OK, since I seem to be slipping up a bit on getting the rest of this issue blogged (oh, it’s been read for a couple of days, but I can’t get around to blogging it), I’m going to do a recap of what I thought of the last half of the magazine:
- It makes me laugh to see all the recommended stuff on The O List, and then on the next page, there starts another round of “here’s more stuff to buy, even if it’s not on Oprah’s list.” It’s the style section, and it’s got this headline, “Look What We Found!” which made me wonder, did they really find it, or did they just have a lot of x on hand and decided to write about it. I don’t know how magazines work, and I’m curious. Besides, you just got through what Oprah found….do you have to get through what the staff found too?
- There’s an interesting, humorous article on body image that suggests instead of the BMI, using the PBII (Personal Body Image Index) which recommends gauging yourself on how you feel. The purpose is really to help you get over your hang-ups and enjoy your body as it is at the moment. If you’re relatively thin, yet think you’re fat, 30 years down the road, you might look at yourself and marvel at how thin you were back then. And what did you think back then? You were unhappy with yourself. An interesting concept–another way to try to live in the moment.
- Books of Summer? I have too many on my shelf to get into the new books of summer (except the David Sedaris. I’m reading that one right now).
- “Men! What Are You Thinking?!” The themed section is a group of eight short articles written by men in an attempt to explain themselves. There’s the FAQs (”What do you like most about us?”), the crazy things men think up, what they think of fatherhood, men secrets (”Sometimes we don’t open up because we are afraid of what we will find.”), men’s war stories, men and violence, how men and women differ, men and dancing. While they’re somewhat interesting, I couldn’t help but think the articles said what men wanted us to hear. I think I get more about men when I read Esquire.
- There’s an article about 54 ways to say no–mostly it’s in specific situations (dinner companions asking for a bite of your meal, social hugs, etc.). They’re pretty decent. What I didn’t expect was the companion piece, “The Year of Saying Yes!” by Patricia Volk, who I just adore. Hooray! Patricia was apparently good at saying no, and her friend accuses her of not really pushing the boundaries of life, not really living. So Patricia decides to say yes to every offer that comes up, like introducing a film at a film festival, teaching writing for a semester, going on a blind date. By the end of the article she doesn’t regret saying yes to anything she’s said yes to. “The change has to do with the joy of being available to chance. There is a thrilling difference between being comfortable and being too comfortable.” Well said, Ms. Vollk, and with your usual wonderful writing style. Did I mention that I love this writer’s O articles? One of these days I’ll have to read her books.
- Helicopter parents. This is one of those phenomenon that I do not understand. Why do you want to be that wrapped up in your child’s life that you do basically everything for them? The article said it was a rebellion from Gen X latchkey kids, but I don’t really think so. I think it’s easier to live vicariously through someone else’s life rather than make your own. A lot of women have bought into this competitive parenting, and the results aren’t going to be good (although I didn’t have a helicopter mother, I was told what to do on certain occasions when it would have been more beneficial to allow me to explore and do the work myself. I see that now that I’m an adult.)
- What does Oprah know for sure? She’s still excited about her decision to choose Eckhardt Tolle’s book A New Earth for her book club/class experience. She’s excited that people are living more in the moment (or say they’re living more in the moment) and experiencing more spirituality because of it.
- What does Jill know for sure? Well, I’m glad to be finished with another issue. I’m still trying to get a better balance of how to do this blog. Does one big entry like this work? Or would it be better to separate this a bit more? I’ll keep playing with it, but it’s certainly a relief to be done blogging this issue in one fell swoop!
August 2008 is “True Life Stories,” so I’ll read it, then go back to these other men issues. Onward!
UPDATED TO ADD: A half-hour after I posted this, I realized the July 2008 issue doesn’t have an O Interview in it! There doesn’t seem to be one in the August 2008 issue either? This is definitely odd. I wonder if there’s a reason, or if this is just a little vacation and it’s happened before. Anyone know?
You know what else is missing? Breathing Space. I couldn’t find it in the newest issue and was very disappointed. The format of the magazine has changed little by little over the years. Almost like the influence of Oprah herself has become diluted. Is she still as involved in it now that she is creating her own network and running the radio program? Has she stretched herself too thin?
One other question to ponder: why should we be so intent on fixing ourselves? Isn’t it possible to be enough in who we are that we don’t need advice or columns on how to be better?
WHAT WHAT WHAT??!!!! The September issue is sitting on my desk, mocking me because once again, I have put this project on the back burner. I haven’t looked at it yet, but yes, it does look like “Breathing Space” is gone. Thanks for making your magazine more like every other one on the newsstand, O staff!
Thanks for pointing this out, Bean, and you have excellent points. I do wonder if Oprah’s stretching herself too thin with all these projects. You can’t do everything well. And what’s wrong with being a different magazine? How can you possibly tell your advertisers how you’re different from every other women’s magazine?
My guess on your second question is that we tend to think the grass is greener in someone else’s life, and since we need to keep up, we’d better get some help doing so.
Thanks for your comments!!