| Product: |
Closer Magazine |
| Date: |
27/08/05 (2289 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Celebrity gossip, tv guide, real life stories
Disadvantages: Too much info about faddy diets etc.
As a stalwart of gossip magazines, I thought i would write a few words about Closer - which, over the years has become my favourite of all of them (ie heat, new, now, hello, okay....). I used to be an avid Heat magazine reader, however about a year ago it got a little too silly even for me. Also, i think, with age i have started to turn into one of those people who enjoys reading real life stories - i'm just one step away from take a break and woman magazine!
The premise of Closer is that it is 'four magazines in one'. It has the celebrity news, real life, shopping and bodies. There is also a tv guide at the back.
CELEBRITY NEWS:
a round up of the weeks celeb gossip. Generally just pictures, but closer does seem to try and write a little more than some other magazines. This is not to say its true though! alot of 'friend of a friend' type quotes etc! It also has a feature where 'celebritys' give their view about a relevent topic of the week. usually quite amusing, as they are usually really badly thought out arguements! Tara Palmer Tomkinson and Coleen (famous as wayne rooneys girlfriend) have columns - generally filled with pointless fluff, but amusing all the same.
REAL LIFE STORIES:
Closer has more real life stories in than other gossip magazines such as now or new - and i think they are generally better written as well. They tackle serious news stories as well as funny ones - my favourite recently? 'I Was Seduced by Barry Chuckle' (of chuckle brothers fame). With a title like that, how could people resist the magazine?!?
SHOPPING:
These pages are generally similar to most magazines, pictures of clothes etc that celebs are wearing - they do seem to be from shops that normal people could afford, which is good. They also have the make up pages, with new products and 'how to get her look' articles.
BODIES:
Closer have regular features with question and answers from a plastic surgeon, doctor, and agony aunt. They also have a 'fridge raider' article where two 'nutrition coaches' tell celebritys that eating one bar of chocolate a week is a sin, and they should try eating a banana instead (or something as ridiculas!). Whilst these are all fairly fun,its the constant inclusion of faddy diets that gets me - this weeks is the south beach diet, which sounds okay actually, however Closer never puts in enough information for you to really understand it- or they only give you a 3 day plan of it.
TV GUIDE:
Pretty comprehensive with Terristrial and Satelitte listings. Each day has four 'picks' which are discussed in more detail. There are usually a couple of pages before the guide discussing current TV gossip, and with a round up of soaps (although no Hollyoakees - maybe that means i am getting too old to watch it!)
OVERALL:
I enjoy closer as it is well written, and little less sensationalised that other gossip magazines. I don't like the pre-occupation with saying celebs are too skinny and then dedicating pages to faddy diets, but this seems to be normal in all womens magazines now. Definately worth a read if you prefer a magazine with more articles and less full page pictures!
Summary: Closer magazine - a must for all those gossip fans out there
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