Seventeen

Shoket, Ann, editor. Seventeen. Hearst Magzines: New York: 2010.

Summary
Seventeen magazine has been giving all kinds of advice to junior high and high school girls for years. Over the years, the cover has almost remained the same with a fresh faced teen or older young adult—usually someone of high influence at the moment. An addition to the cover is how it also works as a general table of contents for the magazine by giving the reader an idea of what the issue holds along with page numbers. Much of the magazine is focused on teen beauty and fashion, but there are also articles about young women's health, relationships (including friends and boyfriends), celebrities as well as the much loved astrology report and quizzes. In the November 2010 issue, there was a fashion section that addressed current trends and how different body types could pull off the look. Tied into that, were vignettes from celebrities of all shapes on how they made peace with their bodies, with encouragement for young women to do the same. In this issue, also, there was a piece about a young woman who escaped a kidnapping. She offered her advice on how others could do it too. The magazine goes far beyond superficial articles and still stays relevant to today's teen.

Critical Evaluation
The magazine was a staple in my room from junior high until I left for college. It's changed, but is basically the same magazine that it was in the 80s. The articles are meant to be positive, uplifting and empowering to girls in all facets of their lives—beauty, health, fashion, friends and romance. In addition to the information are advertisements, advertisements and more advertisements. Some of them I thought were in the wrong market, for example there was a Vera Bradley handbag advertisement with an older woman and a toddler—obviously, a mother and daughter shot completely inappropriate for young women. The November 2010 issue contained even a few articles that were informative to me: how to pick a bra and a piece on how to survive during abduction. The one thing I missed from the Seventeen magazine of my teens, was the place for fiction. The magazine has a lot to offer young women and goes beyond beauty and fashion to give real-life advice.

Genre
Beauty and Fashion

Popular Culture

Challenges
Sexual Content— in a column called Sex Ed

Curriculum Ties
n/a

Booktalking Ideas
Do you find your inspiration for your look from what's real or what you see in the advertisements in magazines…

Reading Level/Interest Age
Ages 13+

Why I included this title...
Like I've said, I loved it when I was a teen, and know that it's still a popular magazine for young women.

Graphic from gossipteen.com. Retrieved from http://gossipteen.com/2010/10/13/keha-beautiful-on-seventeen-november-2010-cover-photos-video/ on December 14, 2010.