Decline of the gossip mags
COVID. Remember that? Seems like a dream now, doesn’t it, something we have to convince ourselves really happened.
But it did happen and if there is one side effect of the Covid pandemic it was the excuse it gave doctors and dentists to get rid of magazines from their waiting rooms. They seized the moment, carpe diem, and cancelled all magazine subscriptions. Might spread disease.
Just like that we entered the new age of going into a waiting room and instead of having to decide between perusing two-year-old issues of the Australian Women’s Weekly and Bride Guide we turned to our mobile phones for succour.
All the mags have gone, even gossip mags like New Idea, Who Weekly and Take That. The University of Auckland – this is true - has carried out a study of magazines in doctor’s waiting rooms. They found out waiting room mags were mostly old – wow, what a revelation - and that the newer editions were the first to be stolen by patients. These would be the same psychopaths who also tear out recipes and the pages from stories they want to finish at home.
One thing the same group of researchers looked at was the possible effects on reception staff if there were no gossip magazines in the waiting room. Seriously.
The implication being that reception staff did nothing but sit around reading gossipy magazines all day while (1) painting their finger nails and (2) chatting about New Idea’s prediction that Brad and Jennifer were back on.
I know this sounds misogynist, but let me assure you here and now that (1) I have never spotted a member of a medical surgery room reception team
reading a gossip magazine or any magazine for that matter and (2) I have never seen anyone at the reception desk painting their finger nails. There, so that’s settled. Despite their best efforts, surprise, surprise, the university could not find a surgery practice where the reception staff were willing to take part in the gossip magazine research project.
They probably told the head research her go jump off Mt Cook. P.S. Can someone tell the University of Auckland to undertake some real research and to start giving New Zealand taxpayers some bang for their buck. Like, what is it about Kiwis and sheep?
But, one thing this all proves is that back in pre-covid times, women had the power when it came to buying the magazines for doctors’ and dentists’ surgeries.
They were the ones giving the thumbs down to quality magazines like Modern Fishing, Dirt Bike and Western Horseman and thumbs-up to Modern Bride and Vogue.
This is a cry from the wilderness I know, but bring back new magazines and can you make sure there are some in the pile that blokes want to read?