Complete Dream World
Written: Jun 08 '01 (Updated Jun 08 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Great photography, cool, funny, tons of information
Cons: Very thick, doesn't travel well, short useful life
The Bottom Line: Wallpaper is a wannabe hip and cool magazine that must be taken as dream design pornography that has it's tongue planted firmly in cheek.
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| alek_toronto's Full Review: Wallpaper* Magazine |
Wallpaper basically sells the idea that everyone's life will be SO much better if they own that $2000 pair of shoes or god ugly $5000 Italian sofa. At least you would think so at first glance.
The first time I saw the magazine I jumped to conclusions, saw the ads for Gucci, and assumed this was a "fantasy" wet dream magazine for the style and design obsessed.
However after I read the articles in a few issues I have come to the conclusion that the staff at this magazine is basically doing this for fun and none of it should be taken TOO seriously. I mean lets get real for a minute - How many people you know can either afford or look good in the stuff that is advertised and profiled. Young people who this is targeted to don't have enough money and the older farts who have the money just can't fit into the clothes or concepts (However hard they try)
Basically I will critique the magazine on points they do well and not so well.
GOOD THINGS
The travel sections are very informative and fun. Again I firmly believe they are meant to be fun more than anything. I travel a lot on business, and luckily I have had the chance to visit many of the places photographed and written about. Take it from me, most of the hotels, bars and restaurants are much more fun to read about then they are to experience. Traveling to London or Stockholm just to go to a specific bar for a specific martini is both crazy and not cost efficient, believe you - me I have more fun in the local pubs on my street than traveling half way around the world.
Most regular folk don't believe me when I tell them that the regular jet setting lifestyle is not all its cracked up to be. All that flying, from point to point, different hotel every night, it is tiring and boring. I hate the flying experience (even in First Class) and hotels in general are never more comfortable than my bed at home. In this regard Wallpaper is selling a fantasy that does not exist, a jet set lifestyle that will only ever take place in your mind. In my opinion nothing is better than sitting on a Hawaiian beach all day, just surfing, swimming and eating at the local hole in the wall diner or perhaps actually hanging with the locals in any city, Way more fun than posing in expensive clothes at a bar with a bunch of stuck up foreigners. However Wallpaper is not in business to sell natural and clean and fun experiences. It's all about "looking" right.
However I also believe that if people actually read the articles instead of just salivating over the pictures they would see that they don't take themselves too seriously.
The magazine actually does have some balance. They do push a lot of $2000 individually designed handbags, but what other rag will also devote 1/4 of a page to either a $4 bag of Canadian Chocolate chip cookies or a $5 jar of Argentine Condensed Cream???
The pictures are very well photographed, and I will say that mostly everything looks better in pictures than in reality.
DESIGN - The design of this magazine is excellent. Sure it is glossy and far too thick, but the Design is very interesting and cool. Type and layout are superior and funkier than most other publications.
BAD THINGS
One thing that really gets me though is the magazines obsession with the UK and Scandinavia, most of the stuff is from there and they make a real effort to convince people that Sweden is THE place to live, work, hang out, party and buy things. Having been to Stockholm many times myself, I will let you in on a little secret - The city is extremely BORING. (Hint: There are over 100 more fun cities in Europe alone) Nothing at all like the experience they try to push. The people are boring (and stiff) and the Food SUCKS. I am also not so fond of the UK either. The staff has a fetish I guess.
Wallpaper uses English and Scandinavian models almost exclusively. Where are the Latins? Africans? Asians? For a magazine that WANTS to be international that seems like a strange oversight. All their models are thin, blond, pale (and in my opinion VERY ugly and freakish) I wouldn't want to look even remotely like these malnourished, empty headed ugly droids..I wish they would get some diversity..Makes me want to start my own magazine.
SIZE
The magazine just won't travel well, as it doesn't fit into anything. How about making it 100 pages smaller and having more issues a year???
COST
Well it is a big magazine, but the cost doesn't faze me. Nobody should complain about the price..After all nobody is forcing you to BUY it.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
alek_toronto
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Location: Toronto, Canada
Reviews written: 41
Trusted by: 4 members
About Me:
Crazy Canadian Travel and Culture Fiend.
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