By Barb Pert Templeton
It’s been more than 40 years since I first subscribed to People Magazine. I remember as a newlywed it was one of the “extravagant” annual expenses I insisted on placing in our budget. I was like, ‘Hey I’m not a clothes horse or a jewelry gal so we can afford this one addiction.’
The weekly magazine was like the then modern-day version of ‘Rona Barrett’s Hollywood’ and a variety of other magazines gossiping about famous people that my mom used to let me buy every week at the local bookstore.
I loved everything about People Magazine back then. The colorful images of stars from stage, television, and movie screens blasting from the covers each week. Soon those cover topics expanded to include whatever the news of the week was including stories about royalty, lesser-known figures, natural disasters, and true crime.
A mass murder at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida in June 2016 brought a world news cover to the magazine instead of a celebrity shot.
At some point, it seemed the magazine turned from filling my head with celebrity-based stories to seeing and sharing special human interest stories. Ordinary people with extraordinary stories filled half the pages along with sections for fashion, style, home, and health.
As the years passed and the sections and editors changed so did the original premise of the magazine – changing with the times, as it should. Hard to believe it’s turning 50 this year.
Here’s a little trivia, the first star to grace the cover of People Magazine on March 4, 1974, was actress Mia Farrow. Lady Diana Spencer first graced the cover in June 1981 and returned to that spot 57 more times, a record, as Princess Diana including many times following her untimely death in 1997.
An annual, much anticipated, issue of the magazine was launched in 1985 when actor Mel Gibson graced the cover under the title “Sexiest Man Alive.” Since that time there have been 39 more easy-on-the-eye gentlemen gazing from the cover over the years including John F. Kennedy Jr., Brad Pitt, and George Clooney plus soccer player David Beckham and country crooner Blake Shelton.
TV sitcom star Matthew Perry of “Friends” fame was on the cover following his untimely death last November.
Still, celebrities aside, I find jumping through the pages to the human-interest stories has always been my favorite time spent with the pages of People. In fact, I think that early exposure to reading about the unsung heroes, community groups gathering for a cause, and regular folks surviving unthinkable tragedies led me to my own profession. I’ve always been curious, peppering people with questions and eating up their answers and now I find satisfaction in turning those responses into tales for readers.
One thing I’m not thrilled to admit but the fact is, nowadays, I’ve actually plopped down on my couch to get my weekly dose of People and found unfamiliar faces on the cover and in the opening section called StarTracks. Yes, the youthful celebrities out and about at events or vacationing make nice photos but don’t ask me their claim to fame because I’m often clueless.
I still enjoy the section called People Picks which shares reviews and tips for good movies, television shows, and cable viewing along with the best new reads from various authors. The ‘One Last Thing; page is also fun as a half dozen questions like ‘last time I danced’ or ‘last thing I learned about myself’ has celebrities sharing their own unique answers.
So, all in all, I think the magazine has definitely stood the test of time and will likely remain a must-read on my weekly list going forward.
Of course, the fact that so much of it can be read online now is convenient if you don’t want to wait until it lands in your mailbox but for me that somehow takes away from the original excitement the magazine’s arrival used to bring.
If it’s Saturday there must be a new People in my mailbox.
