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Magazines - entertaining or demoralising?

(160 Posts)
hamster58 Wed 16-Jun-21 15:56:32

I’m sure I didn’t notice this until quite recently but I wonder if others feel this way…. If I read most magazines aimed at women my age, they are filled with articles about superwomen who can seemingly achieve several careers at once, or articles telling me the signs for endless illnesses ( physical or mental), clothes that are either impractical and/or outrageously priced, and recipes which are super complicated but don’t need to be. I end up feeling irritated by such magazines and far less relaxed than before I started!! Am I an old grouch or does anyone else agree?…

tanith Wed 16-Jun-21 16:03:08

I can’t remember the last time I read a magazine, don’t read them that’s the answer.

Nortsat Wed 16-Jun-21 16:08:53

We get Radio Times, which is good for planning tv viewing and radio listening.
The New Statesman- good for current affairs and an On line subscription to the Guardian.

My partner has subscriptions to two music related journals and I have Homes & Antiques.
None of which make us grumpy hamster.

Maybe you could consider a subscription which reflects your interests - art/interior design/exercise/handicrafts/books/politics etc etc.

Hope you find something. ?

greenlady102 Wed 16-Jun-21 16:09:28

I get one free called Landscape which I enjoy, but like tanith, I honestly cannot remember the last time I read a "women's" magazine.

Aveline Wed 16-Jun-21 16:14:57

I don't read women's magazines. The only magazine I read is 'The Oldie' which I absolutely devour. Every page is interesting, entertaining or fun.

Kate1949 Wed 16-Jun-21 16:18:02

Someone bought me a subscription to Woman & Home. I enjoy some of it - recipes, features on homes and gardens, make up, fashion, holidays etc. Most are out of my price range but OK to look at.
They do, however, usually have features about high achieving, 'super women' beaming out from the pages with their perfect hair and teeth which is annoying to me and a 'look how wonderful I am expression'. I am a bitter old bat.

Grandma70s Wed 16-Jun-21 16:26:00

I must see if I can get The Oldie on, Readly.

I have a classical music magazine on there and two about education. I also have Homes and Antiques and Good Housekeeping , but I barely glance at those now. Oh, and The Lady, don’t laugh. It’s good light reading,

I used to be a magazine addict. Vogue, Elle, She (remember that?) among others. I don’t need fashion mags now, and I don’t do entertaining any pmore.

MawBe Wed 16-Jun-21 16:31:47

Kate1949

Someone bought me a subscription to Woman & Home. I enjoy some of it - recipes, features on homes and gardens, make up, fashion, holidays etc. Most are out of my price range but OK to look at.
They do, however, usually have features about high achieving, 'super women' beaming out from the pages with their perfect hair and teeth which is annoying to me and a 'look how wonderful I am expression'. I am a bitter old bat.

My feelings too Kate - I have also noticed how many of them seem to be divorced and wonder whether continuing in a happy marriage is taken for granted these days and rates way below starting up a successful business. Sour grapes, maybe!

Kate1949 Wed 16-Jun-21 16:46:25

Well if your grapes are sour Maw then so are mine!

parkersheen Wed 16-Jun-21 16:52:49

My sister buys me a subscription to Woman's Own every Christmas and you would think there are no people in the world other than Eamon & Ruth, Richard & Judy, Phil & Hollie and the Loose Women. It's the same old tripe rotated on a weekly basis. I haven't the heart to tell my sister to stop the subscription though - she thinks I love it smile

DanniRae Wed 16-Jun-21 16:59:27

I get a subscription for Woman's Weekly and Yours magazines from my kids every year and I enjoy them both. I know the type of magazines you are referring with the 'Wonder Women' articles in them - I never buy them but am given the odd copy now and again. They always annoy me!!

AGAA4 Wed 16-Jun-21 17:02:28

I haven't bought a magazine for years. They do tend to glorify the superwomen who seem to have perfect careers, beautifully decorated homes and look 25 even though they are in their fifties (airbrushing?).

M0nica Wed 16-Jun-21 17:18:35

I have never really read Women's magazines, except at the hairdressers or doctors surgery - when will they reyurn.

I have always preferred house magazines, I also get quite a number of magazines and journals through my membership fo different groups, mainly archaeological, DH gets the New Scientist and The Spectator.

Maggiemaybe Wed 16-Jun-21 17:21:58

We get the Radio Times, which sometimes has interesting articles in, and a Saturday and Sunday paper with magazine supplements. Apart from that I don't buy any.

Though I've just been at my sister's for a few days and have enjoyed reading hers!

grandMattie Wed 16-Jun-21 17:30:30

We get the magazines from the Saturday and Sunday papers. I have to agree. The clothes rarely start below £200 and usually are for short anorexic teenagers. Classics if ant are way beyond the purse of your average pensioner.
Yes, too, to the superwomen- they look 12 when aged about 65, etc.

Grandmajean Wed 16-Jun-21 17:35:30

I used to like Good Housekeeping but don't buy it any more. Got really fed up with the "I love getting older" articles from famous women whose photos have so obviously been treated to wrinkle removal. I also got tired of the Christmas editions where everybody was hosting a fantastic family event . Haven;t bough a magazine for ages .

Cherrytree59 Wed 16-Jun-21 18:58:07

I have Amazon prime which has
Free online magazines which I
download to my fire kindle.

The features and colour pictures are the same as with the shop bought magazines.

I prefer House style and gardening magazines.
Occasionally hobby type magazines.

TrendyNannie6 Wed 16-Jun-21 19:00:49

Yes, I buy around 4 women’s mags a week, always enjoyed reading them,

Redhead56 Wed 16-Jun-21 19:10:47

I used to buy gardeners magazines but found they rotated items every couple of months so stopped buying them

J52 Wed 16-Jun-21 19:24:10

I stopped magazine reading several years ago, due to repetition and those same celeb superwomen.
I now enjoy the gardening magazine that comes with my RHS membership.

geekesse Wed 16-Jun-21 20:06:35

I get the London Review of Books and Private Eye. I don’t recall ever seeing a superwoman, women’s fashion or recipes in either, though Private Eye occasionally advertises men’s shirts and shoes.

I can’t imagine why anyone would waste money on ‘women’s magazines’ - the ones in my dentist’s waiting room seem to focus on celebrity gossip about people I have never heard of.

Gwyneth Wed 16-Jun-21 20:19:48

I very occasionally buy one as a treat. I’m interested in the stories of women who have actually achieved something not the vacuous celebrities who are normally featured. The fashion and beauty is usually way beyond what I can afford.

Deedaa Wed 16-Jun-21 20:31:46

The only one I buy regularly is Woman's Weekly. I went to one of their focus groups some years ago and they explained that they work more like a monthly and tend not to do celeb stuff because they are going to press so far ahead of distribution. I sometimes buy Landscape because it has interesting articles.. Long articles as well, not the half a page some of them fob you off with.

Ro60 Wed 16-Jun-21 21:23:44

The New Scientist is my go-to, American Scientist at a push & The Spectator from DM all keep my mind running.
'She' was a good, diverse read - since I was about 14.
I do like the fashion mags at the hairdressers - good to see what's current, then adapt to my budget.
Feel I've done the housey, honey ones as the same themes keep coming up.

JaneJudge Wed 16-Jun-21 21:29:27

my mum in aw asked me to send her the magazines with the sex in when she came out of hospital so I sent her best, woman, womans own and take a break confused i also put some of my old country living magazines in to level it out