Reeg Speak

Mad Magazines

As I was cleaning up all the paper in my condo, I concluded that I subscribe to a few too many mags. Plus this is an idea I tossed to Ant about another Ploomy piece. I do have a couple rules though, which are no weekly publications and no subcriptions over $20 haha [so double whammy for The Economist and US Weekly, although I used to receive the latter at an old apt since the prior tenant didn’t change her address, and totally kept up with it.] So I’m tryna pare down my subscriptions or just let them run out. A quick gloss over my coffee table shows the following:

1. Complex Mag – This is the one mag I can read from cover to cover [literally, since it has 2 covers]. And its bi-monthly, so I can be on top of it. But there’s a reason its listed first, since it epitomizes the freshness in me. Sure I can hate on things in there, but overall its probably my fav mag out there.

2. Details – Out of all these types of mags, this one is my favorite. Maybe because I’m reading articles instead of essays, and because their fashion advice is generally on point. I learned you should really just look at the pics [no homo] without looking at the details [no pun] regarding the prices, since when you see a $600 sweater it might be a turn off.

3. GQ – This one probably makes the most loot considering the amount of ads it has. I don’t really like it when the ToC is like 100 pages into the mag feel me? Their style is a little more uppity, their pieces are generally less interesting, and their whole vibe is more snooty than the others. Plus they need to rename it GM, since that ish hasn’t been quarterly since forever.

4. Esquire – They don’t focus on fashion as much as the above 2 do, but they do have some interesting tips and advice. This is geared more so for the man’s man rather than the metrosexual man’s man, as evidenced by their lists of ish guys should do.

5. Maxim – I can’t lie, I still read this rag even though I’m not in college anymore. Ever since that Jennifer Love Hewitt cover back in ‘99 though I was hooked like bait, which is probably my 2nd favorite cover of all time. [After Kristin Kreuks’s Arena one in case you’re wondering about the first, which contained my favorite KK pic of all time!]

6. SLAM – Yes this is the mag that I’ve probably been reading the longest, ever since that LJ cover back in ’94 at _____ while waiting for the autobus [that name currently escapes me, no thanks to Al and Ant]. True I probably matured too much as a hoops fan while they pretty much stayed the same. But with the advent of the internet, I can get better basketball dialogue at the touch of my fingertips. But it’s the one mag I can’t seem to cancel.

7. Golf Magazine – I don’t even remember subscribing to this, it just been showing up in my mailbox. And I’m a golf nut, so nuff said.

8. Golf Digest – 2 golf mags Reeg? Yeah, but I didn’t even pay for the above mentioned one. This is probably the most official one since Man Crush #1 is a regular contributor.

9. Blender – I need some sort of music mag, and since other music outweighed hip-hop ever since after graduation, I figured I’ll get a mag to reflect that. So no The Source or XXL here. But this mag is pretty cool, since its pretty thorough and gives equal love to most genres. And their reviews are fairly unbiased.

10. Conde Nast Portfolio – This is a mag I read on BART so I can stunt about my business game. I mean its subtitle is Business Intelligence afterall. But for real, that’s not the primary reason I read it [secondary yes]. I’m just tryna elevate my business knowledge, and they have great recurring columns and feature articles about everything related to a successful business.

RIP to FHM [well the USA version anyway], Stuff, Hoop, 4080, Rap Pages and Cargo publications.
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