The weekly free publication is a genuine threat to the sale and reader numbers of more traditional periodicals. The danger is a watering down of quality in order to accommodate a higher turnout.
Thursday is definitely the best day of the week. Frequently described as Friday’s eve, I'm excited but not for the weekend. The free magazine “ShortList” comes out today and I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy.
I secure mine at the tube station on my way home. This week Matt Damon is on the cover inside a sleeve advertising Elysium. It’s an unusual arraignment, but it’s bright and gives the art department real street credit even if it is only a commercial.
As a rule, in my opinion, a magazine must be entertaining for longer than twenty minutes. After 5 I reach the staples. Dozens of reviews on products, shows, bars and video games just flip away easily. A few short pieces briefly hold my attention; so far all is not well.
A friend once described ShortList as “similar to a hand-out from an estate agent” and up to this point one would be hard pressed to argue otherwise. There is just Advert after endless advert; unfortunately this is their only revenue stream and may prove the genre’s undoing.
Things pick up with an in depth interview of their cover star; possibly Hollywood’s most underrated and hardest working talent. Next a piece on the safety issues surrounding electronic cigarettes, not something new to anyone but well written and informative enough.
Lastly a sports fixture about “jai alai”, an obscure game played mostly in Miami has me quickly bored. Thirty five minutes later it’s done. The features are good and even though the whole experience feels a little formulaic and congested, I am satisfied.
It seems that ShortList is not a bad publication, but it strays into areas inhabited by its betters, Esquire could easily have produced a more innovative style section for example and Timeout (on-line) a wider range of reviews.
I'm reasonably happy with it and I look forward to next week Thursday, but it won't be replacing any of existing favourites.
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