Rag mags lag on COVID-19
In the latest issue of In Touch magazine, between stories about Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas’ new romance and Khloe Kardashian’s “krazy” workouts, there’s a jolting five-page spread: “CORONAVIRUS ATTACKS HOLLYWOOD,” the headline screams, with “attacks” typed out in red letters that look like spattered blood.
While it may be a typical dramatic tabloid headline, the frantic tone oddly captures the urgency of this nightmare we’re living in.
But people are also craving a way to escape the flood of horrific headlines, and a popular choice is anything brought to us by Hollywood: movies, TV, music, comedy, celebrity gossip.
A dive into the print tabloids on stands this past week is like a very brief trip to an alternate reality, as you become absorbed in the blessedly mundane stories: Let’s take a tour of Pharrell’s $16.9-million mansion. What has Suzanne Somers been up to? Dennis Quaid, 65, is engaged to a 26-year-old — oh, and their wedding has been postponed because of coronavirus concerns. Then real life comes screaming back to you.
Reality sets in most often while reading People, the celebrity magazine most grounded by serious journalistic responsibilities. The March 30 cover reads, “Facing Fears and Finding Courage: The Coronavirus Crisis.” In a letter inside to readers, editor in chief Dan Wakeford reveals it’s the first time the nearly five-decade-old magazine has ever been produced without anyone in the office: “We feel our mission becomes even more useful in difficult times.”
The issue has plenty of other stories (Prince Harry drama, The Bachelor drama), but the main spread is an eight-page special report, which covers everything from the virus’ impact to Tom Hanks’ and Rita Wilson’s diagnoses.
Then, there are the tabloids that feel as if you’re in a different world: Us Weekly, OK! and Star, which are all owned by American Media Inc. (People is owned by the Meredith Corporation.) Star appears to be operating on its own planet: A subhead that reads “Gone Viral!” is only about Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez’s popular TikTok video, and the cover story reveals Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston’s beach wedding is in the works. (Of course, the magazine notes, “Reps for both stars deny they’re tying the knot.”)
But the magazine that best reflects the state of jumbled confusion is Us Weekly, which on the surface is mostly business as usual with a cover story on Prince Harry — and then has a tiny sidebar that says “WORLD IN CRISIS.”
The Washington Post