Magazines

The only times I’ve subscribed to magazines were when it came for free with some other kind of purchase. When I paid for the content on International Gaming News’ website (IGN.com), I started getting Wired and Computer Shopper as well and as the months passed, I stopped using IGN’s website entirely.

The main benefit became Wired, a magazine I knew nothing about when I originally subscribed. Admittedly, I barely glanced at Computer Shopper, but without Wired, my purchase would have been completely wasted.

These days, I hardly ever read magazines. I feel like I can get anything usually found in a magazine somewhere on the internet instead. Why subscribe to ESPN The Magazine when half the content is available on their own website and the rest of it is covered ad nauseum on hundreds of similar sites with varying quality?

Basically, the only purpose of paying for the printed version is having something to read when I’m on the toilet. And I don’t know about you, but the backs of shampoo bottles are just as thought provoking as Time when you’re in the bathroom doing your business.

Now that I don’t get any magazines delivered to my house, I’m forced into opportunist mode. I’m that guy who won’t pay for cigarettes because they cost too much, but then asks to bum a smoke off you every 30 minutes.

I even steal magazines from hair cutteries and doctor’s offices when I’m interrupted in the middle of an article. I have no problem asking for a friend’s magazine when I’m forced to leave their house abruptly. And in the off chance they say no, it’s not a big deal.

Being that I’m an opportunist, I don’t usually get much choice in what I read. When there is a bit of a selection, I go for the sports magazines first despite the fact that virtually all sporting news is time based and irrelevant by the time I read the issue that’s been sitting around in a waiting room for three months.

I still pick it up ahead of more time neutral magazines like People. Of course, if there’s nothing sports related present, there’s no low I won’t stoop to. I’ve read Cosmopolitan, Oprah, even Glamour. So really, I only read magazines when they're my only option and when they're your only option, anything will do.