Magazine: Cosmo Girl
Cover Story: Mila Kunis
Publication Date: October 2008
Age Range: 14 - 19
Genre: Fashion / Celebrities / Makeup
Rating: 1 2 3 4 5
Comments: This magazine is chock-full of makeup tips and advertisements for fashion items out of most teen’s budgets. Designer ads for perfume, makeup, and shoes are peppered throughout. There is a bit of discussion of social issues like drinking and smoking marijuana which are age-appropriate conversations to be having, and the magazine writers are clearly of the opinion that teens don’t need to be preached to, but that encouragement to use one’s best judgment is a good thing. There is also a two page spread of a follow-up story about a group of overweight teens who went through a special program to lose weight and improve their confidence about their bodies. Although it is great to see at least a few images of teens who are not slender with perfect skin, they are presented as part of a program to get thinner, which doesn’t seem like an ideal message to impart.
For the most part, this is simply Cosmopolitan magazine, minus the sex life tips, with a bit of information about universities in the US added, and repackaged for teenagers. Instructions for five steps to getting your fake eyelashes on correctly seem a bit over the top. The two highlighted fashion trends include ‘black magic’ - with everything in black or shades of gray from a black wig to glossy ‘patent’ black lipstick, and ‘circus showtime’ - with bright pinks and yellow eye makeup, frothy hairstyles and voluminous multi-layered ball gowns. Both photoshoots are over the top and extreme! Teens might find one aspect of one look they’d like to try, though, so the photos would certainly appeal to a teen who is experimenting with fashion as part of body image.
There are a lot of connections to current films and television series, especially those that promote brand name fashion, glamorous lifestyles, and dating cute guys. Considering the timing of the issue there is minimal Twilight coverage – a mere two page spread of three of the central male actors: Robert Pattinson (Edward), Taylor Lautner (Jacob), and Kellan Lutz (Emmett). Of course the “boys of Twilight” merit a mention at the very top of the cover, however!
Dates Read: 28 - 29 March
Showing posts with label magazine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label magazine. Show all posts
Monday, March 30, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
Magazine review – Faze
Magazine: Faze
Cover Story: The White Stripes
Publication Date: Spring 2006
Age Range: 13 - 18
Genre: Music / Celebrities / Current Events
Rating: 1 2 3 4 5
Comments: This is a Canadian magazine out of Toronto and directed towards teens. Faze claims to be Canada's #1 Teen Magazine. The vibe is very positive and enthusiastic, plus it deals with a number of topics rather than focusing just on music or beauty, as a number of magazines do. I feel like this magazine has something for everyone. There is a focus on music, investing, getting a job, the successes of other teens, and even prom. The graphics are engaging and the amount of text is not overwhelming, with varied fonts and sizes of text. Overall the magazine leans a bit toward female readers, with a section toward the back about makeup and accessories for prom, plus horoscopes. But it’s not a super-girly magazine.
The current events that are highlighted tend to be bizarre and unusual, like “Malaysian girl killed by lightning – while answering her cell phone” - very attention-grabbing! The news is presented in small snippets rather than full articles. The cover story about The White Stripes focuses on how Jack and Meg White have remained true to their artistic vision and their own personalities even though they’ve become very successful. Mentions of celebrities tend to focus on positive things they are doing, like founding charities or contributing to society in a meaningful way. A lot of the content comes from teens, who have been interviewed or surveyed for their opinions about what makes a great best friend, or how sex education should be handled in schools. The overall message is that everyone is unique and should value themselves for their own qualities rather then try to be thinner or different in some way.
Dates Read: 22 – 23 March
Cover Story: The White Stripes
Publication Date: Spring 2006
Age Range: 13 - 18
Genre: Music / Celebrities / Current Events
Rating: 1 2 3 4 5
Comments: This is a Canadian magazine out of Toronto and directed towards teens. Faze claims to be Canada's #1 Teen Magazine. The vibe is very positive and enthusiastic, plus it deals with a number of topics rather than focusing just on music or beauty, as a number of magazines do. I feel like this magazine has something for everyone. There is a focus on music, investing, getting a job, the successes of other teens, and even prom. The graphics are engaging and the amount of text is not overwhelming, with varied fonts and sizes of text. Overall the magazine leans a bit toward female readers, with a section toward the back about makeup and accessories for prom, plus horoscopes. But it’s not a super-girly magazine.
The current events that are highlighted tend to be bizarre and unusual, like “Malaysian girl killed by lightning – while answering her cell phone” - very attention-grabbing! The news is presented in small snippets rather than full articles. The cover story about The White Stripes focuses on how Jack and Meg White have remained true to their artistic vision and their own personalities even though they’ve become very successful. Mentions of celebrities tend to focus on positive things they are doing, like founding charities or contributing to society in a meaningful way. A lot of the content comes from teens, who have been interviewed or surveyed for their opinions about what makes a great best friend, or how sex education should be handled in schools. The overall message is that everyone is unique and should value themselves for their own qualities rather then try to be thinner or different in some way.
Dates Read: 22 – 23 March
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Magazine Review: Vibe
Magazine: Vibe
Cover Story: Kanye West
Publication Date: February 2009
Age Range: 14 - 19
Genre: Multicultural / Music / Celebrities
Rating: 1 2 3 4 5
Comments: While doing my library observation at the Halifax North branch of HPL this weekend I took a look at the latest Vibe magazine. A close up of pop superstar Kanye West's face graced the cover. I noticed that the advertisements feature mostly black and latino models and celebrities. Most of the articles were about current pop or hip hop music, although there were a couple of nods to the history of pop music and Motown, with a vintage photograph of Michael Jackson in his 'Thriller' days, and Smokey Robinson's writing and performing skills. There was a little bit of sports coverage, and more than one advertisement for the movie, Notorious, about Notorious B.I.G., soon to be released. There was also a little bit on travel, like the description of Beyoncé's latest world tour. I think Britney Spears was the only white performer mentioned in the whole magazine, so the intended audience is probably largely multiracial. I was surprised by the sexiness of some of the photo shoots, especially those for fashion labels – the models looked to be about 16 years old, but acting like they're ten years older. There was also some coverage of current television shows, including a couple that focus on queer issues, which was good to see included in this mainstream magazine. Overall, I would say this magazine is appropriate for older teens with an interest in mainstream popular culture.
Date Read: 24 January 2009
Cover Story: Kanye West
Publication Date: February 2009
Age Range: 14 - 19
Genre: Multicultural / Music / Celebrities
Rating: 1 2 3 4 5
Comments: While doing my library observation at the Halifax North branch of HPL this weekend I took a look at the latest Vibe magazine. A close up of pop superstar Kanye West's face graced the cover. I noticed that the advertisements feature mostly black and latino models and celebrities. Most of the articles were about current pop or hip hop music, although there were a couple of nods to the history of pop music and Motown, with a vintage photograph of Michael Jackson in his 'Thriller' days, and Smokey Robinson's writing and performing skills. There was a little bit of sports coverage, and more than one advertisement for the movie, Notorious, about Notorious B.I.G., soon to be released. There was also a little bit on travel, like the description of Beyoncé's latest world tour. I think Britney Spears was the only white performer mentioned in the whole magazine, so the intended audience is probably largely multiracial. I was surprised by the sexiness of some of the photo shoots, especially those for fashion labels – the models looked to be about 16 years old, but acting like they're ten years older. There was also some coverage of current television shows, including a couple that focus on queer issues, which was good to see included in this mainstream magazine. Overall, I would say this magazine is appropriate for older teens with an interest in mainstream popular culture.
Date Read: 24 January 2009
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