Pros: Inexpensive, lots of celebrity covers, fashions that aren't too expensive.
Cons: Thin flimsy pages, ad's everywhere, lots of blurbs and not many articles.
The Bottom Line: With a mix of celebrity, fashion, current events, health and beauty articles Redbook is the best magazine I've found to cover most of what interests me.
One of the great many perks of having a good relationship with my mother-in-law is that I have the good fortune to acquire her magazines as soon as she's done with them. That
means I don't have to go out and purchase Redbook on my own, although I would if I didn't get my freebie. If you'd like to know why, keep reading. =)
The Look Of Redbook-
Redbook is one of a growing number of magazines that is printed on thinner, flimsy pages. While I am sure it keep the cost down, it's a bummer when I'm trying to read in the tub. The cover is done in a thicker, glossy stock and tends to feature celebrities that are just a bit older than typical celebrity/fashion magazines. Recent cover girls have been Celine Dion and Courtney Cox-Arquette. In contrast to some more edgy magazines, they're actually wearing clothes in their cover shoots too! There are tons of ads, as most magazines have, however as a nod to maturity you'll see ad's for flooring, Dockers pants, and wrinkle cream mixed in with the typical seductive perfume and cosmetics ads.
Regular Features-
Redbook has a number of regular features in each issue, they range from the obligatory mail (called Red Letters here) and editor column to more interesting fare. I thought I'd give a sampling of some columns I like, dislike, or basically ignore.
My Favorites-
redalert ob/gyn-This is basically several small articles or blurbs about various women's issues. They sometimes include new health recommendations or developments in women's health.
redhot fashion-This is usually several pages of articles on various and sundry fashion trends. This includes a do and don't section using celebrity examples ( a particular favorite of mine) and fashion trends that the average person can actually afford.
redhot celeb-This is an almost too brief Q&A with various celebrities. It almost always leaves me wanting for more at just one page.
red in the face-The page of most embarassing letters is quite probably one of my favorite things. Nothing cracks me up more than someone else's misadventures, probably because I've had my share. =)
My Dislikes-
Q & A with John Gray-A column of questions answered by that simpering Mars/Venus guy that seems totally redundant to me. I rarely read this.
free stuff-Sounds great right? A whole page of giveaways to enter, but hey I never win, so hmph, I guess this is a dislike.
fashion layout-I just don't like them. I must be in the minority because they are in every magazine it seems, but I just don't see the point of page after page of barely dressed, anorexic women in trendy designer wear that I can't think of a single appropriate place to wear them to.
What I Could Do Without/Ignore-
redhot sex-Now don't misunderstand me, I am not saying I don't like red hot sex, er rather that this column seems to be just a rehash of the same material from month to month. Just how many times do I need to know his favorite turn-ons, or his secret fantasy, etc. etc. It's not bad, just usually repetitive.
Recipes-Quite a large section of the back of the magazine is devoted to recipes, and while they look tasty, I just never try them and they mostly waste space. I prefer my Taste of Home magazine for this.
Who Might Like Redbook? Redbook seems to try hard to strike a balance between it's more mature readers and the coveted younger demographic. There are many articles on aging, careers, health, and beauty that specifically mention women in their 40's and above. I also see a real effort made to entice both career women and stay at home mothers with a section each month on children and family, as well as about workplace issues. If you are looking for a good middle of the road magazine for women in their twenties and up, I suggest Redbook.
It is probably not appropriate for teenagers due to some of the occasionally graphic sex talk, nor would it likely keep their interest. I can't remember being too fascinated by "how to negotiate a raise" or "best ways to save my child's college education" when I was 17.
All in all, for it's reasonable subscription price in the $10.00-$12.00 range, I find it a highly entertaining, unbiased, "fluff" magazine. Hey, if I want to know about the mid-East conflict, I'll buy U.S. News and World Report, but for plain old celebrity fashion and beauty tips, draw me a bath and pass me my RedbooK!
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