Pros: celeb photos; decent coverage of up to date gossip
Cons: not much in the way of intellectual reading
The Bottom Line: If you want to become famous, try getting chased by the paparrazzi and get on the cover of US Weekly- it's worked for Paris, Lindsay and the likes.
BeastieGirl's Full Review: US Weekly Magazine Subscription
Last week I came down with a terrible cold and was sick for the whole long Fourth of July party weekend. Don't feel sorry for me, while you were outside, getting a tan, having a bar-b-que with friends and family, I was happily laying on the couch, wrapped in a blanket, sipping tea, and downing Benadryl like there's no tomorrow and reading US Weekly.
I love to read really trashy magazines when I'm sick because I don't have to think very hard and it takes my mind off of feeling sorry for myself. One of my favorite magazines to do this to is US Weekly. Now I don't think that this magazine is entirely trashy, but it's a weekly entertainment magazine, what can you expect?
The reading level is about 6th grade, nothing too thought-provoking, but it's a few steps up from Teen and the likes. There are usually one or two feature articles on whoever is hot for the moment (Paris Hilton, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, Jessica Simpson), although it's not usually anything exclusive.
Fashion
Of course, there is a weekly fashion review, which I love. It's mostly put-downs of the worst outfits (When Bad Clothes Happen To Good People is my favorite). I realize that this is an extremely shallow pastime, but sometimes looking at people in ridiculous costumes makes me feel better.
Along with the fashion review, US Weekly also has great coverage of all different kinds of media events, especially award shows and celebrity charity functions (I always get a kick out of those). I like to see famous people schmooze with each other at charity functions, caring more about their outfits and being seen than the actual cause. Just another way to make myself feel better, of course.
Reviews
There are the typical movie reviews, which I think are brief, but fairly rated. There are also movie reviews on new releases, which is especially good when you are sick, as this can help you make a better informed decision than the one you would have made if you let the Benadryl you just took decide.
Music reviews are also included, however, I don't tend to adhere to their choices of pop and country so much. I think that music reviews are generally better left in the hands of music magazines. This is by no means a fault of US Weekly, just a fact that I believe to be true.
Featured Articles
What usually prompts me to buy US Weekly over any similar magazine (Entertainment Weekly, People) is usually who is on the cover. As I stated before, they usually have whoever is IT at the time. When Gladiator first came out, for example, Russell Crowe was on the cover, and of course, I bought it. The article was trashy- basically gathered facts from other published pieces on the author and put together in a way that anyone who bought the magazine based on the cover (I'm not including myself in this- am I?) would be able to read it and understand it. Being sick, you can appreciate that I did not want to read anything that could strain my brain in any way.
They usually cover the same stories that all the other gossip rags cover, but their photos and follow-ups are pretty good. The stories are usually pretty trashy, but a good escape from what clearly appears to be normal ways of living after I read about the craziness of being a celebrity.
Conclusion
Ok, so I'm not sick every time I buy this magazine. You found me out. I do appreciate classic literature and good writing, but sometimes I'm not above being amused by the stars in Hollywood. I get all the gossip I need, I have a good laugh, and most importantly, I get to find out what the stars were wearing at charity functions.
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