A Little Reading Time

I stood there in front of a wall of magazines at the newsstand in the airport. My fight was delayed and I had already read through my copies of Cosmo and Newsweek that I had saved reading until my fight back to school. I still had another 6 hours to go before I got back to my apartment; I had nothing left to read. I didn’t want to buy a book, because classes start tomorrow and I wouldn’t have time to read it before I have to start reading textbooks. So there I was, a whole buffet of magazines to choose from but nothing I wanted to reading. NOT one magazine on that wall could claim me as an audience. The magazine wall in the newstand at the D terminal at the Pittsburgh airport is dived into three categories, Men’s Interest, General Interest (news and entertainment) and Women’s Interest. I glanced at the Men’s interest; I figured what the heck sometimes there is an article that catches my eye. Esquire had an interesting article about an injured vet that I thought I might like to read. Making my way to general interest I looked at the entertainment magazines every single one had the headline that ended “the YEAR IN REVIEW” and I really didn’t have any burning desire to read about Suri Cruise or what Paris Hilton was wearing to a Christmas party. As far as news magazines go. I had just finished reading Newsweek and preferred not to read any more about the death of President Ford and the execution of Hussein. This left me in the Women’s Interest section.

I have decided that that women’s magazines are divided into to categories, Magazines for mom’s and magazines for the fashion conscious promiscuous single girls, and not being either of those two, I ask the question, what’s a girl to read while waiting for her plane? In the mom category, there was Redbook, Ladies Home Journal etc. In those, the tag lines cleverly contained articles pertaining to how to balance your work schedule with your child’s extra curricular activities, or finding time for you and your husband between soccer games and ballet lessons. There are recipes that your kids will love without knowing that they are nutritious, While the magazines aimed for those of us without kids and households to run have taglines such as, How to make sure your guy has a full body orgasm, and how to dress like the stars for less.

Well I don’t have kids and although some day I might need to know who to disguise string beans so that my picky eater of a four-year-old will eat them; I can’t say that is an article on the top of my reading list. As for the articles about sex, I would like to just have a date next Saturday night other than renting a sappy chick-flick with my housemates. (Whom I love.)

Where are the magazines that have myself and most of my friends as an audience? Where are the articles on “saving money at the grocery store, when as one person you can’t possible use the family size bottle of ketchup” or “finding Mr. Right some where other than the local bar.” Or, “ how to combat the question-“ you’re still not married?” at a family function. As I listen to the woes of my friends, both male and female in similar life situations to my own, I hear similar concerns, that print media just seems to be ignoring. Concerns such as, how do I pick a career? or did I pick the right one for me.? How can I find a job doing what I love? What if I do end up old an alone? What if my family doesn’t agree with the lifestyle that I have chosen? Is it all right to date a person who already has children, and what does that mean for my future family? How do I start a romantic relationship with a friend? Should I start a romantic relationship when I know how transient my life is right now?
This is the advice that the many single people need, regardless of gender. Where is the magazine section called real life issues?