Why is my
O magazine collection waterlogged? Because when it's time to hide from everybody and relax in the tub, it’s my reading material of choice. When I'm battle-weary from the day, it’s the one magazine that says, no,
proclaims: “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and doggone it, people like me!”* It helps me rise above the negativity inherent in our do-too-much world and lifts me to a higher mental state. This is between 194 to almost 300 pages of “recharge” time, pure and simple. Take this tour of the magazine, and you may soon find it to be a favorite of yours, too.
THE COVER
The stories on the cover are eye-catching. Some examples include “Emotional Checkup: How are you
really? (April 2003), “Uh-oh! A few signs you’re turning into your mother” (May 2003), “How to raise the kind of men we’d want to marry” (June 2003) and “Sexual energy, spiritual energy, Get-you-through-the-day energy: How to pump it up…and when to stop pushing yourself” (July 2003).
There has yet to be a cover without O herself. I used to think, “Okay, we get the point. It’s Oprah’s magazine. Now let’s see someone else.” And then I remembered a similar situation from my PR days. A president of a client company (a Fortune 500 subsidiary) once insisted that he be quoted in every single solitary press release our agency distributed. Naturally, we all assumed it was arrogance on his part. Over drinks, we got the real story. He told my boss and me that it was less about ego and more about getting brand attention. Quoting the president would be more likely to get an editor’s and prospective buyer’s attention than quoting a middle manager. Using this logic, it makes sense that Oprah – who is practically a brand in her own right -- would want the public to know this is her magazine right from the cover.
ORGANIZATION/TABLE OF CONTENTS
Unlike most magazines, you won’t have to sift through pages of ads to find the table of contents. There’s a 2-page spread of ads, and then voila! There it is. It’s easy to follow, and the cover stories are in a box so you can spot them easily.
EDITOR’S MESSAGES
“Here We Go" and
”What I Know For Sure” are the two forums where Oprah shares her thoughts each issue. The current (July 2003) issue is especially enlightening as she describes how she went from standard scandal tv to something more positive. Early in her career, she surprised a couple by revealing that the husband was cheating and it was the first the wife heard about it. She said she was so ashamed of herself that she wanted to make a big change. Result? The popular tv show and magazine that bear her name, plus multitudes of philanthropic contributions by her personally or through her Angel Network.
COLUMNS
The columnists are each now celebrities and/or authors in their own right and all have written books or host their own tv shows.
Dr. Phil Phillip C. McGraw, Ph.D., was a frequent contributor to Oprah’s tv show before launching his own program. He answers readers questions in a no-nonsense, direct, (some would say blunt or harsh) way. He challenges readers to “get real” with situations. Whenever a spouse writes in to complain about his/her mate, he pinpoints the real issue behind the complaint. If it’s really time for a spouse to leave, he tells them they have to
earn their way out since he believes divorce is too easy in America. He also addresses issues of lying, blabbing, and backstabbing. Most people either love or hate Dr. Phil. Some of these “hate him” folks come around when they actually pay attention to what he says instead of making assumptions based on his approach.
“Dr. Phil’s MANual” was the anchor for the June 2003 issue. It begins, “Women, how many times have you looked at the man in your life, shook your head, and wondered,
Can he really be that stupid/insensitive/tuned out/selfish/clueless? The answer is, NO, he’s probably not that bad. But he is, shall we say,
different.” My husband found this issue in the mailbox before I did. With dread in his voice, he said, “Your Oprah magazine is here.” I told him to read it, and he said he was afraid of male-bashing. Nope, not here. I told him to read it – it talks about why men hate criticism, how to protect their egos, and how to appreciate their gifts. I know he reads my magazine every month because he always comments about how positive and attractive it is, yet he was still apprehensive that this issue would sting him. I think that's a feeling most men have, but rest assured, it’s not happening here.
Suze Orman is the money guru. She answers readers’ questions and gives advice on topics of interest. She encourages readers to tell the truth and go with their gut on money matters. She also highlights a topic each month and gives examples of how to avoid tax consequences and probate. Her big emphasis remains on debt reduction.
Martha Beck, a life coach, became my hero in November 2002 when she introduced a game called
“dysfunctional family bingo” as part of a larger article on how to deal with your family during the holidays. As a rule, I have a good relationship with my family. For some reason everyone goes nuts during the holidays and so I dread them. Reading this made me laugh inside when I usually want to run for the exit! Here’s how it works: before the holidays, get together with your friends and hand out blank “bingo” cards. On each square, you and your friends each fill in the squares with behaviors or sayings that make you cringe when exhibited by family members. For example, “Al is drunk,” “Have you tried weight watchers?” “You know, you could be pretty if you did something with your hair.” These are not the ones we hear in our family, but we have others. You get the general idea. When someone exhibits the dreadful behavior, you get to fill in a square. The first one of your friends to win “Bingo” has to sneak away to call everyone else and tell them. When the holidays are over, you get together with your friends and whoever won (or had the most squares filled in) gets a free lunch. Martha’s other topics are equally insightful, such as how it is necessary to be who you are and to do what you like to find an ideal mate instead of scheming and going on blind dates. (Thankfully I’m not in that position.)
Julie Morganstern is a professional organizer. Each month she helps readers tackle a new organizational challenge. Examples include: organizing photos, organizing a bathroom, organizing your purse, and packing for a trip. Incidentally, Julie’s books,
Time Management from the Inside Out and
Organizing from the Inside Out are lifesavers. She’s a reformed clutter-a-holic and therefore has credibility over people who are born organized.
The Satellite Sisters These 5 sisters each answer a question of etiquette ranging from holiday re-gifting to what to do if you see your friend’s husband at dinner with another woman.
FEATURES
Features in
O are typically meaty. They are well-researched and make you think. Topics range from health and medicine, people who have fought the odds and won, weight loss and exercise, spirituality, microbes, and any number of topics of interest. There are often stories about people who are giving back to others as well. Most features are written as first person accounts by the authors themselves and the people they interview.
BOOKS
On her television show, Oprah introduced the world to a new book club and the response was phenomenal. People who hadn’t read a book in years began devouring them to keep up. In keeping with that tradition of literacy,
O Magazine retains a heavy emphasis on books. In each issue, there is a celebrity book list and a section devoted to book reviews.
PRODUCT PLACEMENTS
Typically, products featured in
O are beautiful, glamorous, and out of the realistic price range for those of us who aren’t CEOs or movie stars. Exception: the holiday issues have gift-giving ideas divided by dollar amount ($25 was the lowest in the December 2002 issue). These recommendations may or may not be colored by advertising dollars; the magazine doesn’t specify.
The “O” List (“Things that Oprah thinks are just great”) features items that are on the really upscale side. Living in California, I’ll pay 99 cents on a good day for an avocado and $1.99 on a bad one. So when I read you can buy six avocados by mail for $26 USD, I groaned audibly. You’ll also find the typical $395 blazer, the $400 shoes, etc.
”Love That" is another product placement section with slightly less expensive items, but not always. The
”Beauty Shopper”answers questions about makeup and shows photos and descriptions of several different brands (usually department store brands).
MODELS
Models in “O” are a refreshing cross-section of attractive women of different ages and racial heritage. They seem to represent our society well. As one reader pointed out in the letters section, however, there are no plus-size models. Typically, Oprah listens to her readers and you may see that change in the future.
RECIPES
I don’t usually follow recipes in magazines, so I haven’t tried any. They are typically uncomplicated and healthy (except the treats and desserts!). I always pay extra attention when
The Barefoot Contessa makes an appearance because I know I’ll find easy-to-prepare party food that will earn rave reviews. Since I served pizza at the last three parties I hosted, I haven’t tried the chicken satay recipe, but darn it I will someday!
PHOTOGRAPHY
Always beautiful, entertaining, and makes you think. There’s always a two-page spread of nature photography called “Breathing Space.” It’s wonderful to see it on your desk and meditate or shut out the world for a little while.
EXTRAS
Every month, Oprah gives you perforated pages of inspirational thoughts designed to be taped to your computer monitor or mailed to friends as postcards. She also gives you a tear-out section called “Something to Think About” that gets you to ask yourself the hard questions on your way to getting more out of life. This month (July 2003), she encourages us to find out our energy drains and energy givers so we can make the most of our energy.
ADVERTISEMENTS
For the most part, I don’t mind the advertisements in
O. Yes, there are a lot of them. The alternative would be a higher price to cover the cost of all of the quality writing and big-name columnists. Mostly, the ads portray real people. Although I am white, I appreciate seeing women of color represented positively in the advertising as well as in the magazine itself. Since the rest of the magazine emphasizes accepting who you are and how you look, ads that objectify women or promote overachievers look more out of place than normal. There’s enough meat in the publication to balance out the commercial messages, and you can always skip them if you want.
FINAL THOUGHTS
“Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.”** Thankfully, this advice doesn’t apply to
O Magazine. It aspires to and reaches something higher. It has distinguished itself, in my opinion, as best in class. I give it 4 ½ stars (for the emphasis on expensive products) rounded up to five. It is definitely worth the subscription price and every minute you spend reading it.
Source Attribution:
*Stuart Smalley (as written and played by Al Franken) Saturday Night Live
** Everybody's Free to Wear Sunscreen, by Mary Schmich as performed by Baz Luhrmann, http://supak.com/sunscreen.htm
This review is brought to you by the First Official
Three-Legged Write-Off, an event pairing two members of the Epinions Community running to side-by-side to offer tandem reviews because it's not only fun, it supports the spirit of working together toward a common goal: providing consumers and Epinions with a wealth of information that you can find nowhere else. To read the entries from the other competitors you may wish to visit http://home.earthlink.net/~epskids/team.html.
Please meet the writer who agreed to lash her name to mine,
jdhauer, and read her
review on this leg of race. Thanks for inviting me to be your writing partner, Julie!
