Imagine my delight when our office started receiving Entertainment Weekly. We happily placed these magazines in the lunchroom for everyone to enjoy. I especially was looking forward to reading what I hoped would be some insightful, thoughtful articles.


Description

This magazine measures 8" wide x 10 1/2" high. The pages are of typical glossy magazine paper, and there are lots of color photographs. The issues vary in length, but a typical issue runs 72 pages.

Each issue has a Table of Contents that breaks the contents into categories such as: regular Departments that appear in each issue, Features that include celebrity interviews and articles, Reviews of movies, DVD releases, television programming, music and books.

The Departments consist of:

Feedback: Letters to the magazine from readers

The Scene: Celebrity photos with brief descriptions

News & Notes: Topical stories in brief about current entertainment

The Must List: Food for thought celebrity style

Editorial, each issue a different title (last page of magazine): A commentary piece

At the end of the year there is a Special Double Issue that summarizes the Best and Worst of the year.


My Impressions

I enjoy knowing the behind-the-scenes stories of movies and television shows. However, I don't like the concept of invading a person's privacy to obtain bits of gossip. I also don't like sensationalism for the sake of selling magazines.

That being said, while I enjoy reading some of the feature articles of Entertainment Weekly, I'm not wowed by the rest of the magazine. The content comes across as shallow. Many of the pieces are written in a way that doesn't encourage me to want to read further.

Also the magazine, as you can imagine, concentrates on what is happening in the moment. It glosses the surface in many areas, lacking depth and coverage. For instance, the music and book categories are sadly brief. In many instances, they totally ignore certain genres and even bestselling albums and books. With the exception of one or two longer reviews, those items that are reviewed are short takes rather than a review with much information. Not enough facts are presented to help me make a decision about the media being reviewed.

The magazine is loaded with plenty of color photography … some of it in questionable taste. There are lots of celebrity photographs in all sizes. This is not a fan-magazine, though, were celebrity photographs are the focus. For instance, there are no double-spread or fold-out photos.

The end-of-year double issue that includes the Best and Worst of the year covers a lot of territory. One of my favorite features is the Farewell section that pays tribute to those in the media industry who have passed away during the year. The brief reflections of the celebrities are often written by their industry friends and peers. It's very well done.

Advertisements are well-placed in the magazine. I'll be browsing through the many lists (this magazine loves lists! … whether they are numerical tidbits of gossip about celebrities or lists of popular movies, music and television shows) -- and while browsing will suddenly notice an advertisement that blends in with the surrounding stories. For instance, one two-page spread advertisement of cell phones was so cleverly rendered with celebrity images that at first I thought it a photo spread relating to an article.


What About the EW.com Website?

I much prefer visiting the Entertainment Weekly website! The content is free, and there are items on the website that are not featured in the magazine. I also find the material on the website easier to browse and read. I just finished reading an article about the television show "Lost" that was terrific.

Also, the website archives their magazine issues. You can browse the archive, pull up a magazine issue from 1990 – 2008, and read the articles, features and reviews online.


Purchasing

This is a weekly magazine, and therefore expensive. According to the inside of the magazine, a subscription in the United States costs $61.04 for 50 issues. If you want to subscribe, I suggest visiting the website. At the moment they are running an 89% off special.


Summary

Would I subscribe to Entertainment Weekly: No. I prefer reading "People" magazine and even "TV Guide" to this publication. Rather than read Entertainment Weekly, I prefer cruising through their website free of charge. I'll browse through the magazine in our office lunch room, but I'm noticing that it's not a favorite of my co-workers either. This magazine just doesn't grab me enough to make it a favorite.

I hope you found this review useful.

Enjoy the day,
Dawn
http://dlstewart.com


Please read my other reviews:

People Magazine

TV Guide Magazine

Everyday with Rachel Ray Magazine


Copyright 2008 Dawn L. Stewart


Recommended: No