On March 4, 1974, People Magazine published its very first issue. Below, I have posted the introduction letter printed in the very first People Magazine ever. In it, the editors state the goals, purpose, and image for the magazine. From its very inception, People established itself as the preeminent source for Celebrity news, one that is attentive to the contemporary individual's "curiosity". It continues to be the quintessential modern magazine, grounding itself solely on the authority of what's supposedly important to the public - and that is "other people". These other people are interesting, influential, and most of the time famous (or made famous). The social dedication is empowering. By merely affirming that their focus is on cultural relevance, the the editors both acknowledge the strength of discourse, and also take control of the way in which our society is shaped. If we look to Michel Foucault's ideas on the power/knowledge cycle, you can see how People was able to maintain its control of popular media over the next 35 years. Supposedly produced for the masses, People took advantage of this position in order to stake out an authority role and simultaneously produce power relations. Even going far as to remind us of their ties to "the Time, Inc family of magazines," People procured the right to "establish the criteria for what gets to count as knowledge in a given society," our society (109). This issue may have been printed 35 years ago, but it remains a powerful voice in how we think about ourselves and others. In 1970s slang, I guess People Magazine just might be The Man.
Read the introduction letter for more details:
One of the things we cannot ignore about People is its ability to draw in the reader. The very first issue pictured Mia Farrow on the cover, a woman who I would call the 1970s version of our Angelina Jolie. However, the pictures of the two starlets are not at all similar. Unlike the paparazzi pics of Jolie that continuously appear on the cover of People and other gossip magazines, Farrow's shot is more like the high fashion photos that graced the pages of Vogue at this time. (Bianca Jagger, wife of rock star Mick Jagger, and similarly worldly woman appeared on Vogue's March 1974 cover.) She is depicted as the role she was playing in her upcoming movie, The Great Gatsby - Daisy Buchanan. It is quite engaging to see Farrow with her blond hair and outstanding blue eyes dressed all in white and staring off into the distance. The character being a rich Long Island society woman, Farrow is appears stately and dignified, with a certain sexual attractiveness. We want to know what makes her so aesthetically alluring - that longing gaze, those pearls in her mouth, that angelic glow, that detachment from the reader. We want to possess her, if not sexually then mentally. Of course, a woman like Daisy Buchanan is notably off limits to the average person, but it continues to perpetuate a discourse of social desire. We want to know how the affluent and important live, whether they are movie stars or society women, and People Magazine is here to give us all the juicy details.
To read this article and scroll through the entire issue, click HERE.
Wow! That was a great introduction to People magazine. I find it interesting to see the change in the photos placed on the cover of magazines. Although this photo is very different then what is now on the cover of People, it still evokes desire in the reader. Every women wants to be her and every man wants to be with her!
ReplyDeleteReally interesting look on the start of such a successful magazine that succeeds on our desire to act, dress and be just like celebrities.