Media

Mags may not win on name alone

Lifestyle guru Danny Seo is creating a new magazine but doesn’t want his mug shot on its cover. In fact, it’s in Mr. Sustainable’s contract that he doesn’t have to be a cover guy. That got us to thinking of all the titles named after their owners. Who’s featuring themselves large and who’s on the cover in name only?

Oprah wants to give us her everything in the May issue. She’s pictured from above lying on a carpet wearing a purple evening dress and a “come hither” look. Inside we learn how the shoot went with her creative director, Adam Glassman, getting her in the mood for the sensual session — with music from Michael Bublé. Sadly, Oprah bursts the mood, saying she couldn’t wait to get home to her dogs. Sorry, Stedman Graham! This is a title that teaches us all to love ourselves and pursue our dreams and show courage and strength. In her editor’s letter, Oprah reveals she stands in front of the mirror and blesses her body. Oprah, we love you, but there’s only so much sharing we want you to do.

Martha Stewart Living is on the opposite end of the scale. Not so long ago, this magazine carried former model Martha on every couple of pages. It bears Martha’s name but we’re starting to wonder if she’s in the witness protection program. We want to see more of you in your eponymous title, Martha. Stewart is not only absent from the cover but we counted just three photos of her in the 156-page issue, only one of those in editorial content. Still, Martha’s enduring love of gardening, crafting and celebrating holidays remains. And though Media City was crushed with the departure of Pilar Guzman, fresh editor Eric Pike has kept the delicious photo-driven formula intact. The April issue is cuteness in the extreme. There’s a white bunny on the cover, and woodland-themed baby shower ideas. But the homemaking doyenne isn’t all pastels and sugar cookies and nor is her magazine. A spring cleaning section advises us to use cotton swabs to clean small window crevices and don’t forget to clean those refrigerator coils. Rinse out that trash can, too.

EveryDay with Rachael Ray features a tiny postage stamp photo of the effervescent talkshow host on its cover. Inside, the magazine offers endless recipes (more often than not Mexican) that are best described as basic and un-ambitious. That doesn’t mean they don’t look delicious, but we’re just over the whole “veggie-tastic” schtick. This issue feels like Rachael’s over it, too. The magazine has plenty of theme-booze ideas but overall there’s a lack of focus. The beauty, the crafts and the sunglasses spread just don’t seem to sit right next to travel features and 20 dinners under $2. It’s a big casserole of an issue with endless recipe ideas but no main course. If you want to perfect take-out at home, the title shows how to make your own Chinese sweet and sour chicken and Indian coconut chicken curry, but, honestly, why would you bother? If you like brownies, there’s a bunch of ideas for gilding the lily with a host of toppings. Including animal crackers?! And then there’s a feature on how to buy the right size bowl for your dog. In case you were wondering, Rachael has a new line of pet food.

Dr. Oz’s The Good Life is a refreshing take on the healthy living category largely because it’s not full of horror stories about what bacon can do to your arteries. It’s not all about food, it’s not all about emotional problems. The magazine’s outlook is a reminder that the best things in life are free. We enjoyed learning about Rob Lowe’s happy marriage and “5 Smart Little Ideas for Big Backyard Fun,” where family Oz creates its own Olympic games. Then there’s the story about a mom who showed her daughter how to really have fun while online dating. While every magazine these days has an article on service Apps for your tablets and phones, we enjoyed Oz’s selections that bring us closer to mother nature, including “The Night Sky,” and “Yard Sharing,” for neighbors who want to get rid of turf and such things. Dr. Oz is an uplifting read, without a trace of new age garbage or eat your veggies admonishments. (There’s even an article on why guilty pleasures are good for you.) It’s pitched just right, which reminds us why the doctor was so hugely popular on “Oprah.” It’s his perfect bedside manner.
The New Yorker launches a travel issue with a feature on “How airlines woo the one percent,” detailing what it describes as the “expansion of first, and, more rapidly, business class” with true beds, closets, bartenders and lounge areas. But after six pages, the article fails to address the rather glaring question of how this trend will affect the other 99 percent. Whether the New Yorker cares or not, our knees are beginning to hurt just thinking about it.

Time’s excellent cover story tackles a nasty drug problem that, in our view, has gotten way too little attention: so-called synthetic pot. Cooked up by chemical labs in Asia and sold legally in storefronts as “incense,” “glass cleaner” and “bath salts,” this stuff is way more dangerous than actual pot — lethal in some cases. Sold under brand names like K2, Spice and King Kong, it’s slipping past regulators and law enforcement, who blame constantly changing chemical formulas that confound legislation.