There are SOOOOOOO many 'celeb gossip' magazines to choose from but Heat magazine is, arguably, the best!
What is it? -------------- Heat is a British entertainmentmagazine providing readers with a weekly dose of the latest celebrity news and gossip. It was launched in 1999 and, with high profile celebriities (such as footballers and their WAGS, film stars and reality TV stars) appearing on its pages week after week, Heat soon became a popular choice. Sales have grown from 60,000 in 1999 to over half a million now! In my opinion, Heat gives a 'tongue-in-cheek' look at the celebrity culture and gives the readers what they want - mostly pictures of celebs at their worst when they think nobody is looking!
Who is it for? ----------------- In my opinion Heat is aimed at women but I know plenty of men who read it too. (There are probably many more 'closet' fans than we are aware of!) It is supposed to be aimed at all ages but I would say it's most popular with 15-35 yr-olds. I myself am 27 and have been buying Heat since it began. My sister is 23 and goes as far as to call Heat her bible! My mother, at 51, would never actually go out and buy it herself but does read our copies if we were to leave it lying around.
Contents overview -------------------------- When turning the pages you are unlikely to find breaking news but you will find articles which show the rich and famous in a different light. They are no longer on their pedestals and actually become not unlike us mere mortals - they do walk into lamp posts and venture out without make-up, fall over whilst drunk and make huge mistakes with fashion! The photos are all here for us to chuckle over on our way to work or on our lunch breaks! Each week you will find celebrity interviews, gossip, fashion, beauty, reviews and TV listings and much much more. This includes: Circle of shame - very amusing - here you will find sweat patches, nobbly knees, tit tape and bogies galore! "Be afraid of the red ring" . 10 questions we always ask - a different celeb each week and 10 questions such as 'Where did you wake up this morning', 'Who did you last receive a text from' etc. Torso of the week - A bit of eye candy is always welcome! What were you thinking? - Naming and shaming the style blunders of the week. Steal her style - Each week Heat helps you recreate a stylish celeb's look.
Price -------- Heat is average price - currently £1.65, not quite as expensive as some such as OK but there are cheaper gossip mags like Reveal and Star on the market. It does have good value for money though as it has more content than some.
Bad bits? ------------ Breaking news if considered to be 'Is Davina leaving Big Brother?' - Hardly front page stuff! But then Heat is supposed to be tongue-in-cheek and shouldn't be taken seriously. Annoying when they brand a perfectly healthy human being as 'lardy' just because they may have gained a couple of pounds or simply forgot to breathe in and probably only weigh all of 3 stone wet through anyway! One week they are congratulating some tv star or other on their huge weight loss, the next they are bowing down to the curvy girls of the celeb world. Make your minds up?!!!!!
Final thought ------------------ Heat is a fun magazine with lots of amusing content. It keeps you up to date with 'what's what' and 'who's who', provides many a topic of conversation in the staff room at work and keeps us all entertained week after week But do we really give a fig who forgot to wear their knickers on a night out or who might or might not be pregnant by so and so's uncle's second cousin twice removed? Not really, but then Heat is strangely addictive and although the world has gone celebrity obsessed, we can't help but join in and take a sneaky peak for ourselves at the intrusive, nonsensical pages!
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Good clear well-structured review. Can't think of a magazine I'd less like to read, though!
Bollinger28 18.05.2008 09:18
I know what you mean - Heat (and New, Now , Star etc:) are all very addictive. We really shouldn't care who's gained 3lbs or why Posh is in a strop, but you can't help pick the magazine up and have a flick through sometimes! I refuse to buy them now though (as the stories all always the same every week), I just have a catch at the dentist or hairdressers every now and then. Lexy
charlotte_thomas 17.05.2008 23:10
great review, i love the celeb gossip mags. big fan of closer too!
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