PULP OR GLOSSIES - READERS DIGEST - THE WORLD OF MAGAZINES

Pulp OR Glossies - Readers Digest – The World of Magazines

 

                                                  

The real meaning of a bookworm is to digest the print or online publishing and almost getting addicted to reading.  Being born in the most literate state of India, the “mallu” is introduced to reading from a tender age.  The spiritual Ten Commandments to Hail Mary, the bible lessons and side by side you develop the reading habit.  You graduate from comics, cartoons, mills and boon to serious reading.  If I share my personal experience with you the thousands of books I read during my growing up years in varied subjects such as biographies, autobiographies, articles, poetry, travelogue, drama  and even fiction was instrumental in my character formation.

One of my favorite magazines is National Geographic and I also had a penchant for TIME magazine.

The Fourth Estate – press and periodicals or magazines comes in the form of weeklies, fortnightly and monthly magazines.  You cannot forget the annual editions of magazines published during festival period.  The "ONAM" and "DIWALI" specials and anniversary issues flood the newsstands during joyous celebrations of regional festivals. The press is not only the world news bulletins but also lifestyle, health, fashion, business, architecture, photography, sports, automobiles, history, wild life, geography, technology, entertainment and current affairs magazines.  The pulp fiction occupies most of your free time or leisure time. Reading becomes a hobby when you indulge in light reading.  Serious reading opens up the floodgates of knowledge and check the meaning of one’s very own existence. 

    

 

    

                          




Pulp magazines (often referred to as "the pulps") are inexpensive fiction magazines that were published from 1896 through the 1950s. The term pulp derives from the cheap wood pulp paper on which the magazines were printed; in contrast, magazines printed on higher quality paper were called "glossies" or "slicks".

"Fourth Estate" most commonly refers to the news media, especially print journalism or "the press". Thomas Carlyle attributed the origin of the term to Edmund Burke, who used it in a parliamentary debate in 1787 on the opening up of press reporting of the House of Commons of Great Britain.

The power and significance of media in democratic society is world renowned. Though media and press have a persuasive authority yet its’ real ability is not a secret to the world. The existence of a free, independent and powerful media is the cornerstone of a democracy, especially of a highly mixed society like India. The pivotal role of the media is its ability to mobilize the thinking process of millions. Technically a democracy stands on the pillars of judiciary, executive and legislature. But with the rise of the press and its power to reach every nook and corner of the state it can also be considered as the fourth pillar of a democracy.

France under the Ancient  Régime (before the French Revolution) divided society into three estates: the First Estate (clergy); the Second Estate (nobility); and the Third Estate (commoners).

The Media barons are the power brokers of a democracy.  They can engineer or machinate the downfall of a Government.  The masses are generally fed with the daily morning news to start the day.  A cup of hot steaming cup of tea in one hand and the news paper in the other while relaxing on an armchair is the routine of a morning chorus.

National Geographic, Reader’s Digest, Cosmopolitan, Vogue, Elle, Good House Keeping, L’Official, Exhibit, Verve, GQ, Filmfare, Time, Newsweek, Mens and Womens Health, Sportstar and various men’s (Mans World, MW, Gentleman etc) and women’s magazines  (Femina, Savvy, New Woman, Women’s Era etc.) are available in the newsstands.  Libraries used to be my second temple or church during my lifespan.  If you are not an anglicized reader, there are many regional flavor magazines available in India being a nation of different language speaking people. 
 

       

              

       

                 

 

Now online magazines in various Indian languages are available in the Internet. You can read with Web, I-Pad, tablets, E-Reader, RSS, Mobile,  Android… etc. You choose your subject of interest and enjoy happy reading.

If advertising was my first love, Media was the second interest.  I am proud to be called as a media savvy guy and music was a panacea for me.

In the 1970’s there was a magazine published from Mumbai called the “wisecrack”.  It was really a brain teaser and evoked abstract humor.  The Imprint, Caravan, Gentleman are some of the magazines we sorely miss today.

National Geographic publishes some stunning photographs of Egyptian mummies to wild life, oceanography and articles of historically relevant anecdotes.

While on the subject, a regional magazine of my mother tongue used to publish an analysis of world literature.  The columnist used to do a study, research and analysis of writers from across the world with their contributions in short story, drama, poetry, fiction and pastoral elegy. This has to a great extent enabled me to change my outlook to the world and helped me in developing my writing skills.

 







    

      
  

 

 

Even in the genre of magazines there are suave and sophisticated to the hardcore varieties.  Can you imagine “Playboy” magazine without its nude photos.  But that is exactly what Playboy announced now as a late realization.  Internet is accessible to children and there has to be a legislation to prevent young mind to get exposed to hardcore stuff. 

“Debonair” is a popular men’s magazine.  I am missing the good old days when this magazine used to publish good interviews, poetry, articles of higher standards in the 1970s with its couplets of photographs of femme fatale taken from different shades.  May be its motto was men’s virility is not complete without fairer sex being appreciated.  Today, the magazine has lost its old world charm and now it is with its cheap photographs appears more vulgar than esthetic, a wolf in sheep’s clothing and I ceased to patronize this magazine.

My magazine rack adorn with the most trendsetting periodicals ranging from fashion, lifestyle, health and IQ to new experimental categories.


Being a “The Times of India” loyalist, Economic Times is my favorite newspaper.  Mid-day and Afternoon Dispatch and Courier were my much cherished evening journals.  I recall the wait to snatch the tabloids to do the cryptic and expert cross word puzzle.  Afternoon’s editor Mr. Behram Contractor aka Busybee with his column used to enthrall me with his scribbling of his own thoughts for the evening.  He wrote this satirical column for over three decades.

As an ardent magazine lover it is quite satiating to write a BLOG about my favorite pass time to flip through the pages of a periodical between the lines and viewing stunning photos which merits admiration.