Okay so aside from getting a lovely letter back from Nadine Shah today... (I'll get to that later. But not today.)
I feel the need to have a rant about something.
For the last few weeks I have been buying N.M.E magazine... now to be perfectly honest, I do not rate N.M.E... I see it as lazy, dictating, fad journalism alot of the time. A 'cool' persons magazine bought by 'cool' toff kids who get their daddy's from the south to get them tickets to festivals and then hold up queues for the tap water because they're using it to 'wash their hair'.... Give me strength.
I get tricked by N.M.E every time the manic street preachers are on the cover. Granted, it's the cheapest option from all the other music magazines (Q, Mojo, Uncut etc... which are all nearing the £5 mark) and so therein lies it's only real appeal. I pay a couple of quid for a feature on the manics and then the rest of the magazine is tripe. Mostly full of rubbish, egotistical, hyped up, boring, poncey bands.
The other thing about N.M.E which annoys me is how it nearly always, almost every single week places the word 'Radiohead' on the cover and almost every single week you will also find that there might only be a few sentences at best regarding radiohead which will justify highlighting their name on the cover. The sheer cheek of it being that Radiohead - Thom Yorke in particular have never had a good relationship with N.M.E. In fact, from the outset, Radiohead had no support from them, only cruel and esteem battering reviews. How the tables have turned. They're one of the biggest bands in the world now and N.M.E need to include their band's name on every cover because it's helps them sell copies. Quite pathetic.
But in anycase, the reason I've purchased the last three issues in a row is because they've been covering Glasvegas, and I LOVE Glasvegas. I went to see them in Hawick a few weeks ago and shall be seeing them again in Sunderland next month. Brilliant.
I wasn't actually intending for my rant to be about N.M.E magazine, but it was the purchase of N.M.E that lead me to my main gripe...
Music magazines in tescos? Where abouts will they be located do you think?
Mens Interest!!! (No, seriously!)
Music magazines in Sainsbury's?
Men's Lifestyle!!!
(I haven't checked the other supermarkets, but If I get the chance to do so you can bet your bottom dollar that I will!)
Oh. My. Goodness.
This can't possibly just be me, but is this not, surely - blatant sexism???
In a men's magazine section, I expect to see (sad, but true) FHM, Zoo, Nuts etc... and then probably something more tasteful, like 'Men's health'...
But shouldn't Music magazines... and while we're at it, photography (yes, that too!) be in a general interest section? I mean for goodness' sake, women are not the minority in music. They're not! Maybe 50 years ago they may have been, but half the bands and artists today in these magazines feature women and I am certain that those buying the magazines can't be alot different in numbers???!
As a point of interest, I should also make a point of saying that the
editor of N.M.E is in fact... shock! horror! of the female variety, as are most of the team of writers... I can't speak for the other magazines because I don't have them on hand to check, but I don't really think I need to take my point any further than it is already.
Confining music magazines to the 'men's interest, is just completely and utterly ridiculous.
The End.
I can't think why I have never noticed this before. It could well be because I am 5.4 in height.
