Do beauty and lifestyle magazines and advice columns imitate life, or is it vice-versa?

Think about it. I used to work in publishing. At times, my editor would play the part of the resident advice columnist!





In other words, it could be anybody behind that mask, not a counselor, nutritionist, or personal trainer!





And sometimes the columnist or journalist writes about such and such a man and categorizes such and such men, as if she really knows her chops. But when I read it, as a man, who knows about men, I think to myself, with whom has this chick been hanging out with or what Government Issue clone is she married to, or what's she been smoking?





I'm sure there are many good magazines and many good magazine staff and journalists, as well as readers out there. But some of the material that makes the grade out there looks like pure guesswork, if you know what I mean! It's just: Are people so eager to imitate the glamorous lifestyles they see written about in magazines - because they trust the media as gospel truth?Do beauty and lifestyle magazines and advice columns imitate life, or is it vice-versa?
I used to work for a cetain PlayStation magazine and the cheats and tips column, fronted by a rather busty model and fully loaded with sexed-up text, was actually written by a man.





One time this reader phoned up asking to speak to her, so the receptionist put him through to me (as I was the only female member writer on the mag). He was calling up to ask the tips 'lady' out on a date. So I arranged to meet him at a shopping centre in Wolverhampton(!), obviously with the intention of never turning up. Bless him. He asked me (or rather 'her') to wear a certain bra that was worn in particular issue. And when I didn't show he called up again and wanted to know why, so I had to fob him off with a quick 'modelling shoot' excuse.





I got into trouble for doing this, but I didn't really give a flying fig by that point. Magazine journalism sucks (unless you're freelancing and therefore out of the office) as it's full of nepotism and bribery (I have another story about another PlayStation magazine that involved them highly recommending a crap footie game in return for World Cup tickets. And it was the official magazine too!).





Mojo magazine is the only one I read now as it's the only one that seems to have a sensibility about it and a genuine love for the subject. The rest are generally bullsh*t.Do beauty and lifestyle magazines and advice columns imitate life, or is it vice-versa?
Beauty and lifestyle magazines are the ';Ozzie and Harriet'; of publishing; they present a world that never was and never will be!