Can you imagine life without your magazine or newspaper or are you happy reading online? Let us know your views and take a peek at some upcoming events.

September 2007

TOPIC Newspapers and magazines v. reading online

With the continued explosion of the internet with Facebook and YouTube, the current view among trend spotters is that newspapers and magazine will be less relevant in the near future, with more of us reading our stories online. What do you prefer – the hard copy in your hands or the high tech version online?

Dear Words of Colour,

I prefer a mixture of the two. The Guardian in pictures is always a good quality visual online way to see the word without words. The tradition however of Sunday papers (one quality, one trash) is very hard to break. There is so much to be said in my view about the technology explosion and how news can be researched in a way that it never could before the online phenomenon. There is also a strong argument for the tactile sensation and ownership of a newspaper to tuck in your bag or briefcase for tube and train reading. However, if one had to choose either or, I would plumb for online as the potential is more alive and far reaching. One can always press print from the screen to create a newspaper of sorts. 

Emma

It absolutely depresses me to think that ’the hardcopy’ will one day be extinct - I feel a sense of daily comfort with the weight of the latest Cosmo in my handbag and a couple of papers to leaf through on the train. The latest virtual fetishes are fine (don’t get me wrong, I’m an avid Facebooker myself) but lets not get carried away here. Haven’t any of you seen The Matrix or I-Robot? Computers could potentially ruin our lives!

KVJ

Recapture your femininity by Celise Mclean takes an opposite view to that presented by Joy Francis in her Colourful Words Column last month.

Women’s magazines! You either love them or loathe them with their constant ramblings - on how to get the perfect dress, hair and beauty tips or spa getaways. The one that has me in stitches the most is how to keep a man (please) or getting the perfect bikini for the beach. The list is endless.

They are even planning to propose a dedicated page for bags entitled ‘Rent A Bag’, where any potential buyer can hire the bag of their dreams at a fraction of the price, by paying cheap rental prices. Ridiculous I know. Are they going to think of ‘Rent a Shoe’?

I don’t know about you, but now and again I read through such publications. Now I would like to regard myself as a 21st century, clued up Gal, but I kinda feel liberated when I flick through them. I momentarily recapture my feminine side as it confirms all my ‘what ifs’, and ‘do I needs’, all in one neat publication. We are also more spoilt for choice as never before as there are a wealth of women’s magazines gracing the shelves of many shops, so their is something for everyone.

A few good friends of mine have even said that they felt more enlightened and more positive after a good old read. Many of these magazines give positive advice as well as health and diet, information. Generally these magazines are life savers for some individuals.

However there are a lot of women’s magazines that gleefully bitch about the female form with a lot of bitchy terminology being used on a regular basis. It doesn’t take a genius to work out the type of magazines that I am talking about that week after week constantly unleash their scrutiny on anyone that they can get their hands on especially on the celebrity circuit.

The best part for me, when I look through women’s magazines, is the clothes and shoes features. I have to put my hands up and admit that I am a typical girl in that respect. I am a big fan of accessories but hey aren’t we all? I do, however, have my casual days where I don my trainers and loose track bottoms. 

I do think that it is wise to have an accessories page in any magazine as it adds more glitz and femininity. My only criticism right now is the fact that there aren’t enough buff guys gracing the pages of women’s magazines. That would certainly put a smile on my face as I for one do admire the fine male form. I know you feel me when I say that ladies.   

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