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So I managed to get all my three favourite weekly magazines today and from the looks of the front covers, they look promising. More! magazine boasts Beyoncé as its cover star; plus for all the celebrity loving fashionistas out there, there’s “102 Celeb Style Buys Under £20” – that’s a bargain and a half, I don’t even mind that no newsagent in walking distance accepted my 80p more! voucher so that I had to pay full price…
Look magazine has Cheryl Cole on their cover, but in true Look style, the story is about her “nightmare”. I cannot wait to read it…not. Jennifer Aniston is also on the cover, but then she is on the cover of Grazia too so I won’t let Look take all the blame for that. Besides, they make up for it with “386 Sexy Day to Night Looks!” 386! That’s a look for more than every day of the year! I am genuinely excited to see what they’re going to be. There’s also an article on the “Coolest New Coats From £35” and there’s one coat pink £75 coat featured on the cover that I’m dying to see where it is from.
Finally, Grazia has Victoria Beckham on their cover, but the focus is on London Fashion Week rather than her weight for once. They also seem to have the “breaking news” about Jennifer Aniston being pregnant, but I don’t know how “Jennifer Pregnant at 40?” is news when there’s a question mark at the end. Surely it should be “breaking rumour”. There’s also a feature on “100 wow! Heels” which I am quite looking forward to reading as the shoes on the cover do look very wow indeed. Knowing Grazia though, they probably all cost no less than £500 – I see a Louboutin and a Chanel shoe already; and somehow I doubt they will be providing high street alternatives… Finally, Grazia have kindly included a free “26 page Cool Guide” which is basically a culture guide informing us what’s hot in music, film and tv. It’s not so much “free” as actually just part of the magazine, but I’m not complaining about their misleading use of words as this week’s Grazia was only £1 after all.
So that’s what each magazine has promised this week; stay tuned to see whether the content will be as good as we’re led to believe!
 Holly Willoughby on the cover of Look Magazine When I saw the headline for this week’s Look, I groaned inwardly – another secret celebrity heartache story. Aren’t we getting bored of these? Clearly not, as Holly Willoughby is the latest celebrity to grace the front cover of Look magazine. Honestly, the article really is not worth the read and I don’t know how Look have managed to stretch out the story that she is stressed and under pressure from her career and motherhood over three pages. Not only that, they’ve also managed to string together another story about Jennifer Aniston’s love life. I don’t know how much more of this I can take; if we’re going to gossip, let’s at least make it interesting and credible!
One thing I noticed was that when reading the news about New York Fashion Week and the MTV Video Awards, I felt that I was reading about things I had already read about on the internet. The same went with the article about the Sugababes, which was clearly written before Keisha left the band, so by the time the magazine hit our shelves, it was old news. Obviously, this is not Look’s fault, but it made me think about the place magazines have in the media when we can get more up to date information faster over the internet or in daily newspapers. In the case of Fashion Week for example, perhaps it would be more effective to cover the event from a different angle, rather than just report it directly, so as to not bore the reader with repetitiveness.
Continue reading Look magazine – 28th September 2009 Issue
Every week, I will be doing a quick update of what the weekly magazines are saying about celebrities in order to save you having to read it so you can get onto the good stuff like fashion and real life stories.
So this past week, who has been in the magazines and what have they been up to?
(Please note that this is a Jordan aka Katie Price free zone as I do not feel she deserves any airtime whatsoever…)
 These photos of Kate Moss at the GQ Awards got everyone talking last week...
- Apparently Jennifer Aniston and John Mayer are back together. Word on the street (i.e. Look Magazine Street) is that he proposed to her. Watch this space. Although even if you’re not watching, I’m sure enough magazines will be talking about it…
- Renée Zellweger and Bradley Cooper are moving in together. That was quick, but gossip like this is just that. Gossip.
- On the subject of Renée Zellweger, Grazia reports that she is refusing to put on weight for the 3rd Bridget Jones movie. Apparently it will be done by computer. I’m getting images of the fat Monica in Friends…
- Following Kate Moss’ “performance” at the GQ awards, more! magazine, Look and Grazia are all reporting that she is having some sort of breakdown model mid life crisis. In her 30s. I think she just got drunk at a party, but you need to give something to the press!
- Emma Watson has started university at Brown University in Rhode Island in America. The same university Serena is meant to go to in Gossip Girl. Emma said that she chose to study in America because she is unknown there so will have more privacy. That’s why I’m reading about it and seeing pictures of her with her new friends on campus…
- Katy Perry is engaged to her on-off-clearly on again boyfriend Travis McCoy of Gym Class Heroes fame. Her song is true then that her boyfriend doesn’t mind that she kissed a girl and liked it.
- Fearne Cotton and Mr. Hudson are “just friends”. Same as last week, same as next week. Move on.
- Finally, hot off the press, the news of the century from Grazia is that Jennifer Aniston aka Rachel from Friends, is getting a new hair stylist. I’ll just leave you all now to let that exciting news sink in…
 Jennifer Aniston is once again on the front cover of Look magazine... Will magazines ever get tired of Jennifer Aniston’s private life?! I’ve actually lost track of how many times she’s appeared on weekly magazine front covers because of her private life rather than her actual job. Look magazine is one of the main culprits and this week they strike again. Will they ever learn? Or is it valid because people are actually genuinely interested in Jennifer (who by the way gets accused of being a boring celeb, yet we’re still always talking about her…ironic…). Also, Look strikes again with its sensationalist headlines: this week we’re led to believe that John Mayer has asked Jen to marry him…well that’s what you’d think if you read the headline “Jen – Shock Proposal From John!” Well, to save you the trouble of reading the story, no one is getting married…
On celeb gossip, one common story that most magazines this week covered is that of Kate Moss’ antics at the GQ award. It’s literally Look’s magazine dream story, another star gone into “meltdown” and a great big fuss made out of it. The article was a bit exaggerated to say the least; I watched the video of Kate Moss “storming” out of the awards and she wasn’t “screaming about a lost lipstick”. Artistic license there Look? Still, it makes for fun reading; after all I’d have nothing to write about if magazines didn’t do funny things like that!
Nevertheless, there’s a lovely interview with the gorgeous Heidi Klum, who for a supermodel actually seems quite nice and…normal. she talks about her job, her marriage, her kids (she’s expecting her fourth!) but unlike other interviews I don’t want to throw up with envy, I just want to be her friend. Funny how the interview only lasted on page but news on Jen and Kate went on for six pages…Look needs to fix that up a bit I think…
Continue reading Look magazine – 21st September 2009 Issue
 Leona Lewis is this week's Look cover story I think I’m beginning to see how the weekly magazine industry works. When a person is on the verge of releasing a new album or movie for example, they need to be on the front page of your magazine; so if you don’t have an exclusive interview with them, just stick a photo, do a bit of “investigative journalism” and write an article on what’s wrong in their life. I thought last week, we’d finally bucked that trend with a positive article on Cheryl Cole, but this week we’re back with “secret heartaches”; this time the story’s about Leona Lewis’s secret obsession. Apparently she’s freaking out because she’s scared her album will flop and that Alexandra Burke and JLS will steal her best X Factor contestant ever crown…I guess sometimes weekly magazines have nothing to write about one week so they just need to put anything down, in order to fill their pages. I felt the same way when I read about Kylie and Dannii Minogue’s supposed double wedding and I struggled to read it because I found it boring and pointless; plus for some reason the font seemed really small…
I’m not saying I don’t like reading about celebrities, because I do; I like it if it’s an interview, or if the article quotes them and not their “close friends”. For example, I enjoyed the interview with Nicole Richie (page 38) because she spoke frankly about her life, relationships, and her weight. It wasn’t all speculation and “he said, she said,” it was straight from the horse’s mouth. So Look, more interviews please and less gossip; you’re not Heat magazine, and that’s why I love you in the first place!
Continue reading Look magazine – 14th September 2009 Issue
 X Factor and Girls Aloud star Cheryl Cole is this week's Look cover girl
Cheryl Cole
Now that X Factor has started again, we should be expecting weekly doses of Newcastle’s finest export, Cheryl Cole. This week in Look however, there is no dodgy gossip or insights into her “private heartache”; instead, the article is about Cheryl’s “non-diet, diet” which keeps her slim, and more importantly, healthy. It must be annoying for her to be criticised constantly for being too “skinny” when she herself knows she eats healthily; people need to remember that she’s only 5ft3 and that she leads a very active lifestyle. She just looks gorgeous and glowing, and I’m looking forward to seeing all her outfits on TV this season.
Girls Aloud’s Kimberley Walsh modelling New Look’s new season range
 Kimberley Walsh in a lace New Look dress Cheryl’s band mate Kimberley Walsh is interviewed this week and she’s so honest and down to earth, she makes me want to be Girl’s Aloud’s 6th member! She also promotes New Look’s new autumn collection and unlike other celebrity endorsers, she actually looks like she wears the clothes that she models (in a positive way!). The new collection looks amazing, one of the best New Look ranges I’ve seen in a while; and how hot does Kimberley look in the black lace dress and the gold sequin dress!
Graceful Ageing
Look’s feature on which female actresses, who were pin ups in their day but are now all in their 70s, have decided to either go for natural ageing or have had a little help from a surgeon. The pictures to go with the article are quite extreme! On the one hand you have Brigitte Bardot who at 74 has clearly decided to go the natural way, but her picture is not a lesson on how to age well, but rather on how to make sure you look after your skin when you’re younger! Years of too much sun, too much smoking and probably not taking all her makeup off at night have definitely taken its toll; that’s not the kind of natural graceful ageing I’d like. On the other hand, I wouldn’t go for Ursula Andress’ method which is to have so much surgery that by the age of 73 you actually look like you’re wearing a rubber mask. The ex Bond Girl should face up to the fact that she’s not a bikini clad goddess anymore…
Continue reading Look magazine – 7th September 2009 Issue
 Angelina Jolie - This week's Look cover girl This week’s Look boasts yet another story and Brad and Angelina. Methinks this is becoming somewhat of an obsession. This time though, the story is that the couple are trying for another baby in order to save their marriage. I do find it funny that I read this whole, rather detailed article yet not one word was actually uttered from Brad or Angelina themselves. It’s always a source or a close friend. I’d settle for a spokesperson, but I doubt any true friends would divulge information on their private lives. What intrigues me is how much access we have into their lives…or how much access we think we have. This is why I prefer to read direct interviews, rather than he said, she said reports. It’s just one big eavesdrop really.
The same goes with the news of Jennifer Aniston apparently getting back together with John Meyer. The most interesting thing is the editing that goes with the article. The cover page says “Jen & John back together! The pics that prove it!” but when you look inside, it’s just a picture of the couple way back in February, and a photo of her wearing a Rolex he gave her when they were together. Call me sceptical but I missed the part where wearing a watch your ex gave you as a present means that you’re back together…
Continue reading Look Magazine – 31st August 2009 Issue
Unlike the panic of last week, I managed to get all three of my magazines without too much fuss. I still had to walk about a mile, so I guess magazine hunting is officially incorporated into my daily exercise routine.
It does all seem worth it though. Look’s cover boasts “101 Autumn Oooh Shoes!” and Kate Moss’s new collection for Topshop; more has 20% off at www.dune.co.uk plus “30 sexy weekend outfits under £30” and animal print t shirts (which are apparently a new celeb trend, but I bought a zebra t shirt dress in January from H&M and I knew I looked cool even then).
I think Grazia wins this week however: for starters it’s only £1 instead of £1.95! What a bargain! Cheryl Cole is on the cover (X Factor has started so expect to see a lot of Cheryl and Danni Minogue until Christmas a least), and there’s 20% off “new season buys at COS. I’m loving these discounts. I’m not so keen on David Cameron being on the front cover (I’m not convinced by him), but who cares, £1 Grazia! Plus, I had a little peek inside, and there’s a £50 off gift voucher to see Dirty Dancing, the musical! If you’re not usually a Grazia reader, this is definitely the week to give it a try!
I’ll be keeping you posted on more in-depth analyses of these three magazines, so keep an eye out!
 Fearne Cotton - Look's "cover girl" for this week The first thing that struck me about this week’s Look were the words “Wow! Under £50 Statement Style Buys”. Now, I am by no means cheap, but Look exclaiming that £50 is a good thing is a bit worrying. I buy Look because it’s about value for money, fashionable high street buys; so when I turn the page and see a pair of Primark shoes for “only” £25, I nearly faint in shock. There are hot shoes admittedly, but £25 on one pair of shoes from Primark…
Another thing I noticed about Look was that it likes to make us feel sorry for celebrities. It’s commendable that they never actually attack celebs but I do find it funny how they do a feature each week on poor celeb’s secret heartache (though I don’t know how they know about it since it’s secret…). This week’s star is bubbly TV favourite Fearne Cotton. To be honest, I was more concerned about what the hell she was wearing in 2003 (see for yourselves, it will burn your eyes) than who she is or isn’t dating. Look veteran, Jennifer Aniston is apparently going through more love life drama. Poor girl, it’s embarrassing enough being dumped, but imagine what it feels like to have the whole world know about it, and speculate all sorts of nonsense and just pity and patronise you. On the subject of Jen, Look have changed their tune on Brangelina. Last week it was marriage troubles, this week it’s how happy in love they are and how hot they look together. It’s so hard to keep up. Angelina does look hot though in her leather Michael Kors dress. Hot in more ways than one – I hope she invested in a lot of talcum powder…
Continue reading Look Magazine – 24th August 2009 Issue
The first magazine is high street favourite, Look. This week’s “cover star” is a “homeless” Lady Gaga…homeless? Not likely; when you actually read the article you’ll see what I mean. Look does tend to exaggerate its celebrity stories…Oh well, if you want gossip and are a bit partial to the tagline “a source close to the couple said this,” then read Heat. Other celebrity news includes the usual stories on Brangelina and poor Jen all on her own, Rihanna and the Chris Brown saga, and Kate Moss lounging around on a yacht. Oh, and Lily Allen apparently has a new boyfriend her own age. Sweet. The interview with the gorgeous Steve Jones is worth a read if you are a fan…I do like him to some extent, but I’d be more convinced if there were more pictures…Also, no magazine would be complete without an analysis on how much weight a star has lost or gained…
Continue reading Look Magazine – 11th-17th August
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