Entertainment Weekly

Nelson, Martha, Ed. Entertainment Weekly. New York: 2010.

Overview:
This weekly magazine appeals to teen's interest in popular culture involving movies, music, books, video games and theater. The covers usually feature stars of current television programs or movies. Weekly features include the MustList highlighting ten recommendations for the week, sneak peeks of upcoming movies and/or television series and reviews of movies, books and music. The advertisements are slick and a combination of commercials for featured programs and the normal magazine fare; alcohol, electronics and medication. A few times a year special editions are published that focus on interesting aspects of the industry, for example: The 100 Greatest Characters of the Last 20 Years and a Holiday Movie Preview. Reading this magazine on a regular basis will keep you informed and on top of whatever is going on in the entertainment industry.

Critical Evaluation:
This is the type of light reading a lot of teens prefer. Adults would call this brain candy, but teens enjoy popular culture. If you listen to teen conversations, many times the topics revolve around entertainment themes and issues. They are tuned into the next new thing and want to experience it. Not everyone has the Internet at home, magazines like Entertainment Weekly provide a way for those individuals to keep current. The magazine is about 50% text and 50% visual. Many pages resemble a web page in there design and format with the text in blurbs around the pictures. This magazine is great for reluctant readers because of it's design and high interest topics.

Genre:
Popular Culture

Talking Points:
Current Trends
Movie Ratings and Movies in General

Interest Level:
9th +

Why I Chose This Item:
I like to watch films and this magazine caught my eye.