Seventeen Magazine

Seventeen Magazine, published by Hearst Magazines, ISSN 0037-301X

Content Summary

                              Seventeen Magazine is a magazine for real teenage girls.  While it is true that most of the articles, advertisements, and features involve beauty and fashion, these items are geared not towards a perfect ideal but towards actual girls and their actual bodies.  Regular girls are frequently featured for their style, talents, and so on.  Plus-size or curvy models are almost as common as thin models.  Finding a sense of style that fits the reader's respective body type is emphasized rather than diet tips or advice on how to change the way you look.  The layout is fun and energetic and there are features on relevant topics such as prom and quinceaneras, again with tips on how to find a dress that suits your unique personality and body type.  There is also a definite concentration on what is affordable and accessible for the average teenage girl, as far as clothes, beauty products, and accessories.  Readers of this magazine will come away informed and, most of all, entertained.

Critical Analysis

                           Seventeen Magazine, although definitely a beauty and fashion marketing blitz, is more down to earth than most other fashion magazines.  The overall message is that you are beautiful the way you are - now here is how you can keep up with trends and enhance your natural beauty without breaking your wallet.  Most advertisements include a plus-size model along with the standard skinny ones, and the real girls who are featured actually look like regular girls with realistic teenage bodies.  There are features and articles on relevant and uplifting issues, such as the one in the November 2011 Seventeen about a group of high school girls who fought back against a so-called "smut list" published on Facebook rating them by their body parts.  Other articles from recent issues include a story about a girl who was held hostage in her school, advice on how to get through the first year of college without drama, and a piece on teenage girls who go missing and how to protect yourself from dangers like this.  There are also several nods to anti-bullying through advertisements for various products, interviews with stars, and other little touches.  While it is true that the most prevalent message in this magazine is how to look pretty, there is a tone of self-acceptance and nonconformist beauty that is pervasive, and overall makes for a more substantial experience than some other fashion magazines.

Why I Included This Magazine
                                                    Seventeen Magazine is a classic with a long reputable history behind it.  It is geared towards the average young girl so it hits as wide an audience as possible.  This made it a no-brainer to include in my collection.