First Half of the Magazine...who actually reads it?

[paulryb]

Just wondering if anyone actually reads the first half of CL? As one of the minority male readers of CL, nail polish and bra features just don't do it for me! I admit, being a massage therapist, some of the features about health, etc. in this part of the magazine are interesting, but I don't really expect to find them in a cooking magazine. Men's Fitness Magazine, for example, does have some food articles, but after all, it's a magazine of fitness and not called Men's Cooking!

[Grace]

Here we go again!!

Here's a prior thread on this same subject:

http://www.cookinglight.com/vbb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=18644&highlight=beauty

[kima]

I always enjoy Gin Miller's column. The rest ... boring!! But Grace is right... we've been here before!:D

[SusanT]

I do.

[beejayw1]

So do I. Especially the travel section. The mag is about living well and being fit, not just Cooking Light.

(Note: yes, I've read the other threads, too)

[laughsandlaughs]

I read cover to cover.

[SandyM]

Hi Paul,

Welcome to the board! How's the weather up there??? :D :D

I'm a former Buffalonian (and so are a few others on this board). Glad to have you here, and hope you find it as useful and friendly as I do.

Take care!

[Chefzhat]

Hi Paul! Welcome to the board! I'm sure you'll enjoy your time here - and you can help add some testosterone! :D :D :D

As you can tell, the first half of the magazine has led to a few recent raging debates on the boards. I for one just skip over them - basically 'cause I'm beautiful enough already (ba da boom!)

Take care, and ask all the questions you want!

Debie

[Gina O]

I read all my magazines cover to cover... a little habit I guess.

Another "welcome", Gina

[beckms]

I'm staying out of this one...I've already expressed my opinions on other threads, and would rather keep my new friends than make new enemies! :p

But I will say that I've often wondered what the male readers can possibly get out of the first half of the mag...

I hope you join into some of the other, happier discussions!

[paulryb]

Thanks for everyone's welcomes. I see I chose a topic that people have strong feelings about! And by the way we're all dug out of the 7 ft of snow...I made the potato fugasse from the Dec issue during some of my down time (luckily I always have yeast on hand)...it was OK, not great, not really a must make again.
Paul

[kima]

Sorry I didn't say "Welcome" on my last post Paul. It is great to have another guy here!
I can imagine you would find the first half of the magazine rather boring- except maybe the travel article on the Carribbean!:)
Glad to hear you've dug your way out!!
Thanks for the review- we ALL love those- no debates on that one!
Oh I should add- our discussions may seem heated at times- but its all done with alot of affection for one another!:)

[claire797]

I skip most of those articles. I've mentioned before, I read Allure or Shape for most beauty and health info. I do like CL's little editorial bits on nutrition and health, but I don't like full articles on beauty issues or exercise routines. I think magazines should stick to what they do best and CL's beauty articles have been weak.

[Grace]

Thank you Maureen - I was beginning to think that people here weren't interested in any opinion other than one that agrees with their own!

I have said it 10,000 times, I LOVE this board, and I love everyone on this board. And there's never any name-calling or putdowns in people's posts. But whatever, apparently I offended anyway?

And Paul, I'd like to say welcome too, and I think you'll find this a great board!! It is very addictive, precisely because everyone is so nice and and helpful! (And the debates can be fun too, if you don't take them too seriously! :D )

[Michael Smith]

I skip the first n pages also. Seems like so much fluff for the #1 cooking zine. That half of the mag seems to be marketed to younger white females interested to staying fit, but that's probably the target group for the publishers.

I subscribe for the cooking info only, but the magazine as a whole is definitely a winner and participants on this site are probably the friendliest bunch you'll find anywhere.

Oh, and they are **** knowledgable too (you know who you are!).

[kima]

Grace- you never offend- I LOVE a diversity of opinions.
After all we are talking about a section in a magazine not geopolitics!:D :D

[GayeC]

I must have missed the thread where this was a touchy issue! I read the magazine cover to cover. Although I seldom use the beauty hints or exercise routines, I find that reading the front sections helps me stay in a healthy living mindset. I do learn interesting tidbits from these sections and often really enjoy the profiles of people who have made healthful changes in their lives.

Welcome Paul!

Gaye

[csmcnamara]

I read the whole magazine too!

[SusanMac]

I read the whole thing cover to cover, but definitely wouldn't if I were a male. The mag is totally targeted to women (despite them claiming from time to time to meet the needs of men). You're a trooper for getting the mag for the recipes, knowing the first half won't interest you.

BTW, paulryb, I also love Men's Fitness more than DH! Their health trends articles are good. maybe I also feel like I'm getting some kind of insider's scoop that I'm not supposed to know :-)

[Isabel]

I read the magazine cover to cover. I like the exercise advice, it's nice to find good exercises that I can use at home, instead of always going to the gym. I also love the travel section. A few months ago my husbands hometown of Knoxville was featured, it was fun to read about places my husband went to as a kid.

[JennieL]

I too read cover to cover, but mostly because it's there. If they replaced the first half with all cooking and more recipies, I'd be thrilled!

[CSB]

I have to admit that I was a little embarrased because I gave a subscription to my brother-in law (who loves to cook) for a Birthday present and it seemed like all of the issues thereafter were all geared for women. I hope he enjoyed the recipes. :rolleyes:

[buddie]

i read the letter section then i skip right to the recipes..... :D

[sherri]

I read the whole magazine, but I have to say I wish they would skip the beauty advice and focus more on nutrition, cooking, recipes, etc. Like so many others said, there are extensive fitness and beauty magazines that we can utilize!!

[Gail]

This particular question was one surveyed during our group meetings at CL headquarters this past June. Not surprisingly, I think the majority of the readers in my particular group made a beeline for the recipes, skimming the other sections.

As for myself, I am a skimmer-- not just CL but with any magazine. My main area of interest is obviously going to be recipes, but I have no issue with any of the other sections. Sometimes, I find something which catches my eye; sometimes I don't. Doesn't matter to me if it's exercise, recipes, travel, beauty or health... some articles catch my eye, others are passed over. I think that's just as true of CL as anything else out there.

[donleyk]

Just want to say welcome to Paul and agree with Gail. Jan. is a good example, I read a majority of the articles. I am a skimmer and if it catches my eye I read it. If it turns into something I am not interested in I move on. The beauty tips are more food for thought for me. Overall, I enjoy the whole magazine.

[daner94]

I really enjoy reading every single bit. I especially love the photography that accompanies the articles.

But I am a magazine addict anyway. I read every mag cover to cover. And by the way, I am having withdrawal pains since I haven't gotten Jan/Feb yet!!!

[Angela]

cover to cover.
Though sometimes I do skip the beauty section if the topic is not of interest to me.

[Pat]

I am another cover to cover reader or skimmer for some articles. My main focus is food, nutrition, and cooking. I sometimes pass the exercise articles on to a daughter since I have a routine that is sanctioned by my doctor so I stick with that.

As Gail said we discussed this in June at CL. I would prefer more nutrition news, such as the articles on food items we may not be utilizing. One I am thinking of was the article they did a year or so ago on flaxseed. I was unaware of the health benefits of flaxseed, but after reading this article I am trying to use it more and more.

More recipes would also be great, but how many can two people try? I just never feel like I have enough. I am always on the lookout for new recipes.