MAGAZINES

Magazines

 The most popular magazines for the time period of 1980 – present, are:

1. People

2. Glamour

3. Seventeen

4. Sports Illustrated

   These magazines may not have been created in the time period represented but they are just as popular now as they have ever been and each has evolved to showing more scandalous material than ever before. Each gives us the cult of celebrity as most of their main articles are about celebrities. Everything about life is related to these celebrities. They give the fans all the material they could possible want about their favorite people. Due to the cult of celebrity, these magazines are very popular.

   Stereotypes are very common in these magazines. They show women as being beautiful, sexy, and well-dressed. If a celebrity is overweight, they make a big deal of it and focus on how much weight they have lost or have not lost. This type of stereotype is also portrayed in Seventeen. This cannot be healthy for young girls especially those who do not fit into this stereotype. In Sports Illustrated, you also see stereotypes in athletes. They have a high social status, always go after the “beautiful” women, and think they are invincible.

   As stories are written about celebrities, icons are created. For example, Duchess Kate Middleton is an icon of royalty as noted in magazines like People. Middleweight champion, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., is an icon for boxing as shown in Sports Illustrated.

Posted by Janeen Stanley 

People Magazine Image: retrieved from http://www.people.com/people/package/article/0,,20360857_20481259,00.html