Is it their uncanny knack for keeping their finger on the pulse of pop culture? Or their probing interviews with the movers and shakers of Hollywood (Often beginning with, quite literally, "So, how are you doing?")? Maybe I find the blinding spotlight they shine on stars' clothing, homes, and entourage expenses to be a searing indictment on our capitalistic and consumer driven culture? Nope. None of the above.
Quite frankly I appreciate the fact that my mind completely shuts down when I read it. Blank. Quiet. Restful. It is the closest to meditation I have found and I am deeply appreciative for the 20-30 minutes a week I get with this little glossy piece of zen.
Do I care about Tom & Katie? American Idol? The Royal Family? No. I sincerely do not. But some People magazine correspondant does. And writes attention grabbing, easily digestable copy that engages me without making me feel anything. Ahhh. Breathe. Ohhmmmmmm.
Do I want to be a person who reads People. No. Hell no. Have you met me? I fancy myself Queen of the Hippies, Lady of the Downtown Avant Garde. I discuss Chekhov & Shakespeare, Alternative Structure, and The Collaborative Nature of Art in the 21st Century. I do not speak of Katy Perry and One Direction. (Please read italicized words with a tone of complete disdain)
But I tried it all- Buddhist meditation, transcendental meditation, walking meditation, yoga, tai chi, karate, hiking, aerobics, and various forms of, um, shall we say "self-medication", designed to shut off those voices in my head and heart that are constantly seeking, looking, watching, wondering, wanting, planning, plotting, whispering, worrying and waiting for what is next. Nothing worked. I wanted to be Yoga Girl with a daily practice and a mantra of peace and love. I wanted to be the girl who mediates in the forest with her green tea and finger cymbals. I wanted to be the girl who tuned in and dropped out. But the solutions designed to create peace always seemed to be more exhausting and/or frustrating than the familiar churn of the drama that lives inside me.
Until People. People shuts it off. Shuts me down. Turns me off. A pleasant, restful hum of fluff that lets me rest.
Thank you People. Ahhhh. Breathe. Ohhmmmmmm.. Thank you.
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