if she expresses interest in them. It’s not only about air brushing which I know 17 has vowed to stop (or says they never used) but the choice of models and the way they are portrayed and made up that is the issue. I’ve become a bit of a warrior against the early sexualization of young girls and I even see the term “tween” as a marketing gimmick that is robbing our girls of their childhood. I’m working on a project about these issues which is why my blog has been a bit lean lately.
Laura Connell recently talked about Shop Local: Toronto boutique Pho Pa closing
I can totally get that! I wish I haven’t read Seventeen because it scared me about A LOT of things. Maybe that’s for another Magazine Monday!
Your daughter is pretty smart already about airbrushing, so I think you’re doing a great job. Just curious–would you let her read a magazine like Bust or maybe something with a more feminist slant?
I’ll keep any eye out for the project! Sounds so helpful to not only moms but all women.
I think my complaint is that I don’t read magazines because I don’t want to read about celebrities. I have absolutely no desire to “humanize” celebrities in order to feel “connected” to them or like they’re relatable. I think the preoccupation on the humanity of celebrities stems from people’s insecurities regarding wealth and [public] fame. “Every day people” want to feel better about themselves, or to try and make celebrities seem just like them.
Ultimately, I think I would like magazines a lot more if they focused on other aspects of life, and rejected celebrity culture entirely. The problem is that consumers want to read about celebs and their day to day life. It’s voyeurism.
I feel a bit cynical replying to this comment because I’ve come to the conclusion that if you want to read fashion magazines, you “have to” read about celebrities. It’s unavoidable.
I think you make a great point that I hadn’t considered–maybe we are so quick to try to make celebrities relatable because they are so rich. Let’s just admit it: Rich celebrities aren’t like us. Yet, it’s a catch 22 because when we go to the movies, we want to be able to relate to them and maybe if we read about them in magazines, we feel that way more easily.
There’s definitely magazines out there that don’t focus on celebrities like Good Magazine, Fast Company, Worn (a little magazine in Canada), Martha Stewart, O. OK, the last two do feature celebrities, but not as prominently. There’s alternatives, unfortunately most of them aren’t fashion or beauty magazines.