Reading about celebrities frivolous waste of time, money

by Jason Logan, staff writer

It might come as a surprise to you that three of the top 10 magazines in circulation revenue are celebrity news/gossip oriented.

But then again, it might not. Until just recently, I thought everyone spent their mornings watching C-Span and went to sleep at night watching the History Channel. I had no idea how much of a market there was for such low-rent media. All I can say is, “Seriously, America?”

At any given time, you can turn on the television and find at least 20 news programs dedicated solely to celebrity news or walk up to a news stand and find just as many magazines with the same content. I am extremely happy to know that that so many Americans have so little going on in their lives that actually care about people who they have never met enough to buy a magazine that will tell them all about Brittany’s latest rehab run or Jen’s new haircut. If that doesn’t make you proud, well, nothing will.

What’s worse is that we are wasting money on magazines like this to a ridiculous extent. People Magazine grossed $1.5 billion last year. Us Weekly grossed just under that, which means, between these two magazines, American consumers have spent almost as much on gossip magazines as has been spent on AIDS research in 2006. Almost $3 billion that could have been spent feeding hungry children, building homeless shelters, or buying a new eye for that cat on the ASPCA commercial. I know you’ve seen it; it’s sad.

By spending money on these magazines and perpetuating a vicious cycle of irrelevance, we give them the go ahead to do completely and utterly ridiculous things. One such incident was People Magazine spending a blistering $4.1 billion on the “Brangelina” baby photos.  Remember that one-eyed cat?

Every magazine you buy is just giving one more photographer the urge to trespass on someone’s property and violate their right to privacy.

I have a simple solution. Next time you feel the need to pick a magazine a peer into someone’s private life, remember how upset when you got when you found out about the FBI wiretaps and all the controversy over all that jazz. Imagine they are listening to you, following you around, and watching your every move.

Think about your most embarrassing moment. How would you feel if pictures of that were all over some magazine in every newsstand across the nation?

Grow a conscience. Get a life.