I discovered US Weekly magazine when I was in college. The meal plan I had signed up for through my university’s dining options allowed me to trade “meals” for items in the market. Each week, I saved at least one “meal” to buy the current issue of US Weekly magazine from the market. The next school year, my university no longer sold the glossy so I went back to eating three meals a day and occasionally buying the magazine on a grocery newsstand when I was visiting home. Recently, Groupon offered a year’s subscription to US Weekly magazine for half-off. I signed up immediately and each week, amid the bills and junk mail, I am delighted to get the glossy in my mailbox! Lately, though, as I’ve perused each cover, one thing has become certain: Though the magazine claims to be celebrity friendly, it is NOT marriage friendly. Take the three most recent magazine covers:
December 5th – Husband from Hell
Kim Kardashian is on the cover (along with four other sidebar-ed celebrities- all of which are divorced)
December 12th – Yes, I’m Pregnant
In contrast to her sister who was married to the Husband from Hell, Kourtney is expecting Baby No. 2 with a man she “wont marry”. Kourtney shares this cover with three divorced celebrities.
December 18th – I’ll Do Anything for a Baby
Khloe Kardashian, who is otherwise happily married to Lamar Odom, cannot seem to get pregnant.
It’s obvious that US Weekly loves to keep up with the Kardashians, but it’s also obvious that the magazine has something against marriage.
Of course some might think that US Weekly is only doing what it is known to do – talk about celebrities and that I’m reading too much into what isn’t there. I disagree. Mainly because though we may claim to consume the information mindlessly, these magazines are painstakingly compiled. The editors have to decide what goes inside and who or what goes on the cover. Everything is strategic and these covers show a remarkable strategy: “Bash marriage from every angle”.
Now I’m not saying US Weekly should discriminate against celebrities whose marriages have hit the rocks or disintegrated altogether; I just think that there are other celebrities in Hollywood.
When Beyonce (who is a much bigger star than Kourtney Kardashian) announced she was pregnant, she didn’t get a US Weekly cover. Why? Because Beyonce is happily married.
Even the way US Weekly talks about divorce is immature and flippant. Look at the picture below. Are Scarlett and Ryan Reynolds former husband and wife? Or just some high school kids who are dating?
Divorce is devastating no matter who you are. Hollywood marriages seem the least likely to last; however, there are great marriages in Hollywood that deserve more spotlight than those that don’t make it. There are people who are having children with men whom they actually want to marry (see: Jessica Simpson). There are married women who are expectantly waiting for their baby (see: Hilary Duff). There are Hollywood marriages that last longer than the milk in my fridge (see: Monica and Shannon Brown)
US Weekly doesn’t seem to care about that though and only wants to glamorize and glorify the most heartbreaking thing that can happen to a relationship and demonize the most glorious.