People Review

When People Magazine debuted in early 1974, it was an off-shoot of Time Magazine and it was an immediate hit.

People focused on people in the news (usually in a good way) and people we should take note of.  Often, the people that were brought to our attention were obscure, everyday people; subjects of a human interest story.

That was then, this is now

Today, People is still a very popular magazine, but the contents have been considerably diluted from its Time Magazine days.

These days, People competes directly with lesser celeb gossip magazines such as US Weekly, Star and Entertainment Weekly.  You're more likely to read about who's in rehab, been busted, or he latest celebs who have split.  But at least they spare us from asking us "who looks better in that dress".

They are far more likely to feature the sensational than the important news, but then that can probably be said for some of the "serious" news magazines as well.

In a recent copy, People ran a story of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and her husband, an Alzheimer's sufferer.  It was both touching and interesting.  Yes, People still does some serious reporting of people who have earned their way into the news.

My Viewpoint

Maybe it's not the magazine that it started out to be, but to this reviewer it still stands just a bit above its competition.  If this is the type of reading you enjoy, this is the best of the bunch.

Rudi