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Explain Apr 4, 2008 @ 2:23pm

Explain: Cover Headlines

vogue covers.jpg We’ve been talking about it for a while, and we’ve come to this conclusion: We hate cover headlines.

They aim to say everything, but really, say nothing at all. We get that it’s an advertising thing for all of those non-subscribers out there, but shouldn’t the cover girl be enough?

We’re reminded of this whenever we find ourselves envious of most foreign fashion covers, especially the latest Vogue Italia with a magical Natalia covered by only one (very appropriate) word: ICON. Now, that says it all.

People already try to knock us for reading fashion magazines as part of our literary diet, and it doesn’t help our case when our eyes are peeking over the top of a cover that reads “DIY Dermatology” “The Junk Food Diet,” and “Space-Age Fitness” (all US Vogue headlines, mind you, but they’re not the only culprits).

We wish covers would return to the days of Dali art - couldn’t magazines at least go the way of Bazaar and send cover line-less editions to subscribers?

They clutter and confuse what should be the best photo of the entire edition. But phrases like “plastic surgery” sort of kill the glamour buzz.

What do you guys think?

—JAZZI McGILBERT

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posted by guest

Apr 04, 2008 2:27PM

COMPLETELY AGREE! I wish there was no such thin as cover tag lines! They completely ruin the cover shot and it is so frustrating and cheesey looking. Thank you...
Now if only all majoy publications saw this...

posted by guest

Apr 04, 2008 2:40PM

100 % agree. I subscribe to a lot of magazines and am alway dissappointed that I can't actually see the photo on the cover behind all those words.

posted by aaalisson

Apr 04, 2008 2:42PM

I completely agree !!! US Vogue kills me with their headlines and the clutter on the cover. I love when I get the Vogue Italia or French Vogue because everything is high glossy and clean looking... no clutter at all !!!! NICE AND CLEAN ANNA WINTOUR, NICE AND CLEAN PLEASE !!

posted by guest

Apr 04, 2008 2:44PM

I hate cover headlines. They are boring and completely pointless and useless. I want to see the photo not "87 swimsuits to flatter every figure." Does anyone actually read cover headlines? It's all about the photo.

posted by guest

Apr 04, 2008 2:48PM

This is one of the things that I love about subscribing to Bazaar. They have much more artful covers for the subscribers and no garish "random number" headlines. I want to see beautiful photos, I don't need to know there are 10,027 new ways to do a smoky eye inside!

posted by urple

Apr 04, 2008 2:53PM

Yes, those headlines kill the cover!!! I love looking through old Harper's Bazaars and Vogues when the covers were treated as works of arts and didn't pump out the usual cover shot of a gorgeous model/actress/whatever. It would be amazing to get a headline free cover for subscribers, except I don't subscribe to any because they always arrive in the stores before I get them in home (blame it on living in Hawaii where a ocean separates us) and I hate throwing them away and have no room for them.

posted by guest

Apr 04, 2008 2:56PM

Interesting -- I never really thought about this, but completely agree. With the table of contents inside, people can still figure out what they'll be buying. And I think mags on coffee tables would look nicer if covers were headline-free.

posted by guest

Apr 04, 2008 2:57PM

Totally agree. I wrote my art history thesis on artist collaborations with fashion magazines. The old Vogue Dali covers and so forth were so beautiful and so much more inspiring!

posted by guest

Apr 04, 2008 3:12PM

amen!

posted by FWD

Apr 04, 2008 3:25PM

I really hate when Vogue tells me to "Embrace my shape" or "Banish blackheads" or buy "Good clothes for cheap."

I have other magazines for that stuff. Vogue should stay arty and inspiring. Faking practicality just muddies up the message.

posted by guest

Apr 04, 2008 4:49PM

totally agree, it should be all about the photo cover. that way it'd probably be more creative.

posted by Modupe

Apr 04, 2008 5:31PM

I completely agree,it sux that we have the country with a great high fashion magazine that talks about trivial things. Also, Vogue US needs to realize that models should go on their covers, it's part of the whole "high fashion thing"...if only they could realize it

posted by guest

Apr 04, 2008 5:37PM

even more so: banish the dumb actress from the cover! no more j.lo, no more scarlette, sienna, etc. i want to see models. actual models. i have never, ever bought a magazine based on headlines. i subscribe to four and buy another couple each month.

posted by guest

Apr 04, 2008 5:46PM

AGREED.

posted by zinzielizabeth

Apr 04, 2008 6:05PM

This is why I lovelovelove Bazaar for sending their subscribers a completely different cover with noooo cover-lines!

Sad, though. My room mate is the designer for C Magazine here in LA -- they recently up'ed their ante and started doing way more cover-lines, which I think is sad since their aesthetic was so pared down before. Must give the people what they want though?

posted by guest

Apr 04, 2008 7:18PM

Elle UK now have special subscribers covers without all the headlines.

I like them so much more.

posted by guest

Apr 04, 2008 8:18PM

another one in agreement, however i think they put all that crap on the cover to save those people from searching through 50 pages of ads before getting to a table of contents...

another thing to think about.

posted by guest

Apr 04, 2008 10:15PM

That isn't how marketing the the general US consumer works (and I hate to break it to you, but the magazines don't care about you...they want to make money by selling as many issues as possible which will increase the price they can demand for advertising space). It doesn't really matter all that much if you don't like it

Maybe you should just read different magazines since the content is apparently better anyways? As with many things in life, you're probably better off finding something you enjoy than picking apart the things you don't.

posted by guest

Apr 04, 2008 11:50PM

YES! I totally agree. I'm going to end up buying every copy of Vogue that's available in English anyway (reaaaaally wish I could speak Italian right now) so the cover lines are annoying.

And I'm sick of the judging stare when I'm reading fashion magazines. Just 'cos you like fashion, doesn't mean you're an idiot. Even if you can't speak Italian :)

posted by guest

Apr 05, 2008 12:17AM

God, yes the US Vogue headlines totally embarass me! It's those damn theme issues that bother me too. The "Shape" issue, the "Power" issue and whatever else they are trying to shove down our throats. They are all the "Lame" issues to me. I buy them because they are "Vogue" and I'm an enabler. Now US Vogue is doing quotes of celebrities on the cover. It is like a gossip rag instead of a fashion mag. Thanks for letting me vent.

posted by guest

Apr 05, 2008 2:12AM

totally agree, if anything it makes me want to buy the magazine less

posted by guest

Apr 05, 2008 6:20AM

I agree, but I must admit that Vogue US is a whole lot worse than the british edition. last year they had Keira Knightley on the cover, and at the bottom it just said: Couture! Which I thought was acceptable. But tag lines ~(in my perfect world) would be one or a few words at the bottom about the min shoot inside.

posted by guest

Apr 05, 2008 12:30PM

i care less about coverlines than i do about seeing celebrities who don't know a thing about fashion on the covers of fashion books. now that's what i call crass commercialism. when was the last time you saw an actual model on the cover of a US fashion mag?

posted by guest

Apr 05, 2008 12:53PM

this is why i love Numero. it has cover headlines, but they're small and discreet, and they definitely don't compete with the cover photo or the 'theme' of the issue.

posted by guest

Apr 05, 2008 1:32PM

I AGREED COMPLETELY!!!

posted by guest

Apr 05, 2008 3:17PM

I always thought the only clever part of the dreadful sitcom "Just Shoot Me" was the use of cover headlines for scene segues. They were the best parody of the magazine industry in the entire show.

posted by guest

Apr 06, 2008 3:58PM

they do let you see the full cover! its about 1x2 inches and its in with the contents page, LOL!

posted by StyleFixDotNet

Apr 07, 2008 8:46AM

You all nailed my thoughts with numbers! I hate when they count every little tiny reference to a shoe, picture of one or what not and then say that there are 544 new spring shoe styles!!

When i was interning at a style magazine, I actually brought this up ... the owner at one point was like "Okay, are there actually 50 references? Because Sally (me) will be upset if there aren't!" I loved her.

posted by disneyrollergirl

Apr 12, 2008 5:18AM

I HATE COVERLINES! And I especially hated having to contribute ideas for coverlines when I worked on a teen mag. Particularly the 'true life story' ones..."bullies ruined my life!" etc. I don't know anyone who buys a mag for its coverlines. Now the coverMOUNT is a different story. It was quite galling for us staff to find that quite a high percentage of magazine buyers apparently choose which magazine to buy that month according to the free gift.