In Print, Out of Fashion?

Last year at this time I subscribed to ten magazines:

Vogue
Allure
Elle
Harper's
Harper's Bazaar
Self
Glamour
W
Marie Claire
Lucky

As of this post, I only subscribe to three:

Elle
Glamour
Marie Claire

I have been cutting out the excess and the unnecessary in many areas of my life this year. I guess for a time I was getting something I needed out of having that many subscriptions: The fun of having pretty, glossy pages in my mailbox practically every time I opened it. Lots of material to work with (I make collages). Lots of opinions and instructions and advice.

It's that last one that drove me to discontinue most of them. The tips and quips and "how to" features really started irritating me. I realized that I was willingly absorbing the beauty/relationship/career ideals presented in the magazines, even though a lot of them chafed. I took the hair and makeup tutorials and product pushing much too seriously.

On one hand, it's too bad that the good writing, interesting concepts, fascinating personalities, and sometimes-inspiring photography are all underwritten by companies selling products we don't need. I can't even tell you how many stupid jars of lotion and eyeshadow I've bought based on an "editorial review" in a magazine. I even bought a god-damn eyelash curler because of some quote from a celebrity makeup artist attesting that curling your eyelashes was THE ONE AMAZING THING THAT WILL CHANGE YOUR EYES AND YOUR LIFE. Bitch, please. My eyelashes could not possibly be improved upon. What was I thinking?

When I was visiting my parents for Thanksgiving I made some comment about how cable TV shouldn't cost money since you have to sit through advertisements anyway. I thought you should either pay for content and not have commercials, or get all the channels with commercials but not have to pay money to "subscribe" to them. My brother, in his charming Wisconsin drawl, pointed out that television programs would be unaffordable without commercial sponsorship.

That's very true. Maybe television should be unaffordable/unavailable to the masses...but I digress.

The point is, it's the same thing with magazines. I want some of the content, and I certainly want the pages with images printed on them for my collage work. Instead of blaming the advertisements, I can acknowledge their contribution (financial) and simply disregard any products or services that don't resonate with me. It's all about taking responsibility.

I'm thankful that I went overboard on magazines, because it helped me really see them for what they are. Vehicles for selling cosmetic products and procedures, clothes and accessories, beliefs and ideals. They are always instructing, guiding, gently chiding. Lists of "must do" or "must own" trends and baubles abound. We are encouraged to celebrate our unique, individual beauty. Yet most of the girls in the ads and fashion spreads have the same look. And that's fine.

I can choose to find some value in magazines, and I can choose to dismiss the rest.

"Re-examine all that you have been told; dismiss that which insults your soul."
--Walt Whitman

I was putting some finishing touches on a collage last night and flipping through the March 2010 issue of Vogue. There was an article (written by Mark Holgate) about fashion bloggers, and this quote jumped out:

"While what they do may be different, they all share one thing: They offer different commentaries about fashion, beauty, and lifestyle that can't be found in the mainstream media."

I love it! I think blogging is such a powerful new way of expression at this point in our civilization. What we are missing from mainstream media, we can create ourselves! The more people who blog, the better! That's what I think. It's all about sharing stories.

To end on a balanced note, here are the things I appreciate most about the three magazines I still subscribe to:

Glamour: I LOVE the "Hey, It's OK!" page. They fill a whole page with things you can stop berating yourself for. Such as, "Hey, it's OK to turn down an invitation to a holiday party you don't really feel like going to!" Not every example of this feature always applies to my life, but it never fails to make me smile and feel relief about some small thing I'd been needlessly feeling guilty about. They also include a page with a theme such as "The 8 Most Liberating Things a Woman Can Do" which is always fun to read.

Marie Claire: I find the tone of the captions and articles to be edgier and sassier than in other women's magazines. They poke fun, provoke a response, and feature more "unique" women and their life experiences. This magazine makes me chuckle more than the others.

Elle: Great book reviews. Smart writing. I LOVE the advice column by E. Jean. Plus it is just a big, solid publication. Never a skimpy issue. They also have the best horoscopes.

I'd love to work on a brand new type of magazine, either online or in print. I want a magazine that celebrates all types of creative expression, not just those related to fashion. Does a publication like that already exist? Let me know!