Entertainment Magazines Subscriptions

Vanity Fair (2-year)

Amazon Price: $29.99 (as of 05/31/2012)
List Price: $118.80

"Vanity Fair" is head and shoulders above anything else on the magazine rack. On the one hand, it has loads of fun, gossipy stories on celebrities - past and present - combined with state-of-the art work from the premier photographers in the business, including Herb Ritts and Annie Leibowitz. While the articles on entertainment celebrities are usually pure PR fluff pieces, there are also more in-depth articles about the power players behind the scenes and old Hollywood legends. These voyeristic guilty pleasures sit comfortably side-by-side with some of the best serious journalism in print. Month after month, "Vanity Fair" addresses important issues that are only covered superficially in most of the media. The editors aren't afraid to allow their reporters to do long pieces on foreign affairs, politics and the economy. If it's been a major event on the world scene, "Vanity Fair" has covered it, and covered it well. I almost always read it cover to cover, and always come away feeling like it was time well spent. -- mirope "mirope" (Seattle, Washington)

Usually ships in 1 to 3 months

The New Yorker (2-year)

Amazon Price: (as of 05/31/2012)
List Price: $469.06

The New Yorker is funny. When you first subscribe it is like joining a snotty secret society with rights and rituals all its own. You've got to want to be a New Yorker reader when you first approach the magazine. Your right of passage is all the time you'll waste reading through every entry in the "Goings on about Town" section. You'll puzzle at 3/4 of the cartoons and forgive the other quarter for being only obliquely funny. But you'll forge ahead because you must join the cognoscenti.

Soon enough, you'll be one of the elect. You'll skim over "Goings on" on the way to Talk of the Town, where you'll read only the first two pieces unless the title of a later one entices you. Then page-by-page you'll survey the cartoons (which you adore by now!) taking note of articles you'll want to come back to. If a movie review at the back grabs you, you'll dive straight into it and finish off with The Back Page where big laughs surely await. Then comes fine tooth comb read!ing which usually begins for me with Shouts and Murmurs - a light entrée into the meatier sections of the magazine.

Sitting down with the New Yorker once a week is a pleasing routine, a cultural badge all at once of honor, and a way to sniff out elitist pseudo - intellectuals like yourself in a crowd. You can say things like "Did you see what Hertzberg was up to this week?" and know immediately if somebody's an initiate. If you want to seem hip, literate, in the know, subscribe to the New Yorker. You'll never read 3/4 of it but will never regret it either. -- "suzanne" (Seattle, WA USA)

Us Weekly (1-year)

Amazon Price: $67.08 (as of 05/31/2012)
List Price: $207.48

I can't help it! I know that I should be reading something more educational, but I adore US Magazine! There is something about it that makes me swipe it off of the shelf at the grocery store every time a new issue comes out! I love reading about the latest celebrity spoofs!

US Magazine is literally overflowing with the latest gossip on every celebrity you can think of. From what not to wear, to pregnancy alerts, you can read all of the juicy stuff! Every week they write about all the new movie deals everyone signed up for, who has gotten married, arrested, pregnant etc.! I just love it.

One of my favorite features about US is the pictures of stars caught reading it! I love the fact that not only do I have to have my weekly gossip fix, but so do they! -- P. Rudnicki "cynderela23" (Norfolk Virginia)

Usually ships in 4 to 6 weeks

Mental Floss

Amazon Price: $21.97 (as of 05/31/2012)
List Price: $29.94

In an age of books "for dummies" and "complete idiots," Mental Floss is a magazine that makes you "feel smart again." Let's face it, some of those "dummies" books are pretty good, but you wouldn't display them in your home or read them on the train. By contrast, I openly read Mental Floss in public and place the latest issue on my coffee table.

The magazine combines a cheeky sense of humor with a wealth of information. I loved the recent "Y Files issue." "Why is yawning contagious?" "Why do people yell `Geronimo' before jumping?" "Why does the United States print $2 bills?" Mental Floss delivers the answers. Trivial pursuit may leave you wondering "why" about an answer, but Mental Floss never does.

The current "swimsuit issue" is a blast. It's not exactly titillating, but it is stimulating. The sight of Einstein and Eleanor Roosevelt in swimwear is enough to turn your attention to the articles.

There's no magazine I'd recommend more highly. -- William Irwin (Kingston, PA United States)

Usually ships in 8 to 10 weeks

Rolling Stone (1-year)

Amazon Price: $19.97 (as of 05/31/2012)
List Price: $129.74

I am a music fanatic and this magazine doesn't disappoint. I get all the info on my favorite bands and I get info on songs to download and reviews on new cds. They include pieces on politics which I don't particularly care for, if I wanted info on politics I would use another resource. They talk about current events that are interesting to me. If you are a fan of all things music this is definitely the magazine for you. -- H. Peri (Reno, NV United States)

Usually ships in 4 to 6 weeks

Entertainment Weekly (1-year auto-renewal)

Amazon Price: $25.00 (as of 05/31/2012)
List Price: $205.40

If you are an entertainment buff, like myself, then you will really enjoy the ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY magazine. EW always has the latest information about music, movies, TV shows, and celebrities. It gives you tons of great, glossy photos. This magazine does not have too much gossip--they have some, but most of the information that they give is true. I also love going to their website--the website is very cool and informative, too.

I especially love EW's special issues, like when they do Oscar coverage or a complete issue on a certain highly anticipated movie. They've also got reviews from the latest CDs, movies, TV shows, and books. And this is a weekly magazine, so you get a new issue every week--not just every month. EW Magazine is a good size as well...it is not too thick and not too skinny. The magazine is made from top-qaulity paper, and just a plain great entertainment magazine. Whenever I'm looking for the latest Hollywood/music industry news and gossip--I always turn to the ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY Magazine, because I know I can trust it!

So for all you entertainment buffs, I highly recommend this magazine. To me, it is well-worth the subscription price! -- Rebecca (Massachusetts, USA)

Usually ships in 4 to 6 weeks

Harper's Magazine

Amazon Price: $14.97 (as of 05/31/2012)
List Price: $83.40

Under the supreme tutelage of Editor Lewis Lapham, Harper's Magazine consistently churns out intense, dramatic, sincere, frightening, uplifting, and challenging commentary. If others in the media censor their opinions in the face of big brother, Harper's makes up for it with brutally honest assessments of culture, politics, and world affairs.

At first look, Harper's seems a leftist publication, but if you read it a little more carefully, it's a lot more Mark Twain than Karl Marx. I'd call it centrist, but even that implies straddling the center between two extremes. Like Twain, Harper's is more of a somewhat irascible, yet always caring voice on the outside, not on one end of the spectrum or another, but rather on a different spectrum altogether.

The attitude is egalitarian, never pompous. The voices are reasonable, if sometimes angry or alarmed. Harper's is definitely not a liberal magazine in the sense of Marxist socialism. Harper's is liberal in the sense of Jeffersonian liberalism. It's opinions seem more focused on improving local cultures and economies and challenging the demagogues and central planners who seek to control the masses, be they Democrat or Republican. Perhaps Harper's is the Jim Jeffords of the magazine world.

Harper's is an eloquent and impassioned magazine that delivers carefully constructed and inventive views of the world each month. There is an overriding sense of seriousness and genuine compassion found in every issue. In a world where so many media sources are merely parrots for a larger corporate or political agendas, Harper's stands out as an autonomous voice of indignant opposition to censorship and blind nationalism. If you care about the world we all inhabit and genuinely want to discover how we might all get to a better place, give Harper's a read. It may not provide the answers, but it certainly raises all the right questions. -- Matthew Vanhouten (Fort Lee, NJ USA)

Usually ships in 1 to 3 months

Esquire (2-year)

Amazon Price: $14.00 (as of 05/31/2012)
List Price: $109.78

I first picked up a copy of Esquire a few years back at an airport, read it cover to cover to the flight, and haven't looked back since. It is a great magazine for men who are past the frat boy humor stage of their lives and are looking for something with more substance. The magazine's writers are top notch and regular segments like Answer Fella, Funny* Joke From A Beautiful Woman, and a sex column written by Stacy Grenrock Woods are always fun to read. The magazine regularly contains interesting articles on cocktails and recipes, restaurants and bars, movies and entertainment, sports and US and world news. And of course interviews with gorgeous and intelligent women, including a highly creative interview of Halle Berry by Tom Chiarella where Miss Berry writes the article and Mr. Chiarella annotates it. This is just one example of Esquire's creative approach to journalism. Sure, The Sexiest Woman Alive (where the woman so annointed is revealed piece by piece in different issues) may be tired (and to some, sexist), and some of the writing gets a little too tongue-in-cheek at times, but I have not yet found another men's magazine for which I would pay for a subscription. -- A regular guy (Illinois, USA)

Usually ships in 4 to 6 weeks

MAD Magazine (1-year auto-renewal)

Amazon Price: $14.00 (as of 05/31/2012)
List Price: $35.94

There are a few written sources of parody and satire available in the United States; "The Onion," "Cracked" and "National Lampoon" are all sources of both. Of the three, "National Lampoon" is a relatively sophisticated magazine that started with a largely college audience and retains its college focus today, though its movies appeal to a much wider audience. "The Onion" is a newspaper type format that tends to be less subtle than "National Lampoon." Both "The Onion" and "National Lampoon" contain graphic art, but are principally article-based.

"Cracked" and "Mad" are both graphic based. Of the two, I have seen descriptions of "Cracked" that included phrases such as "low-budget Mad Magazine." Unfortunately, for a short time "Cracked" even suspended production. On the other hand, "Mad" has been around continuously since the mid-50s, and while its affect on readers is reduced from the days when its views were often seen as at least controversial, its readership remains high along with the magazine's ability to keep a good level of humor.

Original editor William Gaines's desire was that "Mad" not accept any advertising to allow the magazine to satirize anyone without fear of reprisal. The magazine kept this tradition until relatively recently, when it began accepting a limited number of advertisements. About the same time the magazine also started using color in portions. The addition of color was enjoyable. The acceptance of advertisements remains concerning, though I have yet to see any real affect on "Mad's" satires and parodies.

Many of "Mad's" features have existed for decades. The miniature cartoons in the margins have existed as long as I have read "Mad," which is back into the 60s. "Spy vs. Spy," the fold-in at the back of the magazine, and "A Look at the Lighter Side of..." have all been long running features. More recently the magazine has added "Monroe," and "The Fundalini Pages," which combines and reduces some previous features along with the addition of new elements, as regular features.

One of the best features of "Mad" remains poking fun at current television shows and movies. While "Mad" is limited to poking fun at one or two movies per month, usually the selected movies were popular either with audiences or the critics and thus likely to be a movie that readers would recognize. "Harry Potter," "Star Wars," "Star Trek," and "The Godfather" are just a small sample of the hundreds of movies that have been honored by a "Mad Magazine" parody. There are a few clunkers in the pantheon of parodies portrayed in "Mad," nearly every one has at least a few good one-liners and most can cause at least a good chuckle, if not an outright laugh. Similarly, the most popular television shows get their turn, and the characteristics of each show are satirized to a usually humorous extreme.

The official mascot of "Mad" remains Alfred E. Newman, the perennially freckle-faced "What, me worry?" representative of the general silliness of us, if we only look at ourselves properly. As others in numerous locations have point out, there are a variety of famous people who bear a remarkable likeness to Alfred E. Newman, and more than one of those famous characters depicted in "Mad" have had their features manipulated ever so subtly to enhance that resemblance. I will leave it to the reader to discover who those famous people might be.

"Mad Magazine" is probably the oldest continuous source of parody and satire available. "Mad" has inspired artists, writers, and imitators. I found it to be a fun magazine as a teenage boy and to my surprise I found that reading it today nearly 40 years after my first exposure to "Mad" is almost as enjoyable as it was then. As with any magazine of any type, especially a magazine attempting to be humorous, there are jokes that fall flat, and occasionally jokes that are sufficiently obscure to leave some readers wondering what was funny, but most jokes are readily understandable. Some will bring a groan because they are so bad. Some will bring a "ewwwww" because they are "potty humor." But there are real gems among the jokes that will bring a smile to your face, and occasionally a laugh that must be out loud. "Mad Magazine" is a wonderful way to put a uniquely graphic and humorous spin on the events occurring around us. I hope that I will always be able to appreciate the humor that the magazine attempts to portray, and that I never take life too seriously. -- Lonnie E. Holder "The Review's the Thing" (Sullivan, Illinois United States)

Usually ships in 2 to 4 months

Details (1-year)

Amazon Price: $10.00 (as of 05/31/2012)
List Price: $43.89

Jeff Goldblum's character in "The Big Chill" said that he couldn't write an article longer than the average person could read during a, er, "trip to the library" (wink, wink, nudge, nudge, know what I mean?). The writers at Details seems to have the same marching orders. In these hectic times, maybe that's not so bad. The articles I have read are well researched and nicely bite-sized. I actually finished the entire magazine between PM mail delivery and breakfast the next day. The topics they covered in my first issue ranged from fashion to health concerns. And, again, they cover the topics in very few, well-written pages. I do think the models look like under-fed children but at my age, that could be tunnel-vision (grey hair, I remember Filmore East, you get the picture?). My suggestion, take a look. It's a magazine with an interesting voice and it may be for you. -- Dom Miliano (Denville, NJ USA)

Usually ships in 1 to 3 months

Time Out New York (USA), foreign delivery, 1 year, 49 issues

by: Time Out New York

Amazon Price: (as of 05/31/2012)
List Price:

Everyone who lives in New York City, Long Island, or the tri-state area, should have a subscription to Time Out New York, ("TONY"). This weekly magazine contains all the information anyone would need to know to enjoy any, and all, aspects of The City. I also recommend this magazine to out-of-towners who vacation here a few times a year, and want to be "in the know."

The writing is clear and concise, with a slightly funky style. There are complete weekly listings of special events, including things to do for free in NYC; all kinds of tours, including wonderfully informative walking tours, and bird watching in Central Park; films and movie reviews; theater - Broadway, off-Broadway, off-off Broadway listings and reviews; concerts of all kinds, including free street concerts, and barge concerts; music and reviews; dance; clubs and nightlife for all those from 18 to 80; opera; restaurants & ratings for all budgets; a complete museum listing, with all pertinent information; book reviews and a listing of weekly readings & book signings by authors; sports listings; radio & TV listings; shopping and sales, etc..

Some of the articles are geared to the twenty-something crowd, but they are fun, and keep you updated about the latest fads and fashion. This is the most "in-the-know," savvy magazine for everything in NYC! The Best!! -- Jana L. Perskie "ceruleana" (New York, NY USA)